One of the facts that people find surprising about authentic Mexican cooking, is the amount of produce that is used. And, yes, we do use our fair amount of cheese in various forms too. Most times, I mean, all the time, you will only see white cheese varieties for traditional dishes. I tease my friends all the time about the “yellow cheese” factor, Lol! It’s all good! I can rock some beautiful Tex Mex dishes with my favorite, colby jack cheese. It’s tasty! For today’s blog post, I share with you a simple, fresh and delicious recipe of Calabacitas Con Queso y Elote. Fresh calabacitas(zucchini), corn, tomatoes, poblano pepper all simmering in a fresh sauce with melted cheese. Yes, please! Not only a tasty meatless dish, but great served as a starter or appetizer. Serve with crusty bread, warm tortillas or homemade chips/tostadas. #guiltypleasures #mexicanfood
Tips~ I did not roast the poblano this time, but if you have time, I would suggest doing that. or add double the amount of roasted poblano, a little Mexican crema for rajas con queso y crema!
All that tasty broth just waiting for that fresh bolillo for dunking!
The beautiful zarape that my brother sent me from Houston was the perfect backdrop for this dish.
Calabacitas con Queso y Elote( Zucchini with Cheese and Corn)
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tbsps Avocado or Olive oil
- 1/2 cup white onion sliced into strips
- 1 large poblano pepper sliced into strips
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 large roma tomatoes 2 quartered, 1 diced
- 1-2 serrano peppers sliced
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Knorr chicken bouillon powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Mexican oregano crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 2 cups zucchini diced
- 1 full cup corn fresh off the cob(or frozen)
- 10 oz queso panela, or queso fresco cremoso cubed or sliced
Instructions
Directions
- In a large skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil to medium heat. Add the onions, poblano and garlic. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Saute for 6 to 8 minutes. Add diced tomato and cook for another few minutes.
- While the vegetables cook, to the blender add, quartered tomato, sliced serrano, bouillon and 1/2 cup of water. Blend on high until smooth. Add to pan, along with oregano and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
- Taste broth for salt and pepper. Add zucchini and corn to the pan. Stir well to combine and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Add 1/2 of the cheese and push down into broth. Add remaining cheese, cover pan with lid and cook just until cheese has melted a bit. Serve right away. Yields 4 servings.
Notes
Reader Interactions
Comments
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I was looking for a cactus and salsa verde recipes when I discovered your website. Marvelous, especially the meatless dishes. Katie
Thank you Kate! I hope you found what you were looking for. Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks!!
Is there a way to lower the amount of spice and still get good flavor? Perhaps a different kind of roasted chili?
My daughter is super-sensitive to spice-heat and I would love to prepare modified Mexican meals for her.
To give you an idea, chiles rellenos, both Poblano and anaheim are too hot.
Lisa, I would just use roasted red peppers instead. You could always roast some poblanos on the side and add them as a garnish to your plate.
I LOVE calabacitas con queso! Seriously, I could eat them every day, especially if they have plenty of caldito included. Laughing because my mom always used longhorn cheese, & I use sharp cheddar. Cn you tell that we’re “americanas” (from Arizona)? But the panela look so melty & yummy; will try that next.
I do love a good sharp cheddar cheese though. I always have some in my refrigerator, lol! I do keep the recipe as close as to how my Mom used to prepare it. It does bring back sweet memories of home for me.
So delicious! Easy to make and crowd pleaser.
Thank You Blanca. Blanca was my Mom’s name.
Hi beautiful Sonia,
Firstly, I LOVE YOU!!! I scoured the internet to find a recipes that mimicked my tias Guiso and had no idea it was a “thing”. I haven’t had this dish since I was a kid and I almost cried. I am no where near a good cook, but I can follow a recipe perfectly. Thank you for sharing so much deliciousness. I am looking forward to making many more of your dishes. My boyfriend was so surprised I made it. Thank you again and I look forward to sharing your site with family.
Yours truly, The Pocha from Santa Monica
Hi Tiffany! I am so happy you came across my blog too! Nothing makes me happier than to hear comments like yours!