Nothing says Fall harvest like a big plate of Calabacitas con Queso. Mexican squash along with fresh vegetables are seasoned and sauteed tender, then made creamy with milk and melted cheddar cheese.
Top tip: When in season look for small tender tatume squash. Yellow squash or yellow zucchini are also good options.
What You Can Expect From This Recipe
When our Colorado fresh veggies start appearing at our farmer’s markets, the dish I always turn to is Calabacitas con Queso. (Squash with cheese).
So What exactly is Calabacitas con Queso? It’s a traditional Mexican vegetable side dish, or taco, where veggies are sauteed then smothered with irresistibly bubbly melted cheese.
The main ingredient is squash accompanied by sweet corn, chile peppers and tomatoes join in for a healthy flavor packed combination that simply refuses to skimp on flavor.
You can use any type of zucchini, but I like to wait until I find what I consider to be a true calabacita, a Mexican squash, a Tatume squash.
This recipe is vegetable focused and served without a protein, making it a light yet satisfying option. it’s an authentic Mexican dish that’s simple to prepare using easily accessible ingredients during peak vegetable season, and it’s budget friendly.
Making Calabacitas is a breeze because its a one pan event. After the chopping and dicing is over, you’re simply sauteeing vegetables, starting with the ones that take the longest to cook and ending with the most delicate, such as the calabacitas squash.
Let’s take a look.
What is a Tatume Squash (Calabasita Squash)?
Native to Mexico, a tatume squash is round, somewhat resembling a small watermelon. It can be labeled as Tatume squash, round zucchini or Mexican Zucchini. Tatume is a staple in Mexican cooking and is a great candidate for cooking on the grill. The flesh is firmer and it’s more flavorful than a yellow summer squash or zucchini. This is a perfect recipe for using tatume squash.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Fresh Sweet Corn
- Roasted Green Chile Peppers, Hatch or Pueblo chiles work well here
- Fresh Tomatoes
- Calabacita Tatume Squash, Zucchini or yellow Summer squash will work for this recipe.
- Cheese, Grated cheddar cheese, or any good melting cheese like Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack or even Muenster.
- Onion, sweet or yellow
- Garlic
- Milk
- Spices: Salt, pepper, Mexican oregano, cumin, red chile powder
- Cotija Cheese, for garnish.
Recipe Swaps and Subs
- Sweet Corn: If you don’t have access to good fresh sweet corn, use frozen sweet corn. White or yellow corn will work.
- Green Chile Peppers: Don’t have a stash of roasted chile peppers in your freezer? Use roasted, chopped canned peppers from the Mexican food aisle at the grocery store. Also check the freezer section at your store, some will carry frozen Hatch Chile Peppers. A roasted Poblano Pepper is also a great substitute.
- Tomatoes: If you’re making this calabacitas recipe during the Winter and don’t have access to good quality fresh tomatoes, use sturdy cherry tomatoes or plum tomatoes. You can also use a 15-ounce can of chopped tomatoes, drained before adding.
- Red Chile Powder: New Mexico Red Chile Powder is preferred for this recipe, but if you don’t have any, substitute Ancho chile powder. It has deep rich flavor with mild to medium heat.
Mexican Oregano is preferred for this recipe. It’s peppery, grassy, earthy flavor is a good compliment for Mexican Food. If you don’t have Mexican Oregano, substitute Marjoram. Known for its aroma and delicate flavor, its related to oregano and will bring a sweet undertone to any recipe.
Step By Step Instructions
Pro Tip Knife Skills: Always keep the hand that’s gripping the knife clean and dry. A wet hand could cause slips resulting in nicks or worse a nasty slice on your hand.
- Step 1: Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions. Cook for three minutes, stirring occasionally until they begin to soften. Add chile peppers and garlic and stir until garlic is fragrant.
