You really cannot go wrong when it comes to zucchini. The versatile veggie is great in both savory and sweet dishes and packs a punch no matter what it is in. These excellent zucchini recipes will show you just how many different ways you can use the amazing vegetable.
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Looking for the best recipes for zucchini? Then you’ve come to the right place. These recipes will show you how you can cook, grill, bake, and so much more with the tasty veggie.
Zucchinis are summer vegetables through and through. The vegetable starts to hit its peak freshness right around June and continues through the summer months into August. Because it is so fresh in the summer months, it is perfect to add to pretty much any meal. Try it out and see for yourself with these tasty zucchini recipes.
Zucchinis are perfect for every meal of the day. They are excellent in the morning in a veggie quiche or muffin, at lunch as a zucchini boat, and for dinner in a casserole. Oh, and it doesn’t stop there. The veggie is also a surprise ingredient in several desserts. Not sure which recipe to start with when it comes to cooking your zucchini? Luckily, you’ve got several months of peak freshness to work your way through all of these amazing recipes.
1. Zucchini Boats
If you have a picky eater who won’t eat their vegetables, introduce them to zucchini boats.
The little “boats” are basically like a play-off of pizza. You can fill them with sauce, cheese, or sausage. Pretty much anything that would go on a pizza would be an excellent topping here.
The best part about these zucchini boats is that your picky eater will be too excited choosing what toppings to put on top of their boat to even realize they are eating a meal full of veggies.
2. Zucchini Bread
When you think of bread, you normally don’t think of it being made with vegetables. However, zucchini bread is here to redefine just that.
Not only is this bread full of zucchini, but it is also packed with cinnamon and walnuts, so it is bursting with flavor in every bite.
This recipe will be great to have in your back pocket, especially if you are a gardener growing loads of zucchini over the season.
3. Zucchini Corn Fritters
Take everything you love about classic corn fritters and make them even better by adding some zucchini.
The zucchini and corn pair up to make this dish the ultimate seasonal summer bite.
Along with the summer veggies, the fritters are loaded with cheese. You might as well double the recipe with this one, as you’ll be going back for seconds and thirds.
4. Healthy Zucchini Lasagna
Switch up your traditional lasagna recipe with this zucchini lasagna.
This recipe has everything you love about the classic dish minus the heavy pasta. The zucchini acts as the replacement, and it couldn’t be a better sub.
Don’t worry about the dish losing its traditional feel since the pasta is being sidelined. The thin strips of zucchini seamlessly replace the noodles and provide an outstanding flavor.
5. Blueberry Zucchini Bread
Start your day off on the right foot with a thick slice of blueberry zucchini bread.
The bread has everything you love about classic zucchini bread and only gets better thanks to the fresh blueberries.
Do yourself a favor and double the recipe since zucchini and blueberries are in season. This way, you can freeze a fresh loaf to enjoy in those gloomy winter months.
6. Baked Zucchini Sticks
It will be hard to eat just one of these baked zucchini sticks — they are that good.
These little sticks of goodness are made by slicing zucchini and coating them in bread crumbs, Italian herbs, and parmesan cheese. Seriously, there is really nothing not to like.
Not only are they delicious, but they also come together pretty fast. It’s a win-win from all angles.
7. Zucchini Parmesan
If you love chicken parmesan and eggplant parmesan, prepare to fall in love with zucchini parmesan.
This zucchini parmesan takes everything you love from a classic parmesan dish and takes it to the next level by stacking it with fresh layers of zucchini.
Pro tip: make sure you salt your zucchini before you stack them in the pan. Since the veggies are mostly water, this will help release the moisture and ensure a tight and crisp stack of zucchini when baked.
8. Stir Fry Zucchini Noodles
Add even more veggies into your bowl of stir fry by swapping out the noodles for zoodles.
If you haven’t heard of zoodles before, get ready to fall in love. They are basically thin strips of zucchini cut and prepared just like noodles.
They are the perfect swap for a lighter meal and still provide the texture and body needed to make any dish a hearty meal.
9. Crustless Garden Vegetable Quiche
This crustless garden vegetable quiche is the perfect meal for the morning.
Impress your guests and serve this zucchini-filled quiche for brunch, or treat yourself with a piece of quiche first thing in the morning.
Not only is this quiche filled with healthy veggies, but it is also dairy and gluten-free.
