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    Home » Appetizers

    Bean & Cheese Zucchini Rolls {a.k.a. Zucchitos}

    Published: Jul 21, 2015 · Modified: May 25, 2021 by thekitchenprep · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    A few things:

    1. I just returned from a weekend in Orlando for the Food & Wine Conference and oh. em. geeee.  So much good food, information and amusement. {Enough to elicit expressions suitable for a teenage girl, clearly.} I want to tell you all about it but, let's be real, I still haven't shared the recap from my trip to Philly 2 months ago. So, yeah.

    2. I didn't think this could ever, ever happen because I'm a bit of a margarita snob, but I'm totally digging these Sandra Lee Cocktail Time ready-made margs. I know. They were sent to me to try out and I was all, "Yeah, this is gonna taste like lime-flavored Pinesol", and then I completely had to eat -- er, drink? -- my words because it was truly tasty. I should have known to trust good ol' "Aunt Sandy", homegirl knows her boozy drinks. They reminded me of back in the day when I used to frequent OTB for happy hour margaritas. Except now I'm old and instead of starting the night with margaritas, a few sips and I'm ready for bed.

    3. These Bean & Cheese Zucchini Rolls look horrendous. Let's just be clear about that. There is no angle or light that could make these look pretty, and quite frankly, I couldn't care less because I just wanted to stuff them in my face. This isn't Glamour Shots, this is dinner.

    Here I am, trying to channel darling Faith from An Edible Mosaic and savvy Julius from Droolius who gave a fantastic presentation on how to photograph difficult food during FWCon and all I can think is, "Good grief, these look pretty gross."

    Pay no mind to this disturbing fact, my friends. Because what you've got here is a better-for-you version of a bean & cheese burrito. A "Zucchito", if you will. They taste like a heavenly little Mexican-inspired pinwheel of dinnertime love. And best of all, they only require 4 ingredients.

    A smear of refried beans and a sprinkle of cheese is all it takes to turn zucchini into a vegetable fiesta. For a bit of a zesty kick, these rolls are nestled into a pool of your favorite salsa verde {enchilada sauce would do the trick, too} and baked until tender. Serve with a side of rice and you've got yourself a meal.

    They may not be a work of art, but their looks are nothing a few margaritas won't beautify. 😉

    Bean & Cheese Zucchini Rolls {a.k.a. Zucchitos}

    The Kitchen Prep
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 25 minutes mins
    Total Time 35 minutes mins
    Course Appetizer, Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 Rolls

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ cup salsa verde {I like Trader Joe's brand}
    • 2 large zucchini cut lengthwise into thin strips *
    • 1 can refried beans {I buy the vegetarian kind because they don't contain lard}
    • ¾ cups shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
    • {Optional} Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pour salsa verde into the bottom of an 8x8 inch baking dish and spread with a spoon. Set aside.
    • Line a baking sheet with foil {so you can just toss the mess when you're done}, and place zucchini strips on sheet. Spread about 2 tablespoons of refried beans onto each strip, stopping a half inch or so shy of the end.
    • Sprinkle each with about a tablespoon {or more, if you'd like} shredded cheese. Carefully roll the strips into a pinwheel until you get to the bare end -- leaving that spot without refried beans will make for "cleaner" rolls. Secure with a toothpick, if needed.
    • Place the rolls in the baking dish** as close to each other as possible to help make sure they stay rolled up, nestling them down into the salsa verde.
    • Bake for about 20-25 minutes until the zucchini is tender and the cheese is melted.
    • Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving {to avoid all the filling falling out}. If desired, dollop a little sour cream {I use nonfat plain Greek yogurt instead} on top. Serve with Mexican rice, or as seen here, with chipotle-infused rice.

    Notes

    * It really helps to get the zucchini pieces as thin as possible so they don't snap when you roll them. If you're not in a rush, baking the strips for a few minutes to soften them first will also help make them more pliable. Even if they break, they'll still be good... just uglier than they already are.
    **I placed mine with the open side facing up, but placing them with the open sides lying horizontally may help them take a better shape.
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sarai Henderson says

      July 21, 2015 at 1:49 am

      I've never been a big fan of zucchini, but these look really good. Confessions of an Ex-Ballerina

      Reply
    2. thekitchenprep says

      July 21, 2015 at 1:55 am

      @Sarai - Thanks! The zucchini is pretty neutral, so the filling and salsa verde really amp up the flavor of the dish. Hope you'll try them!

      Reply

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    Hi! I'm Dianna. I used to think cooking had to be complicated to be good, so I never considered it "my thing." Now I know that's far from true, and my mission is to create & share easy, mouthwatering recipes - from weeknight dinners to simple bites for entertaining - that anyone can make! Join me in my South Florida kitchen and let's get cooking!

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