Chicken Enchilada Zucchini Boats

I have always been a slightly picky eater when it comes to vegetables and fruit. Sometimes it is due to taste, but mostly due to texture. I am always on the lookout of how I can add more vegetables into my diet without making me feel like I am a rabbit chewing on lettuce and carrots all day long. I have seen so many people trying out these zucchini boats. I have never dared to try them because I am nervous of what they would taste like. Is the zucchini crunchy or soft and can you taste it?

I am happy to report that these zucchini boats are amazing. My husband was in love with them and even ate what I couldn’t finish! I wasn’t sure if one zucchini boat would be filling enough either since it is just a vegetable. These were so filling I could barely finish mine. They are low carb and high in protein – just how I like it!

I was able to prep everything the night before and then bake them the next day. I put the boats together and left off the sauce and cheese, then added them right before I baked them. These were also easier than I thought. Prepping them took me less than a half hour. These tasted amazing right out of the oven and would make great leftovers too! You could also prep the boats and then cook them as needed throughout the week too!

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4 (1 boat = 1 serving)

Ingredients

·         2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I boiled mine)

·         Taco seasoning of choice

·         15 ounce can of diced tomatoes

·         ½ cup of salsa (use medium or hot if you want a kick!)

·         ½ cup of plain non-fat greek yogurt

·         2 packets of stevia

·         2 zucchinis

·         1 tsp sea salt

·         1 cup monterey jack cheese

Directions:

1.       Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2.       In a saucepan over medium heat, add diced tomatoes. Leave tomatoes at medium heat for about 5 minutes and then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes, or until tomatoes are soft and falling apart.

3.       Add salsa, greek yogurt, stevia and sea salt to the diced tomatoes and continue to simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside.

4.       Meanwhile, take the shredded chicken and add it to a saucepan over low heat with ¼ cup of water and your taco seasoning. Make sure the seasoning is all over the chicken and let the chicken simmer for 5 minutes and then remove from heat and set aside.

5.        Take your zucchini and slice them down the middle to make two halves. Place them in a pot of boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes.

6.       Once your zucchini is done, take a spoon (I used a teaspoon) and scoop out the insides. You want to leave a little bit of the zucchini for the boat.

7.       Take your chicken mixture and add your chicken a half cup of the chicken to each boat.

8.       Add three tablespoons of the enchilada sauce to each boat and top them with ¼ cup of cheese.

9.       Place each boat into a 9x13 baking dish and bake for 20 minutes.

10.   I broiled mine for 1 minute to make the cheese golden brown!

These were a hit at our house. The zucchini was tender, but not soggy and you could barely taste it! Great way to sneak in some extra veggies!

Each boat counts as: 1 red, 1.5 green and 1 blue and they are about 310 calories each.

Hope you enjoy!