Fried Zucchini Rounds

I love all kinds of vegetables. And I have always been a big squash fan too. I don’t care if it is zucchini, or crookneck, or acorn, or butternut, or pumpkin, or anything else in the squash family. I love them all. Larry, on the other hand, is NOT such a big fan, though he reluctantly eats them when I cook them. So I was very pleasantly surprised to see him eat almost the whole batch of these delicious fried zucchini rounds I made to go with dinner. He didn’t exactly admit he “liked” them, however, he kept going back for more until most of them were all gone. He decided to save a few to add to his lunch. 🙂

I want to believe these delicious fried zucchini rounds are “healthy” because after all, they are vegetables right?! But alas, they are battered and deep fried, so I suppose that theory goes out the window. They are very good though.

I cut my recipe in half, since it was just for the two of us, and I did not have panko crumbs so I used breadcrumbs instead. You can also mix and match and have both zucchini and crookneck rounds if you like.

Fried Zucchini Rounds

2 medium zucchini, cut into round slices

1 cup flour

3 eggs

1 cup of either breadcrumbs or panko crumbs

1/4 cup Parmigiano cheese

salt & pepper to taste

1 TBSP Italian seasoning or 1 tsp each of dried oregano, basil, thyme and marjoram

red pepper flakes, optional

hot oil for frying

Slice the zucchini into medium thick rounds.

Combine the flour, breadcrumbs and Parmigiano cheese in one bowl and set aside.

Whisk the eggs and seasonings together in another bowl.

Coat the zucchini rounds in the egg mixture, then add them to the flour mixture and coat completely.

Heat cooking or vegetable oil to 350* F or 175* C, then carefully add the coated zucchini rounds into the hot oil. Cook the zucchini rounds in batches until they are all cooked so they do not get over crowded. Remove the cooked ones and place them on a paper towel to drain off the excess grease. Cook them for about 4-5 minutes per batch.

Serve them immediately. These are not particularly good when cold. You can serve them with either ranch dressing or marinara sauce or even a spicy dip. We dipped ours in a some leftover spicy marinara sauce. Spicy Mexican Chicken Stew.

These are like potato chips, only slightly healthier. You can’t eat just one. 🙂

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all. Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.