Photo by Sonia Mendez Garcia Grilled Calabacitas (Hasselback Zucchini)
If I had my choice of sautéed calabacitas or grilled calabacitas, the grilled version will always be my pick. This fun and tasty recipe was adapted from a potato recipe I like to prepare. It's a hasselback-style or sliced potato that is seasoned and typically baked and topped with cheese.
Instead of potatoes, for this recipe I used zucchini, one of my favorite vegetables. They cook up quickly and a make for a great alternative to potatoes. This recipe is easily adapted to the outdoor grill, which I did today. There's no heating up the kitchen and easy cleanup thanks to these convenient foil packets that I used to cook the calabacitas. Of course, I like to incorporate the Mexican flavors that I love. Chorizo, cotija cheese and Mexican crema all went into this recipe, which makes for a super-delicious side dish or appetizer for any occasion.
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchinis
- olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder granulated
- 8-10 ounces monterey jack cheese sliced into 1X1 thin squares
- 1 cup Mexican chorizo sausage previously cooked
- 2 jalapeño fresh, seeded, diced small
- 1 cup cotija cheese crumbled
- 1 cup Mexican crema
Directions
- Slice the ends off of the zucchini, then slice in half so you have 8 pieces all together. Carefully slice 3/4 of the way through each zucchini all the way across. Make sure you don't slice all the way through.
- Place each sliced zucchini onto a piece of foil paper big enough to cover the entire zucchini.
- Gently open up the sliced part and season lightly with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Drizzle with olive oil.
- Place a slice of cheese, no larger than the zucchini, in between each slice. Divide the cooked chorizo among the 8 calabacitas. Do the same with the jalapeño. Close tightly with foil paper.
- Place on preheated grill and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, with lid closed. Let sit for 5 minutes. Open and garnish with Mexican crema and cotija cheese.
Chef Notes
Prep a few hours ahead and then just cook on the grill when ready to eat.
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