Tex-Mex Squash Bake

Great way to use up the ever-plentiful summertime squash. Very flexible recipe. Definitely a very yummy family favorite. Love to serve it over rice or millet. It can be easily adjusted to suit your tastes. I have used shredded cooked chicken in place of the beef. I have also added other garden veggies that I needed to use up.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
• Calories: 281 Calories

Ingredients

• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• ¼ cup olive oil, divided
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 4 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 4 green onions, chopped -- white and green parts separated
• 4 teaspoons chili powder, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste
• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Cook and stir the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until brown and crumbly, breaking the meat apart as it cooks, about 10 minutes. Drain off excess grease. Set the beef aside.

Step 2

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spread the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish with about 1 teaspoon of olive oil.

Step 3

Pour the remaining olive oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat, and cook and stir the zucchini, red bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, garlic, and the white parts of the green onions until the vegetables begin to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper, and mix in the tomato paste, chili powder, and cumin. Allow the mixture to simmer until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Step 4

Stir in the browned ground beef, black beans, kidney beans, corn, and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese until well combined. Adjust salt and pepper if necessary, and spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, and cover the dish with foil.

Step 5

Bake in the preheated oven until bubbling in the center, 20 to 25 minutes; remove the foil, return to oven, and bake until the cheese is browned, 5 to 10 more minutes. Sprinkle the remaining green onions (green tops) and cilantro over the top.