It’s that time of year. You know the one I’m talking about. Zucchini season. The time of year we’re all asking ourselves what to do with lots of zucchini that we’ve become the proud owners of.
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Zucchini is that one vegetable that is so prolific that it doesn’t matter if you have a garden or not. There’s always someone trying to offload some zucchini.
The rule in my house has been to never turn down free food. If someone has food they are trying to give you, take it. When you are trying to live a frugal live this is super important.
That means if your neighbour has a whole box of zucchini they are trying to give you, take it.
Especially since it’s a vegetable which is super good for your health.
At my house I only plant one yellow zucchini plant. Aside from in baked goods I’m usually the only one who eats it as a side dish for dinner so I don’t need more than one plant.
However, somehow I have two plants this year. I don’t even know how that happened. It was like a surprise plant popped up one day.
It’s okay though, because my husband has increased his intake of vegetables recently and so now he is eating it. Looks like we could benefit from two plants after all.
That being said, I am convinced we will still have more zucchini than we could possibly eat for side dishes at dinner time. If the kids see the word zucchini 5 times a week on this meal planner I post on my fridge, they aren’t going to be happy!
That’s when I have to start getting creative on how I can use the zucchini.
The good news is there are tons of recipes all across the internet of various ways you can use this vegetable. The list I am going to share today also includes recipes that will convince your child to eat their zucchini. 🙂 And maybe even that meat and potatoes husband in your life that is not a zucchini fan.
If you aren’t a zucchini fan I’m going to challenge you to try and find ways you can learn to like it. I once watched a Youtube video of this gardener who was telling people how he planted leafy greens such as kale. He then went on to say, “You don’t like leafy greens? Guess what? Neither do I. Eat them anyways, they’re good for you.”
I mean, isn’t that what we tell your children? Eat your vegetables, they’re good for you. We need to follow the same advice. Even if we don’t love it. It’s good for our bodies. So eat some zucchini today.
You’ve probably heard of people making noodles out of zucchini as one way to eat it. If you are going to do that you’ll definitely want to grab a spiraler.
THINGS TO MAKE WITH ZUCCHINI
SAVORY RECIPES
Baked Parmesan Zucchini – Let’s be honest, anything with cheese on it is a winner, wouldn’t you say? No? Just Me?
Zucchini Garlic Bites – Okay, I know I said cheese was the winner when added to a recipe, but that was before I saw these zucchini garlic bites. Garlic makes anything and everything better.
Tex Mex Chicken Zucchini – If you pair vegetables with meat everybody is happy.
Zucchini Lasagna – This is perfect for people who can’t necessarily eat gluten but want to enjoy their “pasta” still.
Air Fryer Zucchini Curly Fries – Fries and zucchini in the same sentence? Yes, please!
Crustless Zucchini Quiche – If you have lots of eggs from your chickens like I do, this is a great recipe.
Chili Lime Zucchini Chips – If you are trying to find a way to get your kids to enjoy zucchini, try these chips. Because, who doesn’t love chips?
Zucchini Cheddar Scones – These would be a nice dish to eat with some brunch.
Easy Roasted Zucchini – If you are looking for a dish that’s quick and simple, while still providing you with some daily vegetables, whip up this easy roasted zucchini at dinner time.
Easy Zucchini Fritters – Whip these up for lunch for a yummy, quick meal for the whole family.
Zucchini Soup – Nothing better than a bowl of soup on a rainy day.
Easy Zucchini Mushroom Stir fry – Add some zucchini to a stir fry for dinner to stretch your meal with a healthy choice.
Oven Roasted Zucchini and Squash – Zucchini and squash are a delicious pair to enjoy as a side dish.
Italian Garlic Zucchini Noodles – Again, another great recipe for those who are gluten-free.
Zucchini Cheddar Cheese Herb Beer Bread – Wow, that’s a mouthful! But it sure sounds like a delicious mouthful.
SWEET
Zucchini Brownies – Anything chocolate is definitely a winner at my house. Mostly for me.
Snickerdoodle Zucchini Bread – If you like snickerdoodles this is the bread for you.
Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread – There’s only one thing I like more than chocolate, and that’s double chocolate.
Easy Cinnamon Zucchini Cake – This cake has a cream cheese frosting which sounds so, so good!
Zucchini Banana Cake – I like cake, and I like bananas, so I feel like it’s safe to say I’d like this.
Lemon Blueberry Zucchini Bread – I love that this goes beyond the regular old zucchini bread and adds lemon and blueberry to it to make the old standby a new creation.
Zucchini Pie – I almost like pie as much as I like cake. Actually, it’s a toss up. Both are amazing. Can’t go wrong with pie.
Flourless Oatmeal Zucchini cookies – Another recipe great for the gluten-free crowd, but even if you aren’t gluten-free you can still enjoy this delicious cookie.
Zucchini Crumb Cake -Crumb cake toppings are always a welcome addition to an already yummy dessert.
Zucchini Crisp – Whenever I a make crisps I alternate what kind of fruit I use so it makes sense that you could use zucchini as well.
Pineapple Zucchini Bundt Cake – Can we just talk about how bundt cakes look so pretty? I don’t even have a bundt pan but I honestly need to get one so I can make pretty desserts.
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Blondies – I love chocolate chip blondies. I’m pretty sure I’d love these too. You might love them as well. Go make them. 🙂
Caramel Frosted Zucchini Pecan Bars – These sound amazing. That is all.
Orange Zucchini Bread with Orange Glaze – Citrus and zucchini are a really good combination. You’ll want to try out this bread for sure!
Zucchini Chocolate Muffins – Muffins are one of my favorite things to make if I need snacks for the kids. They are the perfect sized snack for children AND adults!
DON’T TURN DOWN PERFECTLY GOOD ZUCCHINI
If your neighbour is offering you a bunch of zucchini, don’t turn it down! It’s free food that you can turn into amazing dishes. You don’t have to always fall back on the standard zucchini bread. As you can see there are so many delicious recipes to try out with zucchini.
Do you grow your own zucchini or have friends and family who give you a bunch of theirs because they can’t keep up? I’d love to know, leave it in the comments below.
Other posts you may enjoy:
- What to do with Too Many Apples
- What to make with Bananas that are going Bad
- What to make with too many Potatoes
- 30 Unique Rhubarb Recipes
As always great blog.
In the opening remarks,it is stated to receive free zucchini from others abundance.
But when to your surprise you are blessed with a second zucchini plant, the blog seems to lean towards how to store up more zucchini for your own use.
Just a observation.
Always glad to hear other foodies ideas when our garden begins to produce it’s bounty. We have our favorites but enjoy reading and playing around with new recipes to try.
I have been making zucchini flour each year for several years now. It is especially good to do when we miss a zucchini and it grows so large. My favorite is to use the flour to make brownies. This year I learned that it is also called Amish Flour and it was very popular in the 1940’s. We can use the zucchini flour in recipes that calls for coconut flour or in regular recipes. Recipes that call for flour, we can substitute up to 1/3 of the flour called for. This year I have been adding 1 cup of zucchini flour in my Einkorn sourdough bread recipe.