What Can I Make with Zucchini? Here are 30 Delicious Ways to Eat It!

The answer - tons of things! Back in the day, I really didn't know there was much you could do with zucchini. I thought all it was good for was cooking in a little olive oil, salt, and pepper or grilling it. A few years ago when I started growing it, I had to get creative and realized there are so many other great ways zucchini can be prepared. Zucchini can be a main course, side, or even a tasty dessert! If you happen to be growing zucchini this year too, you might have it coming out of your ears. I have a large bowl of zucchini and yellow squash on my kitchen table right now. There are many recipes that I already know I love with zucchini, and I searched the web for some more. I'm definitely excited about trying out some zucchini fries, which I've been wanting to do since last summer. I think it's time. And I think it's time for you to get wild and crazy in the kitchen with your zucchini too!

*Last night I made the summer pasta dish with zucchini, yellow squash, corn, and basil. It was delicious! Planning on making some zucchini bread today. Yummy!

What Can I Make with Zucchini?

Baked Zucchini Cakes (for dinner)

Main Courses:

Zucchini Cakes for Dinner (Bake I tand Make It with Beth)

Roasted Zucchini and Ricotta Sandwiches (Annie's Eats)

Zucchini and Lemon Spaghetti (Oh My Veggies)

Zucchini and Ricotta Fritters (Pink Parsley)

Corn and Zucchini Queso Chowder (Southern Living)

Zucchini and Mushroom Quesadillas (Bake It and Make It with Beth)

Stuffed Zucchini Boats (Annie's Eats)

Zucchini and Corn Panini with Pepper Jack Cheese (Oh My Veggies)

Linguine with Fresh Tomatoes, Zucchini, and Herbs (A Couple Cooks)

Summer Pasta Dish with Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Corn and Basil (Bake It and Make It with Beth)

Pasta and Fried Zucchini Salad (Smitten Kitchen)

Spicy Zucchini Frittata (Whole Living)

Portobello Sandwiches with Veggies (Bake It and Make It with Beth)


Sides: 

Shaved Zucchini Salad with Parmesan Pine Nuts (Epicurious)

Baked Zucchini Bites (Six Sisters' Stuff)

Sauteed Shredded Zucchini (Annie's Eats)

Fried Zucchini Strings (The Pioneer Woman)

Baked Zucchini Fries (The Recipe Critic)

Cheesy Zucchini Rice (Pink Parsley)

Zucchini Ribbon Salad (A Couple Cooks)

Grilled Zucchini with Lemon Salt (The Pioneer Woman)

Zucchini Brownies (No Flour, Butter, Sugar or Egg)

Sweets and Treats: 

Zucchini Brownies with No Flour, Butter, Sugar or Egg (Bake It and Make It with Beth)

Pineapple Zucchini Sheet Cake (The Pioneer Woman)

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake (Chocolate Chocolate and More)

Zucchini Coconut Bread (Two Peas and Their Pod)

Irresistible Zucchini Brownies (Sweet Happy LIfe)

Spiced Cream Cheese Frosted Zucchini Bars (A Kitchen Addiction)

Zucchini Bread (Bake It and Make It with Beth)

Zucchini Carrot Oatmeal Cookies (Mom on Timeout)

Glazed Lemon Zucchini Bread (Lil' Luna)

So, there you have it! Now go ahead and make something with that amazing zucchini of yours! 

The Best Zucchini Bread!

Ok, I have to be honest. I have not tried out tons of zucchini bread recipes and I can't honestly say that this recipe is the best ever. I tried this recipe a few years ago and I absolutely love it, so that is how it earned the title of "the best zucchini bread!" It is loved by all! In the beginning of the summer, I made 8 loaves of zucchini bread with all the zucchini from our garden. Then I decided that I better get more creative with the zucchini, and that is when I went on to make recipes such as the zucchini and mushroom quesadillas, summer pasta dish, baked zucchini cakes, and zucchini brownies. We had one lone zucchini grow in the past week - the first one that had grown in a while, and I thought long and hard about what I wanted to do with the last zucchini of the season. Well, since there was just one, and since it wasn't too big, I decided on some delicious zucchini bread. I made it on Labor Day while my parents and Greg worked hard on our upstairs renovations (don't ask why they were working on Labor Day, because I really don't know). The recipe makes 2 loaves. We ate most of one loaf on Monday, and the other loaf has been enjoyed by me and Greg throughout this week. It makes a great breakfast, snack, and dessert! Enjoy.

