When it comes to veggie loaded side dishes... Calabacitas are all time my favorite. Is it the cheese? Is it the roasted veggies? Is it because it goes so well with steak or just folded into a flour tortilla with a spoonful of guacamole? Who knows but I love it.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
Loaded with onions, peppers, zucchini, corn and tomatoes and then covered in melted cheese, it's the definition of a comforting side dish that's still most healthy! Unless your name is Gaby and you pick all the cheese off the top and eat it all yourself. #sorrynotsorry
Clearly I'll never really grow up. Serve these Calabacitas alongside any southwestern main course or toss it on top of rice/quinoa/farro and call it a day. OR you can stuff a spoonful of Calabacitas into a taco and top it with a big fat dollop of guacamole. It's the right thing to do.
Ingredients
- Vegetable Oil
- Yellow Onion
- Poblano Pepper
- Garlic Cloves
- Red Bell Pepper
- Orange Bell Pepper
- Zucchini
- Yellow Squash
- Yellow Corn
- Green Chiles
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Salt and Pepper
- Grated Cheddar Cheese
*For a full list of ingredients please see the complete recipe card down below
How to Make Calabacitas
Step 1: Sauté the onion and poblano pepper for 4-5 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and stir to combine.
Step 2: Add the various bell peppers, zucchini and yellow squash and cook for another 5 minutes until the zucchini and squash are slightly soft.
Step 3: Add the corn and green chiles and sauté until the corn is warm.
Step 4: Remove the skillet from the heat and add the tomatoes, stir to combine.
Step 5: Top the mixture with the grated cheddar cheese.
Step 6: Cover for a few minutes to melt the cheese and serve.
FAQs
What are calabacitas made of?
Calabacitas which means “little squash” in English, is a Mexican dish made from sautéed zucchini or squash, corn, tomatoes and peppers. It's typically served as a side dish but I often times make it into tacos as a main course.
What do calabacitas taste like?
It's an incredible flavor combo of veggies in your mouth + some cheese on top! You can jazz it up with any number of spices or peppers to give it more heat if you prefer.
Tips and Tricks
When it comes to making Calabactias the key is in the prep! Make sure you cut all the veggies in similar shapes so they cook pretty evenly and can be folded into a taco if that's your jam!
Pairs well with
If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
Calabacitas
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 poblano pepper diced
- 3 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 orange bell pepper diced
- 1 zucchini diced
- 1 yellow squash diced
- 1 cup frozen yellow corn
- 1 4- ounces can green chiles
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1-2 cups freshly grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
- In a large cast iron skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and poblano pepper and sauté for 4-5 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and stir to combine.
- Add the various bell peppers, zucchini and yellow squash and cook for another 5 minutes until the zucchini and squash are slightly soft. Stir in the corn and green chiles and continue to sauté for a few minutes more until the corn is warmed through. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the tomatoes, stir to combine.
- Top the mixture with the grated cheddar cheese and cover for a few minutes to melt the cheese. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Information
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Recipe by What’s Gaby Cooking
Fantastic summer meal!
Delicious! I added a little shredded chicken, squeeze of lime and queso fresco and stuffed it in a little tortilla. Outstanding and fun Friday night dinner. You're the BEST, Gaby!
This was delicious! We added chicken and some salsa, and even my squash-hating son ate it, so a huge thank you from me!
Delicious!
Thanks for sharing. My Sister gave me calabacitas tomatoes red onions. I willl put them to cook. Thank you
I have not made this yet but have already decided to omit the shredded cheese and just pour melted queso all over this baby and call it vegetarian nachos a la Gaby.
omg you have my full support
My grandmother used to make this. She used more squash, fewer peppers and topped hers with grated Monterey Jack cheese at the very end, off the heat with the lid on. Delicious.
I just made this for lunch today. I had never tried or seen this dish before. I wanted to use up some mozzarella cheese that I had on hand so I used that instead of cheddar. I have to say that it was Delicioso!! I look forward to try some more of your recipes!!