Today I woke up wanting zucchini and squash, so I looked at some food blogs to get some inspiration. I found a true ratatouille recipe, which sounded good, but then I remembered a tex-mex squash recipe that I bookmarked a long time ago and still haven't tried. One thing that these recipes lacked was protein. So, I decided I'd make my own recipe and hope that it turned out well. So, here goes! The pan is in the oven baking and I can hardly wait to dig in!
1 lb ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
2/3 c. water
2 yellow squash and 2 zucchini, cut into coins (4 cups)
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium green pepper, chopped2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, diced (I used 1/2 of a Poblano to make it less spicy. Missy doesn't like things "too hot")
3 tablespoons of butter
2 c. diced fresh tomatoes
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon of cumin
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 cup of chicken broth
2 tablespoons of flour
1/2 cup of cream
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped
2 cups total of grated pepper jack and cheddar
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Start by sauteing 1/2 of the chopped onion in 1 T butter in large skillet. Add the beef and cook until brown. Drain the fat and add the taco seasoning and 2/3 c water. Cook until thick. Pour meat in the bottom of casserole dish.
Add 2 remaining T of butter to the pan. Add onion, green pepper, jalapeno pepper, zucchini and squash. Saute until onions are translucent and squash is soft about 10 minutes.
Add garlic, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, salt and pepper and cook for about a minute. Add the flour and stir until thick brown paste forms, about 1 minute.
Add the chicken broth and tomatoes and stir until mixture thickens, which should happen in a couple of minutes. Add the cream, sour cream and cilantro and remove from heat. Stir to combine.
Pour squash mixture over the meat in casserole dish. Cover with cheese and bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is golden brown
