Zucchini Parmesan Crisps
The original recipe: Zucchini Parmesan Crisps by Ellie Krieger (FoodNetwork)
I had a TON of sliced zucchini leftover after making a Chicken Zucchini Enchilada Bake, so to avoid any waste, I decided to make Zucchini Parmesan Crisps!
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
2 medium zucchinis, sliced into thin circles (mine are rectangles because they were leftovers - see Note #1 below)
1/4 cup panko
generous pinch of salt
freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 450F and line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil, sprayed lightly with non-stick spray.
2. Slice the zucchini into thin circles (see Note #1) and toss in a bowl with the olive oil.
3. In another small bowl, combine the panko, salt, pepper, and cheese.
4. One by one, dip the zucchini pieces into the panko mix and press to help the crunchy coating stick on. See Note #2.
5. Lay the breaded zucchini on the baking sheet in an even layer and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
6. Serve while it's hot and crisp!
My Changes & Notes:
1. Goals for Sizing.
Next time, I want my zucchini pieces to be more like how I want to be - smaller and thinner. The pieces pictured below were leftover from making a Chicken Zucchini Enchilada Bake, so I wasn't about to reshape them or attempt to make them thinner. As a result, I don't think the pieces were as crisp as they could have been (still delicious though!).
I used a mandolin for the enchilada bake; instead of having the zucchini horizontal (as pictured below), I will have the zucchini upright so the slices will be circle-shaped.
My next sizing goal is for the cheese. I thought using the smallest holes in the grater would work best, but I think that hindered the parmesan from melting into each other and creating a parmesan layer. I feel like this combination also made it more difficult for the crunchy layer to stick on. Next time, I'll either use the larger holes for shredding, or just buy the pre-shredded stuff (that's what the Food Network picture looks like).
2. Panko & Seasoning.
I used a heaping 1/4 scoop of panko and added a generous pinch of salt. I forgot to add in black pepper to the mix, so I just sprinkled it on top after the pieces of zucchini were already placed onto the baking sheet. As mentioned above, I had a difficult time making the panko mixture stick to the zucchini. Next time I might consider beating 1 egg in a small bowl and dipping the zucchini in the egg mixture before coating with the panko mixture.
