By Summer garden harvest abundant, Robert's best year, okra and tomatoes flowing into kitchen, blog posts about garden-to-table. The week was the life. The life was the cooking. The cooking was the love. And the love was the week, and the week was one of the weeks that stack together to become the years, and the years become the life, and the life is the woman at the stove who cooks and writes and loves and does not stop.
I made she-crab soup on Sunday — the anchor, the constant, the practice. The soup was perfect. The perfection was the practice. And the practice continues, one Sunday at a time, one bowl at a time, one life at a time, the woman stirring, the roux thickening, the kitchen warm, the family fed, the love alive.
With Robert’s garden flooding the kitchen all week — more zucchini and tomatoes than any single meal could hold — I wanted something that honored that abundance without overcomplicating it. These Baked Cheesy Zucchini Bites became the answer: simple enough to make mid-week between blog posts, satisfying enough to feel like they belonged alongside the she-crab soup that anchors every Sunday. When the garden gives this generously, you meet it with equal care.
Baked Cheesy Zucchini Bites
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchini, trimmed
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Slice the zucchini. Cut each zucchini into rounds approximately 1/4-inch thick and arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
- Season the zucchini. Brush each round lightly with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, garlic, and oregano.
- Add the cheese topping. In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan, mozzarella, and breadcrumbs. Spoon a generous pinch of the cheese mixture onto each zucchini round, pressing gently so it adheres.
- Bake until golden. Bake for 18–20 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly golden at the edges and the zucchini is tender.
- Garnish and serve. Remove from oven, sprinkle with fresh parsley, and serve warm directly from the pan.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 110 | Protein: 7g | Fat: 6g | Carbs: 8g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 220mg