Cheesy Zucchini Bites
The first time I made these, I skipped the squeezing. Bad idea. Zucchini is mostly water, and if you leave it in, the bites spread into soggy little puddles on the tray. So grate it, pile it into a clean dish towel, and wring it out over the sink until you can’t get another drop. You’ll be surprised how much comes out. Honestly, it’s the only step that really matters.
After that it’s just eggs, a cup of sharp cheddar and a spoonful of flour. The mix is too loose to roll into balls, so I scoop it onto parchment with a tablespoon and let the oven do the shaping. The cheese on top browns and gets crispy at the edges. I stick toothpicks in them for parties, and on a weeknight they sit next to a salad.
Cheesy zucchini bites baked in the oven, no frying. Grated zucchini, eggs and sharp cheddar come together in one bowl, then bake for about 25 minutes until they're golden on top. They're good warm or at room temperature, so you can make them a little ahead.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Trim the ends of the zucchini and grate them on the large holes of a box grater. Pile the shreds into the center of a clean dish towel, gather the corners and twist hard over the sink until almost no more liquid comes out.2 medium zucchini
- Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add the squeezed zucchini, cheddar, flour, a good pinch of salt, some black pepper and the cayenne if you like a little heat. Stir until everything is evenly mixed.2 large eggs, 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar, 1 heaping tablespoon all-purpose flour, salt, black pepper, 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- Scoop heaping tablespoons of the mixture onto the lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between them. Keep them mounded rather than flat; the mixture is too loose to roll, and that's normal.
- Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the tops are golden brown, the edges are crisp and the bites feel firm when you press one gently.
- Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes so they firm up, then lift them off with a thin spatula. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition
Notes
Parmesan or Monterey Jack work in place of the cheddar. Leftovers reheat well in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes.
made these for my daughters bday party and they went fast. used a cookie scoop and got 14 out of it
squeeze the zucchini!! i thought i got it all out and mine still spread a little. still tasty tho, will squeeze harder next time
added some garlic powder and dipped them in marinara. my wife ate like 6 of them before dinner lol