Have you tried all your bread recipes and now want other ways to use up all that zucchini when you have too much. There is a variety of ways you can add zucchini to dishes: Stir-Fry, Zucchini chips, Zapple pie, and Pizza. Also, there are several options for preserving them for later use-pickling, relish, drying, and freezing. On CheapAsDiy, we will explore these options and more.
Garden zucchini is cheap and affordable food. We have put together a lot of ideas hopefully to help you utilize more of your zucchini. It may help you save time and money on food; it’s also healthy for you.
- Ways to use up fresh zucchini
- Casseroles
- Grill
- Stir Fry
- Raw
- Meatloaf, meatballs, and soup
- Spaghetti Sauce
- Lasagna
- Pizza
- Bread
- Zucchini chips
- Egg dishes
- Ways to use oversized zucchinis
- Zapple pie
- Ways to preserve all that zucchini
- Drying
- Zoodles
- Canning
- Freezing
Ways to use up fresh zucchini
The mild taste of zucchini makes it very versatile. You can use it in a variety of dishes.
Casseroles
You can add thick chunks of zucchini to casserole dishes. When you add zucchini to your dish, consider steaming or parboiling the zucchini for a couple of minutes to get rid of some of the moisture or reduce liquids in the recipe.
There are the forever-popular zucchini boats and for something different how about Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Zucchini.
Grill
Slice, marinate and grill your zucchini. You can also add to a vegetable kebab or to a mix of grilled vegetables.
Stir-fry
Julienne your zucchini by hand or use a spiralizer (picture of spiralizer). Add zucchini to the stir-fry during the last minutes of cooking.
Raw
Cut your zucchini into sticks and serve it with your other crudities or slice in circles and use it as a substitute for crackers.
Cut the zucchini into chunks and add to lettuce and pasta salads. Or you can grate your zucchini and make a coleslaw. Use your food processor to make this quick work. Picture of a food processor. Remember the shredding disc is placed at the top rather than the bottom of the bowl.
Meatloaf, meatballs, and soup
Grate your zucchini (see tip above) and add to your meatloaves or meatballs. Slice in half circles and add to soups during the last ten minutes of cooking.
Spaghetti Sauce
Slice zucchini and sauté in oil over medium heat until crisp-tender. You can add spices or herbs of your choice such as garlic powder. Toss into your heated spaghetti sauce.
Lasagna
Add some of your favorite vegetables such as mushrooms, spinach or zucchini between the layers of your favorite lasagna recipe. Slice the zucchini into half-circles. Or you can make gluten-free lasagna using slices of zucchini in place of the noodles.
Pizza
Brush the zucchini slices with oil and season. Add the slices to the top of the pizza before baking. Make a gluten-free crust using zucchini. Or you can make zucchini pizza bites.
Bread
You probably have your favorite zucchini quick bread recipe, but have you experimented with variations of it such as banana, chocolate, cheddar herb beer bread, and blueberries?
Other zucchini bread you could try are cornbread and breadsticks.
Zucchini chips
Use your air fryer to make healthy and delicious zucchini chips. Picture of air fryer or use the CrispLid for your pressure cooker. If you want an air fryer and pressure cooker, the Ninja Foodi is a combo of both plus being a slow cooker.
Place your zucchini slices in a single layer so they will get crispy. Use larger zucchinis as the chips will shrink and use a mandolin to cut into even slices. You can make these in a variety of flavors by subbing powder ranch dressing or parmesan cheese for the breading or sprinkling with your favorite spices.
Cut your zucchini into sticks and make zucchini fries. You could also make zucchini tots.
Egg dishes
Use zucchini to top your Spanish omelet. Make other egg-based dishes such as omelets, frittatas, fritters, and quiches with zucchini.
Ways to use oversized zucchinis
Shred these monsters, remove large seeds first, and use in bread, muffins, and slaws. Grated zucchini can be added to sauces and meatloaves.
Zapple pie
Use to make zapple pies and crisps. The apple spices give the zucchini an apple flavor.
Other desserts you could make include cakes, bars, and cookies.
Ways to preserve all that zucchini
Drying
Use young zucchinis and cut into 1/4 inch slices or chunks after peeling. Steam blanch for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, drain and cool to 120 degrees before adding in a single layer onto your dryer trays. Leave in the dehydrator for 2 1/2 hours to 3 hours. Picture of a dehydrator. Sundried is 6-8 hours. The chips are done when they are brittle or crisp. You can flavor the chips in a variety of ways before drying.
Zoodles
Zucchini noodles- Use a julienne peeler or a spiralizer (picture of spiralizer) to cut into thin strips. Young zucchini is preferred, but older zucchini may be used if the seeds are removed. Do not set your spiralizer at the lowest setting as the zucchini will shrink-use the medium setting.
To rehydrate: soak in equal part hot water for ten minutes, drain, then sauté in olive oil. Top with your favorite pasta sauce.
You will need to prevent your dried zucchini from being exposed to moisture which will cause it to mold. A vacuum sealer does an excellent job. (picture of vacuum sealer). If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, you can use any container that is airtight to store your dried zucchini.
Pickling
The government states canning zucchini is unsafe and not recommended, but you can pickle them. If this is your first time canning, please read these articles first. Using Boiling Water Canners and Principles of Home Canning. Picture of a water canner.
Bread and butter pickles
My grandmother frequently made these old fashion pickles. If the recipe above is too sweet, try the USDA recipe.
Sweet zucchini relish
Sweet zucchini relish is delicious.
Zucchini and pineapple
Zucchini and pineapple. This recipe turns zucchini into pineapple chunks that you can use in recipes.
There are a lot of canning recipes on the internet. Some of them may not be safe. If you want to make sure the recipe you are using is safe, search for the recipe at usa.gov.
Freezing
Choose young, tender zucchini.
Slice or cubed zucchini -Cut in 1/4 inch slices. Blanch for three minutes in boiling water, drain and put zucchini in ice water until cooled. Drain thoroughly. Freeze in a freezer bag or container allowing a half-inch headspace.
Grated zucchini-water blanch until translucent about one to two minutes. Drain. Pack in measured amounts needed for your recipes. Leave a half-inch headway. Place bag or container into ice water to cool off. Seal the container and freeze. When thawing the zucchini, pour off excess water.
Baked goods-Cool the baked good then wrap tightly to freeze.
Do any of these ways help you to use up all that zucchini? If you have more suggestions, please tell us in the comments below.