Recipe for the Best Zucchini Bread
INGREDIENTS:
2 1/4 cups of grated zucchini (about 1 medium to large zucchini)
1 cup of vegetable oil

2 1/4 cups of granulated sugar

3 eggs
1 Tbsp. of pure vanilla extract
3 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tsp. of baking powder
1 tsp. of baking soda
3/4 tsp. of salt
1 Tbsp. of ground cinnamon
1 cup of raisins
2/3 cup of semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour two bread pans (8 x 4 inches).

Use a box grater to grate zucchini (I used the largest grate setting on the box grater). Measure out 2 1/4 cups of grated zucchini and set aside.

Put the vegetable oil and sugar into a large bowl. Use a mixing spoon to mix well. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and stir until well combined.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Pour into the sugar mixture and mix until ingredients are well combined. Add in the grated zucchini and mix. Fold in the raisins and chocolate chips. Pour the mixture into the bread pans. Place in the oven and bake for about 45 - 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Remove bread from oven, put pans on a cooling rack, and let cool completely. Then remove the bread from the pans carefully and cut into desired sized pieces.

Store bread in an airtight container at room temperature.

Recipe Adapted from All Recipes

Zucchini & Mushroom Quesadillas with Pepper Jack Cheese & Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

I came across this recipe on Oh My Veggies the other day. I have always loved quesadillas. As a child, they were one of my favorite things to make. I'd take a tortilla, stuff it with grated cheddar cheese, fold it, and put it in the microwave until the cheese melted. Best snack ever. Over the years, my quesadillas have gotten much more grown-up and sophisticated. I never really thought that veggie quesadillas would be something to share on the blog, because I thought they were something that everyone knew how to make. Well, I've ran into several people who have never had a quesadilla. Some people said they didn't even know what one was. I guess I grew up in a house where Mexican food was a staple, so how was I supposed to know that there were so many who were deprived of yummy Mexican dishes? The recipe I found inspired me to share one of my favorite ways to make quesadillas. The cilantro pesto sounds amazing, and I definitely want to make that soon!

These quesadillas have a good kick to them and the pumpkin seeds add a nice crunch. If you want to, you can leave out the pumpkin seeds and add cooked and crumbled bacon to the quesadillas instead - that way you can appease the meat-lovers in your home! Enjoy.

Recipe for Zucchini & Mushroom Quesadillas with Pepper Jack Cheese & Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Tbsp. + 1/2 tsp. of olive oil, divided
3 Tbsp. of raw pumpkin seeds
1/8 tsp. of cumin powder
8 ounces of sliced mushrooms
1 Tbsp. of minced jalapeno pepper
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced, cut into half or quartered
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 - 2 cups of grated pepper jack cheese (depends on your cheesiness preference)
6 flour tortillas (soft taco size - 8")
*If you want to add bacon, omit the pumpkin seeds and cook 4 strips of turkey bacon or regular bacon. Crumble it before putting it into the quesadillas.

DIRECTIONS: 
Toast the pumpkin seeds first. Toss the pumpkin seeds with the 1/2 tsp. of oil, cumin powder, and a little bit of salt. Place on a pan and put into oven or toaster oven set at 300 degrees for 7 - 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove and set aside to cool.

Put the other 1/2 Tbsp. of oil into a medium saucepan and set over medium heat. When oil is hot, add the mushrooms and saute for 4 - 5 minutes, then add in the minced jalapeno pepper and cook for another 1 - 2 minutes. Carefully transfer the mushrooms and jalapeno pepper to a plate or bowl. Return the saucepan to the stovetop and add in the sliced zucchini. Add more oil if needed. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper. Saute over medium heat for 4 - 5 minutes. Remove from heat and then transfer zucchini to a plate or bowl.

Heat an electric skillet to 300 degrees. Place a tortilla on the warmed skillet. Top half of the tortilla shell with a little cheese, mushrooms, zucchini and pumpkin seeds (or crumbled bacon pieces). Top with a little more cheese. Carefully fold the other half of the tortilla on top of the cheese and fixings. Heat on one side for 30 seconds to a minute, then carefully flip with your hands or a spatula. Cook for a  minute or until the cheese is melted and tortilla is warmed through. Then transfer the cooked quesadilla to a plate. Continue with the other tortillas until all the cheese or fixings are gone (depending on the size of your electric skillet, you might be able to cook more than one at a time). Cut each quesadilla in half.

Serve plain or serve with sour cream, avocado, and/or super salsa. Recipe serves 4 - 6.

Recipe inspired by: Oh My Veggies

Baked Zucchini Cakes (for dinner)

Recipe for Baked Zucchini Cakes

Please visit my new website, Make It and Bake It with Beth, for the baked zucchini cakes recipe.