Baked Calabacitas

Calabacitas (literally little squashes in Spanish) is a New Mexican vegetable side dish that turns up everywhere from grandmother kitchens to high-end restaurants in Santa Fe. The name says it all: tender zucchini or yellow squash, mixed with sweet corn, spicy green chiles, and melted cheese. Simple ingredients, big Southwestern flavor.

Hatch chiles are the gold standard if you can find them, especially during their late-summer season. Roasted, peeled, and chopped, their distinctive earthy heat is what gives this dish its New Mexico signature. Canned green chiles work as a year-round substitute and are what most home cooks use.

The brief saute before baking is doing real work. It cooks off some of the squash’s water content (which would otherwise pool in the casserole) and starts to caramelize the onion. Skip this step and you’ll end up with a watery, soggy gratin.

Use sharp cheddar rather than mild. The squash and corn are subtle sweet flavors and need a punchy cheese to stand up to them. Pepper jack or Monterey Jack work too. Mild cheddar will get lost.

The 400F (200C) bake is hot enough to crisp the cheese on top while warming everything through. Don’t lower the temperature. The short bake at high heat is what creates those golden cheese-bubble pockets that make this dish.

Kitchen Tips

• Salt the squash slices and let them drain on paper towels for 10 minutes before sauteing. Removes excess water.
• Drain the canned corn thoroughly, or use frozen corn (no thawing needed) for less liquid.
• Add a sprinkle of cumin or oregano with the chiles for added Southwestern depth.
• Serve with warm flour tortillas, rice, or alongside grilled chicken or steak.

Variations

• Add fresh sweet corn cut from the cob in summer for the best flavor.
• Stir in ½ cup cooked black beans for a heartier vegetarian main.
• Top with crushed tortilla chips for the last 10 minutes of baking for added crunch.