THE BEST SUMMER ZUCCHINI RECIPES
10. Baked Zucchini Chips
These baked zucchini chips will quickly make you forget about that salty bag of potato chips.
To get these chips super crisp, the zucchini is sliced in super thin rounds and cooked at a high heat.
Don’t worry about these zucchini chips being bland. They are cooked in a tasty spice mixture that includes parmesan cheese, paprika, and garlic powder.
11. Zucchini Oatmeal Muffins
Trick your kids into eating vegetables for breakfast with these zucchini oatmeal muffins.
These muffins are packed with shredded zucchini, but the cinnamon and brown sugar shine through so much that you cannot even tell that there is a vegetable in sight.
Do yourself a favor and whip up a double batch of these muffins and place half in the freezer. They will be perfect when you are running short on time in the morning and don’t have time to make a full breakfast spread.
12. Hibachi-style Zucchini
Forget about ordering take-out. This hibachi-style zucchini is better than anything you’d get from eating out.
The hibachi-style flavor comes from cooking the zucchini in a pan on high heat. The key is to let the veggies sit so they get that strong char flavor.
This recipe comes together in no time too. It will be done before a delivery person would even think about getting to your house.
13. Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Chocolate and zucchini are not a combination you would think would go together. However, in this chocolate zucchini bread, they are the perfect pairing.
The zucchini bread gets its super chocolatey flavor from cocoa powder. It may not seem like it will be chocolaty enough when adding it in, but trust us, it will complement the rest of the ingredients to shine through.
Chocolate lovers better take note! This is one treat you are going to want to add to your regular rotation of sweets.
14. Zucchini Chicken Enchiladas
If you love enchiladas but are looking for something a little lighter, you’ve come to the right place.
These zucchini chicken enchiladas take everything you love about the classic dish and swap out the tortillas for zucchini slices.
The thin zucchini slices replicate the tortillas and allow everything to stay together for one delectable bite.
15. Jalapeño Popper Zucchini Boats
If you are not a huge fan of fried jalapeño poppers but love all the flavors of the popular appetizer, then you are going to be obsessed with these jalapeño popper zucchini boats.
The tasty snack combines two favorite dishes and mashes them into a healthy bite.
Plus, the crisp and cool zucchini acts as a natural repellant against the jalapeños. This makes the spice of the dish super enjoyable, instead of just making your mouth a firey mess.
16. Zucchini Casserole Recipe
Casseroles come in all shapes and sizes. When it is summer, and there are tons of fresh zucchini around, it’s basically a rule that some of it ends up in a casserole dish.
Besides loads of zucchini, this casserole is loaded with tomatoes, parmesan, mozzarella, and panko bread crumbs.
The whole dish comes together in about 30 minutes, making it the perfect dish to make any night of the week.
17. Zucchini Cheddar Scones
Switch up your breakfast routine and add these zucchini cheddar scones into the mix.
The addition of the zucchini in the scones keeps them super moist. However, you really have to drain most of the water out of the zucchini after shredding it. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a sad and soggy scone.
Keep any leftovers in the freezer and pull them out when you need a fast breakfast or late-night snack.
18. Zucchini Meatballs
Want to sneak a few more veggies into dinner? These zucchini meatballs are the perfect vehicle just for that.
The addition of the zucchini adds a nice and subtle flavor. Plus, it helps keep the meatball nice and moist while they cooks.
Even your pickiest eater will be going back for seconds.
19. Zucchini Cheddar Cheese Herb Beer Bread
Not all zucchini bread has to be sweet. Case in point: this zucchini cheddar cheese herb beer bread.
This bread is a great addition to any hearty meal that needs sopping up, as a side dish, or even on its own. It’s that good.
The bread is also a quickbread, meaning it will be ready in no time.
20. Zucchini Carrot Bars with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
If you love carrot cake and zucchini bread, get ready to fall in love with these zucchini carrot bars.
The bars get topped with a tangy lemon cream cheese frosting which is super creamy and refreshing.
Plus, the super moist bars are a great way to eat your veggies.
21. Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Bread
If you cannot resist lemon poppy seed muffins, good luck staying away from this lemon poppy seed zucchini bread.
The bread basically takes the flavors of the muffin and brings them to a whole new level. It’s moist, bright, and has such a great crumb.
You might as well leave this one out on the counter, as you’ll want to snack on it all day long.
