These Stuffed Beef Enchilada Zucchini Boats are bursting with delicious flavour, making for the ultimate lower carb, protein packed meal! And don’t forget to add those tasty toppings for even more flavour in every bite! {Gluten-free & keto-friendly}
Over the past few months, we’ve been stuck in a major dinner rut.
Life got busy between being a mom, managing the household and trying to work on my own personal and career goals. There was so much that I wanted to accomplish in a day, that by the time dinner rolled around, I hadn’t even thought about what to make.
So I would usually resort to our go-to dinner options.
Taco night….anyone??
One day, I decided that this needed to change.
After all, there’s only so many variations on tacos that you can have before it starts getting a little old. Although we do love our tacos.
I made it my personal mission to test at least one new dinner recipe per week to switch things up a bit and add some variation to our menu.
The latest addition were these Stuffed Beef Enchilada Zucchini Boats.
And they were seriously GOOD!
It was refreshing to try something new…especially something as delicious as these zucchini boats.
There are a few steps involved in making these boats happen but it’s TOTALLY worth it!
How to Make Stuffed Beef Enchilada Zucchini Boats
The first thing you’ll want to do is prepare the homemade enchilada sauce.
This stuff ROCKS! Totally makes the recipe.
Zucchini can be rather bland on its own so it needs that tasty sauce to infuse some extra flavour. It does have a bit of a kick to it but I wouldn’t consider it to be super spicy. In my opinion, it’s the perfect amount of spice!
To prepare it, you’ll need to add some flour and olive oil to a small sauce pan. I used whole wheat flour but you can use any type of flour you prefer including regular all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour. Give it a little stir and then add in all of the spices.
Next you’ll need to add in the broth slowly. I did half a cup at a time and then whisked it after each addition to get rid of any lumps. Bring the sauce mixture to a boil and then allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes.
While the sauce is busy simmering, you can fry up the vegetables in a bit of olive oil in a frying pan. Once fragrant and softened, remove from the pan and cook the ground beef until no longer pink. Add the veggies back to the pan. Pour in the enchilada sauce and give it a good stir until the beef and vegetables are coated.
Next, you’re going to prepare the zucchini. Cut off the end of the zucchini with the stem and slice in half lengthwise. I recommend using larger zucchinis if you can find them, since they will hold the beef and vegetable mixture. Trying to stuff that mixture into a super small zucchini can be a bit finicky. Take it from me…been there, done that!
Take a spoon and slide it across the middle of the zucchini length wise to remove the seeds. It should create a bit of a trench. That’s where the beef mixture will go.
Top each zucchini half with the beef and vegetable mixture so that it fills the trench.
Sprinkle each zucchini half with mozzarella cheese.
Place in the oven for 20 minutes at 375 degrees F to allow the zucchinis to cook and the cheese to melt.
We’re not done yet though! Now it’s time to move on to the toppings!
How to Serve Stuffed Beef Enchilada Zucchini Boats
So although you could just eat these zucchini boats as is, what really takes them to the next level is heaping them up with delicious toppings!
After all, these ARE exactly like enchiladas, except this time, they’re in zucchini, not tortilla form.
I recommend that you DON’T skip this step.
So let’s talk toppings.
Some suggested toppings are:
- Diced tomato
- Avocado
- Cilantro
- Salsa
- Greek yogurt or sour cream
- Green onion
- Lime juice
So YUM!
Stuffed Beef Enchilada Zucchini Boats: Perfect for Healthy Meal Prep
What’s even more amazing about these zucchini boats is that you can make them in advance and store them in the fridge for up to four days, making them perfect for meal prep! They store really well in the fridge, are are the perfect vehicle for getting that fibre rich veggies and protein.
By replacing the typical tortilla with zucchini, it helps to lower the carb count and reduce the calories of the dish. Zucchini is also a good source of fibre, so it’s pretty filling.
The beef adds that kick of protein which can help once again with that feeling of fullness!
So the morale of the story is that these stuffed zucchini boats are nutrient and flavour-packed morsels of goodness.
Time to go dig in ;)
Stuffed Beef Enchilada Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
For the enchilada sauce
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. whole wheat flour can also sub in all-purpose or gluten-free flour
- 2 tbsp. chili powder depending how much of a kick you like
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. oregano
- 1/4 tsp. cumin
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 cups broth no salt added
For the stuffed zucchinis
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 1 red pepper diced
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 cup corn
- 1 lb extra lean ground beef
- 4 large zucchinis
- 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Optional Toppings:
- Diced tomato
- Avocado
- Cilantro
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Sliced green onion
- Lime juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- Add olive oil and flour to a small saucepan. Stir and cook for one minute. Add the rest of the spices and stir. Gradually add the broth and whisk to remove any lumps. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 10-15 min or until slightly thickened.
- Meanwhile, cook the vegetables in olive oil over medium heat for 5-7 minutes. Set aside. Add beef to pan and cook until no longer pink, about 4-5 minutes. Return the vegetables to the pan.
- Add the enchilada sauce to the mixture and stir to combine.
- Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds from the centre using a large spoon to create a trench. Place the zucchinis on the prepared baking sheet.
- Fill the centre of each zucchini with beef and vegetable mixture. Top evenly with shredded cheese.
- Bake in oven for 20 minutes. Serve with desired toppings.
Nutrition
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If you have a chance to try out these Stuffed Beef Enchilada Zucchini Boats, I’d love to see your pics! Tag me on instagram @hauteandhealthyliving and use the hashtag #hauteandhealthy!
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These were really good! I usually used canned enchilada sauce but was out, so I decided to look for a recipe that made the sauce,too.
Since I like my food a bit more spicy, I did substitute hot chili powder for a portion of the chili powder in recipe. And lastly, I chopped up one canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce and added that and some of the adobo sauce while the enchilada sauce was simmering. It added just the right amount of heat for me.
These additions could be made to a some of the enchilada boats, while others cooked as written, when you have family members (children, perhaps!) that don’t eat spicy foods.
This recipe is a keeper- no more canned enchilada sauce for me!
Thanks:)
Thanks Amy! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! I bet the modifications that you made were delicious — great for when you’re looking to kick the heat up a notch! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback!