Summer Squash Taco Boats

My parents’s garden is overrun with summer squash. I am having to come up with a myriad of recipes to use them up. They are even handing them out to my voice students as they come to lessons. “Study with Mary- here’s your squash!”

This recipe is a fabulous Taco Tuesday addition. Lots of vegetables, lean ground beef, spicy taco flavor, melted cheese and warming comfort. You won’t miss the tortilla I promise!

Use these summer squash while they are perfectly in season; I’ll have plenty more cooking ideas, I promise!

Ingredients:

4 medium summer squash, cut in half lengthwise

1/2 cup salsa

1 pound ground beef

1 packet taco seasoning

1 onion, chopped fine

1 bell pepper, chopped fine

8 ounces tomato sauce

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup Mexican cheese blend

Green onions for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Using a spoon, scrape out the seeds of the squash, reserving 3/4 cup and storing the rest for later use.

Spoon 1/4 cup salsa into the bottom of a large baking dish and arrange squash face up. Set aside.

Brown beef in a large skillet until no longer pink. Add seasoning, onion, pepper, 3/4 cup reserved chopped squash, tomato sauce and water and stir to combine. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Fill each squash boat with the meat mixture, then top with cheese. Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes or until squash is soft and cheese is melted. Garnish and serve with salsa.

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