- Step 2: Add corn and tomatoes. Cook for five more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Step 3: Add squash, salt, black pepper, oregano and ground cumin. Stir to combine and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Step 4: Add the shredded cheese and milk, and stir together until the cheese has fully melted.
- Step 5: Remove from heat, garnish with red chile powder, chopped cilantro and cotija cheese, and serve.
Pro Tip: Purchase good quality cheese and grate it yourself. Pre-grated cheese in bags includes additives to keep it from clumping, which will also compromise the melting factor. Grating cheese from a block of cheese will result in a creamier and more consistent melting experience. Plus, it’s less expensive.
Questions You May Have
The flesh is meaty with a mild sweet taste. It’s also comes with a dryer flesh than zucchini, making it ideal for frying, as it won’t release as much moisture.
No. The skin is nice and tender and will not distract from the texture after cooking. As a matter of fact, the skin is a big source of the squash nutrition.
What To Serve With Calabacitas
- We like to serve calabacitas spooned over a warmed flour tortilla and eat them with a fork.
- You can also serve them over or on warmed corn tortillas for calabacitas tacos. This will also make them gluten free.
- Make a calabacitas tostada.
Storing and Reheating
- You can store Calabacitas in the refrigerator in an air tight container for up to five days.
- To reheat, place in the microwave and reheat about 2-4 minutes using 50% power. Stir half way through the cooking process.
- You can also reheat calabacitas stovetop in a saucepan. Use low heat to gently heat the ingredients, stirring only a couple of times.
Keeping this recipe simple, lets the fresh vegetables and spices shine. It’s one of those Mexican authentic dishes that you’ll find yourself making over and over again.
Serve this Calabacitas recipe as a Mexican side dish, or with tortillas for a vegetarian taco. A very tasty Mexican squash recipe.
Looking for more Mexican food recipes? Don’t miss my Mexican Southwestern Food Category. You’ll find lots of great recipes to spice up your meal plan, including the most popular Mexican food recipe on my site for Hatch Green Chili, Colorado Style.
Related Recipes
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Calabacitas con Queso
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ medium sweet onion diced
- 3 Chile Peppers roasted, diced. or 1 4-ounce can chopped chile peppers
- 3 ears corn kernels removed, or 1 ½ cup frozen corn
- 1 large tomatoes chopped. Or 1 15 ounce can chopped tomatoes, drained
- 1 medium calabacitas squash or one medium green zucchini, sliced into half moons
- 1 medium yellow squash sliced into half moons
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ teaspoon Red chile powder preferably New Mexico, or Ancho
- ¼ cup cotija cheese crumbled, for garnish
- cilantro chopped, for garnish.
- 6 small flour tortillas if making tacos
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add onions. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally until they begin to soften. Add chile peppers and garlic and stir until garlic is fragrant.
- Add corn and tomatoes. Cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add squash, salt, black pepper, oregano and ground cumin. Stir to combine and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Cover the skillet and let everything steam and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Uncover the skillet, add the shredded cheese and milk, and stir together until the cheese has fully melted.
- Remove from heat, serve over a warmed flour or corn tortilla, garnish with red chile powder, chopped cilantro and cotija cheese.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Calabacitas con Queso (Mexican Tatume Squash Recipe) … It’s What’s for Dinner
Why Trust My Recipes? I am a Culinary School Graduate and believe that everyone should try to cook as often as they can. I’ve been cooking for 50 years, and my recipes are tried and true tested and tested and then tested again before published. To read more take a look at my About Page.
I’m overloaded with a couple kinds of squash from the local farmer’s delivery so this recipe will find its way to my dinner table this week. thanks!
I love calabacitas and calabacitas in anything. Unfortunately I didn’t get any squash this year so I haven’t made any, but now you have me craving them. Love those little calabasitas. I find them a little sweeter than other summer squash, Great tacos!
Such a simple dish. And such a good one! Perfect fall dish — thanks.
We don’t eat many squash dishes but I believe I would really like this Mexican version. Looks delicious and I like your pics.