Carnitas & Street Corn Stuffed Zucchini with Ole Frijoles Pinto Bean Sauce
Prep Time
10mins
Cook Time
20mins
Total Time
30mins
Turn any weeknight dinner into a fiesta with this 30-minute recipe featuring zucchini, carnitas, and corn in a spicy bean sauce. Perfect for Cinco de Mayo celebrations too!
Cuisine:
Mexican, Southwestern
Servings: 4servings
Ingredients
For Stuffed Zucchini:
12ouncesprecooked carnitas (shredded pork roast)
1tablespoonolive oil
2earscorn, kernels sheared (about 1 ¼ cups)
1/2cupfinely chopped red onion
48-inch longzucchini
1 tablespoonTajin seasoning
1teaspoon garlic powder
1/2teaspoonground black pepper
4ouncescrumbled queso fresco cheese
For Ole Frijoles Pinto Bean Sauce
3cupscooked pinto beans
1/2cup cooking liquid from beans or water
110-ounce candiced tomatoes with greed chiles (Rotel)
1tablespoon vegetable stock base (a concentrate in jar or bottle)
2tablespoonschopped chipotle chile in adobo sauce (from can)
2teaspoonsgarlic powder
2 teaspoonsground cumin
2teaspoonsassorted chopped vegetables (onions, bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, asparagus, etc.)
salt and pepper to taste
Optional Garnish
crumbled queso fresco
chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
To make stuffed zucchini: Slice each zucchini in half lengthwise. Use a melon baller to scoop out a channel in each zucchini half. Chop up the scooped-out squash into small pieces and place scooped out zucchini “boats” side-by-side in a 9”x13” baking dish.
Add olive oil to 12” skillet and bring to medium-high heat. Add chopped, scooped out zucchini, sheared corn kernels, and onion to skillet and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until vegetables are beginning to soften, but are not cooked through.
Stir in prepared, shredded carnitas along with garlic powder, pepper and Tajin seasoning.
Use a spoon or fingers to stuff this meat mixture into scooped out zucchini boats, mounding up high. Sprinkle tops evenly with the queso fresco cheese.
Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake at 400 F degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, removing foil in last 10 minutes. Dish is done with boats have softened and cheese bubbling on top.
While zucchini is cooking, make bean sauce. Beans should already be cooked according to package directions. This will take quite a few hours, even overnight, depending on your method – so give yourself enough time.
Add cooked beans and all remaining ingredients for sauce to blender jar and process until smooth. Consistency should be between soup and refried beans, add more water to thin if necessary.
Transfer bean sauce up to saucepan and warm up over medium heat.
To serve, drizzle a generous portion of sauce on top of head zucchini boat or make a pool of about 1/2 cup bean sauce on plate and top with 2 zucchini halves. Sprinkle with additional cheese and garnish with cilantro, if desired.