Tex-Mex Squash Bake

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 4 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 green onions, chopped – white and green parts separated
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 teaspoons chili powder, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Cook and stir the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until brown and crumbly, breaking the meat apart as it cooks, about 10 minutes. Drain off excess grease. Set the beef aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spread the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish with about 1 teaspoon of olive oil.

Pour the remaining olive oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat, and cook and stir the zucchini, red bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, garlic, and the white parts of the green onions until the vegetables begin to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper, and mix in the tomato paste, chili powder, and cumin. Allow the mixture to simmer until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Stir in the browned ground beef, black beans, kidney beans, corn, and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese until well combined. Adjust salt and pepper if necessary, and spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, and cover the dish with foil.

Bake in the preheated oven until bubbling in the center, 20 to 25 minutes; remove the foil, return to oven, and bake until the cheese is browned, 5 to 10 more minutes. Sprinkle the remaining green onions (green tops) and cilantro over the top.