Mozzarella Zucchini Dots

I am a recent addition to the world of stay-at-home moms. I have four children and have decided to homeschool them. It's an adventure!

Kid-Friendly Zucchini Recipes

This week with the food Co-Op, we were given a lot of zucchini. So, the challenge for the moment is how to make zucchini interesting enough to eat at more than one meal. I need options! After all, even the best foods can get old after a while—especially if my kids to don't help us eat them!

I dug around and found several "vegetable tot" recipes that looked promising (and kid-friendly) and decided to modify that basic concept into a side dish. I'm calling them dots because they don't resemble tots at all. However, to be honest, they are just small patties. My daughter suggested that we just make them bigger and they could easily be zucchini burgers—but we'll play with that thought in another article.

Cook Time

Ingredients

• 1 zucchini
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella (I used Progresso Garlic and Herb)
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 tablespoon Tony Chachere's herb seasoning

Instructions

Step 1: Grate the Zucchini

1. Processing the zucchini for something other than a stir-fry was new to me. Grate an entire zucchini onto a cloth, then wring out the excess moisture. (I highly suggest cheesecloth, but I didn't have any on hand.) I was a little surprised by how much fluid I was able to extract—you have been warned.
2. Go ahead and preheat your oven to 400°F.

Step 2: Coat the Zucchini, Then Mix All Ingredients

1. Drop the cornstarch into a gallon Ziploc bag and add the freshly squeezed zucchini pieces. Shake the two together until the pieces are coated with a light layer of cornstarch.
2. Chop the onion up using a food processor for the smallest possible chunks (assuming that you can't let the kids see them). This also reduces the amount of chunky material that your eggs will need to hold together.
3. Add all of the ingredients to a mixing bowl and stir it together until well mixed.

Step 3: Shape and Bake the Dots

1. Form your mixture into "dots." I made them where they would comfortably fit into the palm of my hand.
2. Place the dots onto a greased baking sheet. You can place them relatively close together as they won't spread as they cook; however, I suggest leaving enough space to make it easy to turn them over.
3. Bake your dots for 20 minutes, flipping them over after 10 minutes.

Photo Tutorial

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How They Turned Out

I served these with ranch as a dipping sauce, and it was difficult to keep from eating all of them in one sitting! The mozzarella was a nice compliment without completely covering up the taste of the zucchini. However, if you have a picky eater, I would suggest a stronger cheese (like sharp Cheddar). Overall, this one is a keeper, and I am ready to make more!

Pan-frying the dots.

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Variations

• Out of curiosity, I did try pan-frying a few of the dots to get an idea of how the taste differed from baking (see photos above). I used coconut oil to fry about 5 dots. They fry quickly and easily in a matter of minutes with no real difference in the crunchiness or taste. That said, if you fried them in a different oil (or, for my kids, butter) it might add that extra "yummy" factor for little eaters.
• If you need to hide the green completely from your little ones, then you could peel the zucchini before making your dots and slide the goodness on to their plates.

More Information

• Zucchini Tots - Skinnytaste (Inspiration for the Dots)
  Zucchini tots are a great way to get your family to eat their veggies! These kid-friendly zucchini tots, made with shredded zucchini and cheese, make a great side dish or snack.
• Health benefits of zucchini: 6 Things You Should Know - Health News and Views - Health.com
  If you're still on the fence about whether or not you want to put zucchini on the menu, take a quick detour to this link. Also, you can celebrate National Zucchini Day by learning something new about your favorite summer squash.
• 9 Amazing Health Benefits Of Mozzarella Cheese
  Everyone who loves melting cheese on things knows mozzarella. One of the most sought-after dairy products for its great taste and texture, mozzarella cheese is often touted as bad for health, but that bad reputation may not be deserved.

Comments

SommerHope (author) from Texas on March 11, 2016:

Thank you, MsDora! Tony's brand is definitely a favorite around here!

Dora Weithers from The Caribbean on March 11, 2016:

Thanks for the recipe. The zucchini dots look great. My family likes the Tony Chachere's brand of seasoning; my daughter carries one in her purse. Good taste literally!