A Mexican treat, without the guilt.
Two words I’ve been hearing more and more in the past few years are “gluten free.” Restaurant menus highlight their gluten-free dishes, and supermarkets carry gluten-free versions of everything from pizza to blueberry muffins. I haven’t jumped on the gluten-free bandwagon myself, but I’m trying harder to come up with recipes that gluten-free eaters can enjoy.
So when I got the idea for these taco rolls – tasty little bite-sized versions of a taco – I wondered whether there was something I could use in place of the flour tortillas to make them gluten-free. There’s always corn tortillas, of course, but those seem to dry out and crumble when you bake them. I wanted something that would stay soft and roll up smoothly.
I started poking through my fridge, looking for ideas, and when I saw this big zucchini in the veggie drawer, a light bulb went off over my head. A zucchini-shaped light bulb.
It sounds crazy, but it worked! Cutting the zucchini into long, thin pieces and baking them made perfect, soft veggie strips that I could roll right around the meat, beans, and corn. Then I laid them out in a dish with salsa on the bottom and cheese on top, and these Zucchini Taco Roll Ups came out as tender, juicy bites bursting with Mexican flavor.
Now all I need to do is learn the Spanish for “gluten free,” and I’m all set.
Zucchini Taco Roll Ups
Ingredients:
1 large or 2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise
2 cups of cooked shredded chicken
1 teaspoons of taco seasoning ( here is my famous taco seasoning!)
1 clove of minced garlic
1/4 cup of corn kernels
1/4 cup of black beans, drained
1 cup salsa
2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish:
Salsa, sour cream and cilantro
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place zucchini slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 5-10 minutes, remove from oven.Once zucchini has slightly cooled, gently remove excess water with a paper towel.
2. In a bowl, add chicken, beans, corn, and seasonings. Set aside.
3. Add salsa to the bottom of a baking pan. Add 1.5 tablespoons of chicken mixture to a slice of zucchini.
4. Gently roll zucchini. Place zucchini, seam side down onto the pan. Repeat with remaining zucchini.
5. Cover zucchini rolls with shredded cheese.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and slightly golden colored. Serve with topped with optional salsa, sour cream and cilantro toppings!
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Zucchini Taco Roll Ups
Ingredients
- clove of minced garlic
- 1/4 cup of corn kernels
- 1/4 cup of black beans drained
- 1 cup salsa
- 2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Garnish:
- Salsa sour cream and cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place zucchini slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 5-10 minutes, remove from oven.Once zucchini has slightly cooled, gently remove excess water with a paper towel.
- In a bowl, add chicken, beans, corn, and seasonings. Set aside.
- Add salsa to the bottom of a baking pan. Add 1.5 tablespoons of chicken mixture to a slice of zucchini. Gently roll zucchini. Place zucchini, seam side down onto the pan. Repeat with remaining zucchini.
- Cover zucchini rolls with shredded cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and slightly golden colored. Serve with topped with optional salsa, sour cream and cilantro toppings!
K says
The printable recipe leaves off some ingredients, FYI. It’s not impossible to figure out, but just letting everyone know (chicken & taco seasoning).
Corey says
Oh no! I will check in to that Krista!