Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Baked Zucchini Fries



Remember that I had four zucchini that my sister brought over to share with me. Here is what I did with the other two... Zucchini Fries.  There is a national restaurant chain that makes fried zucchini and it is my absolute favorite thing on their menu. Crazy - I know, but I just can't get enough of the stuff. 

The thing is, fried food is never good for you, and honestly, I never get out to this restaurant - so what is a girl to do? Make my own at home - of course! 


These are so simple to make and so darn good, you'll be wishing you had More zucchini on hand so you could make them everyday. 

Depending on the size, slice your zucchini into pretty uniform pieces. You want them to cook evenly, so this is important. Think of those knife skills your are building. I don't peel mine because the restaurant doesn't peel theirs - simple as that. 


Once you zukes are all sliced, get yourself a little station set up to dredge the veggies. This is what is going to make them crispy and give them that "fried" crust that we are craving. 

I used Italian Bread Crumbs, but you can use plain bread crumbs and add some seasonings, or you can use panko bread crumbs and season those.  I have read a few recipes where people have even added some Parmesan cheese to their bread crumbs. 

Crack a few eggs into a bowl (I used three- because I was making two large zucchinis) and whisk them up with a fork or a whisk. 

Then begin to "assemble" your fries.  Take each slice of zucchini and dip both sides in the egg, then move it to the bread crumbs and coat each side with bread crumbs. This can be a slow process if you are doing it yourself, but this is also a great place to let your kids help in the kitchen. They don't mind so much if their fingers get all clumpy (some even love it!) and it makes the process go much faster with lots of hands working.  


Put your crumb-covered zucchini slices on a sprayed cookie sheet. You can also cover your sheet with foil before you spray it if that works for you.  Be sure that each slice isn't touching any other slices. You need that hot oven air to be able to circulate all around each piece - that is what is going to make them crispy, and we are all about achieving maximum crispiness.


 Bake them at 425 for 10-12 minutes and then you will need to flip them over. Once you have flipped all of the slices (and made sure they aren't touching) cook them another 10-12 minutes.


 We served ours with Homemade Ranch dressing and they were incredible.  We ate these with hamburgers and some frozen french fries for dinner. And there were frozen french fries left over, but not a single zucchini stick. - That is saying something!!