Tex Mex Stuffed Zucchini

$stuffed zucchini in a white baking dish$

5 from 5 votes

Filled with rice, cheese, black beans, corn, and spices, this flavorful Tex Mex Stuffed Zucchini is great as a light vegetarian / gluten-free main dish or a colorful side. Serve it with some tortilla chips for scooping or crumbling over the top if you’d like. It serves 4 as a main or 8 as a side dish.

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Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Tex Mex

Keyword: vegetarian meal, zucchini recipe

Servings:

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef

Cost: $8.00

Equipment

Casserole Dish

Ingredients

4 medium Zucchini (about 8 oz each)
1 14 oz can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups Corn Kernels, frozen or canned
2 cups Cooked Rice (use white or brown)
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp Chili Powder (do not use cayenne which is much spicier)
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1 1/2 cups Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese, divided (sub any type of shredded cheddar)

Instructions

Heat oven to 425°F / 218°C.
Slice zucchini in half lengthwise and arrange in a single layer in a large baking dish (or sheet pan), cut-side up. Sprinkle the zucchini with some salt and transfer to oven. Roast until softened slightly, about 10 minutes.
While zucchini roasts, in a large mixing bowl, combine black beans, corn, rice, salt, paprika, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and 1/2 cup cheese.
Remove zucchini from oven and let cool slightly. Working carefully, use a spoon to scrape out the center of the zucchini, leaving the peels intact. Add any zucchini that you scrape out to the bowl with the rice mixture and stir everything to combine well.
Season zucchini shells with some salt.
Spoon the rice mixture into the zucchini shells, pressing it down gently, and mounding it over the tops. (You can make this more casserole-style and just spread the rice mixture out over top of all the zucchini or fill each zucchini separately, pressing the rice mixture down into the zucchini.)
Top the zucchini with 1 cup cheese.
Return zucchini to oven and continue cooking until filling is warmed through and cheese is melted, 10 to 15 minutes more.
Serve the zucchini with sour cream, salsa, and chopped cilantro. Add tortilla chips for crumbling over top or serving on the side. Enjoy!

Notes

Gluten-Free - If you need this dish to be gluten-free, just be sure you serve it with gluten-free tortilla chips.

Make Ahead - Assemble the zucchini in a casserole dish up to 3 days ahead. Let it come to room temperature and then bake as directed.

Nutrition