Zucchini boats stuffed with ground beef sauteed with jalapenos, onions and taco seasoning and baked with pepper jack cheese. Each stuffed zucchini is topped with lettuce, tomatoes and Avocado Dressing.
Cut zucchini in half, lengthwise. Using a melon baller (or a spoon), scoop out the seeded flesh of each zucchini half, so there is space to stuff them. (Don't scoop out all the meat, just the softer part packed with seeds.)
If zucchini halves are not stable, you can slice off a very thin slice at the bottom to stabilize it. (See image in the post.) Set them aside.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 9x13 casserole baking dish.
Preheat a cooking pan and add some oil.
Sauté diced onion and jalapeno until softened. Add tomatoes and cook until softened as well. Stir in minced garlic and cook until fragrant.
Add ground beef and break it up as much as you can. Cover and cook covered, over medium heat, until about half way done.
Sprinkle taco seasoning over the top and stir very well. Cook, stiffing from time to time, until beef is done. Taste to see if you need to add salt or not. Take off heat.
Place zucchini boats into the prepared baking pan. Stuff each boat with cooked beef mixture.
Bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of the zucchini and if you like your zucchini a little crunch or not.
Top each zucchini boat with shredded pepper jack cheese and bake a few minutes, until cheese is melted.
Take them out of the oven and top off each boat with lettuce, tomato, and avocado dressing right before serving.
Video
Notes
Pick medium to larger zucchini that are about 9-10 inches in length and 1.5-2 inches in thickness. You will want your zucchini to hold a good amount of stuffing. If all you can find is on a smaller side, get a couple extra and stuff them best you can. You can count two stuffed zucchini boats as one serving in that case.
Store your leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days and preferably without the toppings.
Reheating is also best without the toppings. Individual boats are just fine to reheat in the microwave, but you can always reheat them in the oven at 350°F until just heated through. Just note that the top of the beef could dry out while reheating and if covered with aluminum foil, it will take a bit longer to heat through.