Taco Zucchini Boats:

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 medium zucchini
  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 1/4 cup minced onion
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 scallions, finely chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash and dry zucchini and cut off ends. Slice zucchini in half, lengthwise. Use a spoon to hollow out zucchini, leaving a 1/4 inch inch shell (1/4 inch around the edges and the bottom). You can save the hollowed out zucchini chunks for another recipe or add some into your taco meat mixture. Place zucchini into a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  2. In a small bowl, add cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, salt, and oregano. Mix together.
  3. In a large skillet, add ground beef and onions. Bring to medium high heat and cook until meat is nearly done. Sprinkle with seasoning mix. Continue to cook until meat is no longer pink. Stir in the salsa.
  4. Fill zucchini with taco meat mixture. Place into oven and bake for about 10 minutes or until zucchini is just cooked. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.  Sprinkle cheese over zucchini. Place back into oven and cook an additional 5 minutes, so cheese is melted over the zucchini boats. Sprinkle scallions over zucchini before serving.