calabacitas (mexican baked zucchini with corn)
this is the the side dish that almost ALWAYS made an appearance on my grandmother’s dinner table. warm, cheesy, baked, veggie goodness... the following recipe is my attempt at replicating her famous dish... it tastes like my childhood and is one of the most kid friendly ways to get your own kidlets to consume veggies! it is also a handy make-ahead dish that can be prepared several hours ahead then baked when dinner time arrives... enjoy, my friends!
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
15 oz can of corn, drained
7 oz canned diced tomatoes, drained (about 3/4 cup)
2 oz canned green chilies, drained (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped and loosely packed
1 (heaping) cup of shredded cheese (colby jack or monterey jack work best)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the onions until soft. Add the chopped zucchini, cumin, garlic powder and salt & pepper to taste. Sauté for about 5 more minutes until the zucchini begins to soften. Turn off the heat and add the corn, tomatoes, green chilies, green onions and cilantro. Stir gently to combine. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired (In total, I usually add about 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper).
Pour vegetable mixture into a greased 9″x13″ baking dish and top with at least 1 cup of cheese (2 cups if you want it super cheesy). At this point, you can cover the dish with foil and refrigerate for up to 6-8 hours before baking.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes until cheese is melted and veggies are hot. Enjoy!
