Red Enchilada Zucchini Boats

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Simply Organic. All opinions are my own.

Have you ever had a zucchini boat? If not, you are really missing out! They’re easy to make, fun to eat, and healthy! Because…zucchini.

One of the great things about zucchini boats is that there are SO many filling options! Since zucchini has such a mild flavor, you can really go to town with the spices and meats you use. I decided to use Simply Organic’s Red Enchilada Simmer Sauce to flavor my hamburger. Let me tell you, it was a hit!

Have you heard of Simply Organic Simmer Sauces? If not, let me introduce you. They sent me a box of all their simmer sauces to try.

Previously, I used their Classic Fajita Simmer Sauce when I made my Easy Chicken Fajitas. My family quickly became fans and are excited when they see me pull out one of these simmer sauces to use.

Now in the past, I have rarely (if ever) used red enchilada sauce for anything. So I didn’t really know how my kids (in particular) would react.

You can imagine my shock when my nine-year-old said, “Mom, this is DELICIOUS! You should use this simmer sauce more often!” My fifteen-year-old (who has had eating issues her whole life and been through three rounds of feeding therapy) loved the meat so much that she wanted to make sure nobody ate the leftovers so she could have them. High praise indeed from super picky children!

So let’s get to making these amazingly delicious zucchini boats, shall we?

The first thing I did was sauté half a chopped onion and half a chopped green bell pepper in a little oil. Then I removed them from the pan and cooked up one pound of hamburger. I drained the fat and added the onions and peppers back in.

Now it was time to add the simmer sauce, with a little assist from my 15-year-old.

I stirred it all up and let it simmer for just a couple of minutes. You could always simmer it for longer, but I was impatient 🙂

Now it was time to spoon the meat mixture into the zucchini. To prepare the zucchini, you will want to cut them in half length-wise, then use a spoon to scoop out the center with all of the seeds. It will come out very easily. What you do with the center is up to you. Some people like to sauté it with their vegetables and add it to the meat filling. Me? I put it in a smoothie along with banana, strawberries, and mango and served it to my family along with the zucchini boats. Nobody suspected a thing! #momwins!

Just spoon a heaping amount of the filling into the hollowed-out zucchini.

Place the zucchini into a lightly-sprayed 9×13 pan. Sprinkle some grated cheddar cheese over the top and cover with foil. Bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees, then remove the foil and bake 5 minutes more, just so your cheese will get nice and bubbly. Here is your final result, with some lovely cilantro added on top for garnish.

You can use Simple Organic Simmer Sauces to make your own #OrganicMoments!

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Red Enchilada Zucchini Boats

Author: Melissa Howell

Ingredients

• 1 packet Simply Organic Red Enchilada Simmer Sauce
• 1 lb. lean ground hamburger
• 1/2 white or yellow onion chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper chopped
• 2 medium-sized zucchini must fit inside a 9x13 pan
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Lightly spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
3. Wash your zucchini. Cut off both ends and slice the zucchini in half length-wise. Scoop out the soft middle portion with a spoon. Discard, or save for another use.
4. Saute the onions and peppers in a small amount of olive oil over medium heat in a medium-sized frying pan. When onions are translucent, remove the onions and peppers from the pan.
5. Add the hamburger to the same pan and cook until brown. Remove the oil, then add the onions and peppers back into the pan.
6. Pour the Simply Organic Red Enchilada Simmer Sauce over the meat mixture and stir well. Let simmer over low heat for 5-10 minutes.
7. Place the prepared zucchini inside the 9x13 pan. Scoop the meat mixture into each zucchini half. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.
8. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for another five minutes.
9. Garnish with cilantro if desired and serve.