We seem to have an abundance of zucchini at the moment, and I’m sure we’re not the only ones! But even if you don’t have a lot, you might want to check out this super easy “recipe” for 10 Minute Parmesan Zucchini.
10 Minute Parmesan Zucchini
“Recipe” is in quotes because this is hardly a recipe at all. There are only two ingredients (although there are ways to fancy it up a bit if you wish.) By the way, before we go any further, know that these aren’t “crispy” Zucchini bites. The Zucchini will be softish, but still holding its shape and covered by a dome of delicious golden brown and bubbly cheese!
About 10 Minute Parmesan Zucchini:
Basically, all you do here is cut your zucchini into rounds, sprinkle it with Parmesan, and put it under the broiler to bubble and brown. Both my daughter and I were wild about this, although the six grandchildren weren’t here. I think it might have been a hard sell to get them to try it…
Even if you aren’t wild about zucchini (I’m really not, except for a few certain recipes, like this favorite) you might want to give this a go and see if it doesn’t do it for you! Of course, nutty brown broiled cheese is gonna be good on anything! And if you already love zucchini, this one is for you for sure!
These 10 Minute Parmesan Zucchini Rounds are a fleeting thing. They’re best eaten as they come out of the oven, all steamy and warm. Leftovers are ok, just not great, which I think is to be expected from zucchini. It didn’t matter, I ate them all anyway and there were only like five left, so they were good enough, lol!
There was little difference between the fine grate, bottom and larger grate, top.
Variations on10 Minute Parmesan Zucchini:
I did mention fancying things up a bit. A couple of easy, no brain upgrades are below.
- If you’d like add pepper, lemon pepper, or Greek or Italian seasoning, either sprinkled over the zucchini or mixed in with the cheese.
- I don’t add salt because I think the cheese is salt enough, but you could if ya want to. You do you!
- My fave thing to do is vary the cheese, but I still like to personally stick with hard grating cheese. Try Asiago for a sharper bite and even more flavor or Romano which I think gives you a little more bang for your buck than Parmesan.
Arrange zucchini so it’s under broiler element
Making 10 Minute Parmesan Zucchini:
There’s nothing to making these. Make sure to cut your rounds uniformly so they cook evenly and the cheese is going to melt and brown uniformly. 1/4 inch is really too thin to have any structural integrity (they’ll droop) and a half an inch is too thick (they stay a little hard) so I go for about 3/8ths an inch. If you have a mandolin, you’re golden. I like this recipe best with smaller zucchini.
As far as the cheese, I found hardly any difference once the rounds were broiled, between cheese that was grated finely and cheese that was grated in a larger shred. If I had to make a call I’d give a very slight edge to cheese that is grated on the larger holes. You might as well save time and effort and go big.
I would def say to know your broiler! I put my oven rack in the top position and I positioned my zucchini to correspond with my broiler (my oven has an element on each side) so every round cooked perfectly. And do yourself a favor: line your sheet pan with foil and give it a quick spray for easy removal and clean up.
Saving Money on 10 Minute Parmesan Zucchini:
Just a few years ago, zucchini was considered to be such a garden veggie that the stores didn’t even carry them. We can buy them now but look for them on special. If you don’t grow your own, or your friends and/or neighbors aren’t supplying you with excess, the farmer’s market is going to be your best bet for picking zucchini up on the cheap.
The cheese is the pricier item, here. I have a strategy for what I call “Near Deli” cheese, just because it’s usually near the deli in the store. My store often has hang tags, which are coupons that are just hanging there that you peel off, sometimes with expiration dates that are months out. I always grab a couple (or look on the producer’s website) and wait for a sale, preferably a buy one get one free or get one half off. Hard Cheeses like Parmesan last a good long time. Check Aldi, too, if you have one – they have great prices. A wedge of cheese is almost ALWAYS going to be less than a package of grated cheese and will last longer in the fridge.
Hi guys, this recipe came from my sister, Liz, who never fails to come through with ideas and/or recipes for my site. I think it’s the perfect, easy, no brainer way to use up zucchini, even if it seems too simple to be true! I will probably keep posting zucchini recipes as long as we still have it, lol! Summer is almost gone…
Take care, all!
Mollie
10 Minute Parmesan Zucchini
10 Minute Parmesan Zucchini
The recipe is very flexible and dependant upon the size of the zucchini. I’ve done my best to guestimate how much cheese you’ll need.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 to 4 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: varies
- Category: appetizer
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 3 smallish zucchini, sliced 3/8ths inch thick into rounds
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese.
Instructions
Place zucchini rounds on a sprayed foil-lined sheet pan. Broil until cheese is lightly browned and bubbly, three to four minutes. Remove from sheet pan (or loosen on the sheet pan) as soon as they can be handled.
Keywords: Appetizer, asiago cheese, Cheese, family recipe, parmesan, romano, Side, Squash, Zucchini
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