Calabacitas Rellenas de Arroz Verde y Queso (Stuffed Courgettes)
Courgette boats filled with lime and coriander rice and cheese, baked on a bed of smoky ranchera tomato sauce.
Made with Salsa ranchera and Cilantro lime rice. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time50 min
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £1.04 a head
- Oven200°C (180°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Scoop the seeds out of each courgette half with a teaspoon, leaving a shell about 1 cm thick, and chop the scooped flesh.
- 2
Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the chopped courgette flesh for 4 minutes until softened. Tip into a bowl.
4 min - 3
Stir in your ready made cilantro lime rice (see the base recipe), the black beans and two thirds of the cheese.
- 4
Spread your ready made salsa ranchera (see the base recipe) over the base of a large baking dish. Lay the courgette shells on top and fill each with the rice mixture.
- 5
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, scatter over the remaining cheese and bake for 10 to 12 minutes more, until the courgettes are tender and the cheese is bubbling and golden. The filling should be steaming hot all the way through.
32 min - 6
Scatter with the coriander and serve with the sauce spooned around.
Tips
- Salt the courgette shells lightly and leave them upturned for 10 minutes before filling, to draw out moisture so the dish is not watery.
- Use courgettes of an even size so they all cook in the same time.
- Swap the cheese for sliced avocado on top after baking for a dairy free version.
Storing and freezing
Cool within 1 hour and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat only once until steaming hot all the way through. Not recommended for freezing as the courgettes go watery.
Questions
Can I use marrow or large courgettes?
Yes. Cut a large courgette in half, scoop out the soft centre and bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer.
Is it a traditional dish?
Calabacitas rellenas, stuffed courgettes baked in tomato sauce, are a Mexican home cooking dish. Fillings vary from cheese to meat to rice.
Can I make it vegan?
Yes. Leave out the cheese and add a spoonful of sweetcorn. The rice and salsa ranchera are already vegan.
More made with salsa ranchera
Pan de Cazón Campechano (Layered Tortillas with Fish, Black Beans and Habanero Tomato Sauce)
GFDFEFPapas Fritas con Chile y Queso (Chilli Cheese Fries with Salsa Ranchera)
GFEFNFBistec Ranchero (Beef Steak Strips in Ranchera Sauce)
DFEFNFHuevos Ahogados en Salsa Ranchera (Eggs Poached in Ranchera Sauce)
NFVDouble check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.