Zucchini Tots

You guys, this week I am totally hooking you up with some seriously awesome zucchini recipes!!! Each day I'll be sharing one of our new favorites (that happen to all be completely kid-friendly, btw), and each is sure to be a new favorite for you, too! I know we've all been there - too much zucchini, and only so much zucchini bread/muffins we make to use it up before we start to get bored of it. These new recipes are all tried and true, and we have loved each and every one of them! 

So to start off the week, I'm sharing these amazing zucchini tots. They are so much fun, and my cute nephew couldn't keep his hands off them. haha

They are super easy to whip up. You start by shredded the zucchini. I used 2 medium zucchini for this batch (you can easily double the batch and eat through them very quickly). To shred the zucchini, I used the smallest holes on the cheese grater and they shredded up beautifully! 

Getting all that moisture out of the zucchini is super important. I've made these a couple times and the best way to get the zucchini juices out is by using a cheese cloth or very thin towel. Place the zucchini in the towel and squeeeeeeeeze the juices out over the sink. I've read that some people use the juice in their smoothies. Whatever floats your boat, man!

The first time I made a batch of these zucchini tots, the texture came out perfectly, but the seasonings weren't quite right. The next time, I made sure to add in some more salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and they tasted perfect! So make sure you add in whatever seasoning you'd like right into the mixture. You could even do some taco seasonings if you're making these with a Mexican meal, or even some sesame oil if you want some kind of an Asian flair. Either way, mix everything together and form the batter into little tater tot shapes with your hands using about 1 tablespoon of the mixture per tot. 

Next, you bake, bake, bake! I've tried it with both parchment paper and a silpat mat, and either one works great. Make sure to turn the tots over after 20 minutes, and bake for another 5 minutes to seal the deal. 

They came out so darling, and tasted really awesome! The texture was really the deal-maker for me. I wanted them to be crispy, without having to be deep fried at all, and the center couldn't be mushy. These are right on the money, and tasted incredible dipped into the warmed marinara sauce! So if you have a ton of zucchini flowing out of your garden, make sure to toss these tots on your list of recipes to try this week, and stay tuned for more on here each day for my unofficial Zucchini Week! :) 

Zucchini Tots 

makes 4 servings

ingredients:

1 1/2 C thinly shredded zucchini (about 2 medium). 

1 C Italian seasoned Panko bread crumbs

1/2 C freshly shredded parmesan cheese

1 large egg

1/2 t garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

method: 

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

2. With the smallest hole side of the cheese grater, shred the zucchini (make sure to chop off the ends first!). When done, wrap the zucchini in a cheese cloth and strain out as much moisture as possible.

3. In a bowl, combine zucchini, egg, cheese, breadcrumbs, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Stir until combined. 

4. With your hands, take about 1 Tablespoon's worth of zucchini batter and shape a small tater tot. Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet (or silpat mat on a cookie sheet, that works, too). Repeat with the remaining zucchini batter, placing the tots about an inch or two away from each other. Spritz with a little olive oil cooking spray. 

5. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden and crispy - make sure to flip over to bake for another 5 minutes after. Serve warm with marinara sauce or ketchup! Enjoy! 

Recipe adapted from: Kirbie Cravings