Zucchini Recipes

So…we (my husband) planted a small garden this summer. Two summers ago we (my husband) planted one, and we had a vast amount of cucumbers, zucchini, and green peppers. Last summer, we ran out of time in the spring to plant anything, so this year we (my husband) made it a priority to plant a garden again. I (really it WAS me–I’m in charge of watering!) gave all the crops equal love and attention…but what we have ended up with so far is: one decently sized cucumber, about three strawberries the size of my pinky fingernail….and TONS of zucchini. While on vacation, my friend Natalie stopped by to check on our dog Homer ….and took a peek at our garden. She texted me to say there was a huuuuuggggge zucchini that had grown and sent me a pic. When we returned home, I couldn’t believe what I saw sitting on our counter. The pic did not do the size justice.

So–after sharing this pic on Facebook, a few friends reached out to me with a couple of recipes. With those two recipes + the help of Pinterest, we used this zucchini to make: zucchini bread, chocolate zucchini cake, zucchini casserole, and chocolate chip zucchini muffins….#allfromthisbadboy!

I thought I’d share those recipes with you.

Recipe 1: Zucchini Bread:

Well–I turned to Pinterest for this recipe, made the recipe with help from Hadley, was disappointed with the final product (I blame Hadley. Kidding. I think I forgot to drain the zucchini), and didn’t even get a photo of said failed zucchini bread. That being said, my people ate it…we just avoided the middle part. #keepingitrealoverhere I thought about trying to make it again…but…instead thought I’d turn to one of my favorite recipes of all time: chocolate zucchini cake.

Recipe 2: Chocolate Zucchini Cake:

My friend Courtney shared this recipe with me years ago. I hadn’t even heard of chocolate zucchini cake until she shared the recipe with me. I made it many times for years, but I guess I lost the recipe….until she sent it to me again (and gave me permission to share) after seeing the zucchini the size of a baby pic on Facebook. This cake is out of this world! No lie. Here’s the recipe:

 1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened 
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 eggs
1/2 c. vegetable oil
3 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 c. all purpose flour
1/4 c. baking cocoa
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 c. shredded zucchini (about 3-4 zucchini) (or 1/4 of a zucchini the size of a baby 😉
In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in oil and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and baking powder; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Fold in zucchini.
Spread into a greased 13x9 pan. Bake at 350* for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
**After it cools, I spread whipped topping on the cake as "icing."

I took a pic of the finished product, but then deleted it by accident from my phone. Believe me, the cake tastes even better than the pic I would have shared with you. #bloggingfail.

Recipe 3: Zucchini Casserole:

Another recipe shared with me was from my neighbor (and my friend Amy’s mom), Shelley. This casserole would be a great side dish. We had it to eat the other night with chicken we (my husband) grilled. It was a hit. Three out of four family members devoured it…and to be honest, I love her, but Hadley’s non vote doesn’t count because she lives on salmon, mac and cheese, and waffle with Nutella. Here’s this wonderful recipe (which by the way, kind of tastes like pizza…not kidding!):

2 medium thinly sliced zucchinis
sliced green pepper rings
sliced onion rings
tomato sliced thin
grated mozzarella cheese
bacon (I used about six slices of the microwave kind and chopped it up)
oregano, garlic salt, pepper

I used a smaller baking dish (7ish by 11ish) and began layering with zucchini. After the tomato, I sprinkled the spices, then sprinkled cheese, and then topped with crumbled bacon. I repeated the layers and toppings once more ending with shredded cheese and bacon. 
Bake at 350* for 45 minutes.

This turned out so tasty! Also, I remembered to take a pic!

Recipe 4: Chocolate Zucchini Muffins (from Bake. Eat. Repeat. on Pinterest)

Hadley and I made these muffins together with Homer right at our feet. Just FYI- I had enough batter for 12 muffins and then ended up using the leftover batter to make 10 mini muffins since that’s the only other muffin tin I have (and wanted to bake everything at once). I baked the regular sized muffins for about 20 minutes and the mini muffins were finished in about 10 minutes.

Who knew with a little water, luck, and love, I’d (we’d) grow an award winning (in my mind) zucchini?!

Give one (or two!) of these recipes a try!

Happy baking!

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