Baked Parmesan Zucchini Rounds
Baked Parmesan Zucchini Rounds are the BEST way to use up summer zucchini! This simple, addictive side dish is quick & easy using just TWO ingredients!
Zucchini is one of those summer vegetables that not only grows abundantly, but it tends to come in all at once. Thanks to my generous in-laws and their bountiful garden, we are the lucky recipients of boatloads of it each summer, and I try to use it up in a variety of ways, from breads and muffins to fritters to hiding it in as many dinner entrees as possible.
However, my old standby recipe for enjoying zucchini as a dinnertime side dish are these Baked Parmesan Zucchini Rounds. I hesitate to even call this a recipe because it requires only two ingredients and about five minutes to prepare.
Baked Zucchini
If you want to get all wild and crazy, you can sprinkle your zucchini slices with a bit of garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper before spooning on the Parmesan. It's a step I always include when I make this recipe. Of course, if you elect to do that, budget an additional 30 seconds of prep time into the long and arduous process of making this recipe. 😉
Even those who claim to dislike zucchini will be popping these little babies in their mouth as fast as humanly possible. By baking at a relatively high temperature, the slices get nice and soft. They develop an almost creamy texture, while the Parmesan turns crispy and golden brown.
You can experiment with the thickness of your zucchini slices and the ratio of Parmesan to zucchini to determine your sweet spot. I find that ¼-inch thick slices work pretty perfectly. And since I like to put a generous mound of grated Parm on each round, I end up using about ¼ cup of cheese per every medium-sized zucchini that I slice up.
Regardless of how you decide to customize these, I definitely recommend making more than you anticipate needing. For one thing, the zucchini rounds do shrink a bit during the baking process. But on top of that, they are just so dang tasty. Don't tell anyone, but I may have eaten an entire pan of these all by myself...a time or twelve.
Oh, and feel free to place your slices much closer together than depicted in the pics on this post. I evenly spaced them for more aesthetic photography. But typically, I cram them on the pan and don't pay any heed to neat, symmetrical rows. 😉
A certain someone at my house was very intrigued by my endeavors on this particular day.
As you will see below, towards the end of my photo shoot, she just couldn't resist touching, and then grabbing, and then face planting ("Mama, I smell!") into my carefully arranged plate. And after that, she didn't appreciate being informed that she needed to step away from the zucchini.
If you love zucchini as much as my little gal, you definitely need to give these Baked Parmesan Zucchini Rounds a try. If you hate zucchini, they just might change your mind. And if you have lots and lots of fresh garden zucchini to use up every summer? I think you'll find yourself falling back on this recipe quite often!
Finally, if you're overrun with yellow summer squash, this same concept will work for that! Be sure to check out the full post I did using yellow squash. I also shared Baked Parmesan Summer Veggies combining zucchini, yellow squash, and tomatoes -- yum!
More Summer Side Dish Recipes
- Baked Parmesan Summer Veggies
- Marinated Tomatoes
- Corn, Tomato, & Avocado Salad
- Creamy German Cucumber Salad ~ Gurkensalat
Baked Parmesan Zucchini Rounds
Ingredients
- 2 medium-sized zucchini
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Garlic salt & freshly ground black pepper, optional
Instructions
- Place oven rack in center position of oven. Preheat to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil (lightly misted with cooking spray) OR parchment paper.
- Wash and dry zucchini, and cut into ¼-inch thick slices. Arrange zucchini rounds on prepared pan, with little to no space between them. If desired, lightly sprinkle zucchini with garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper. Use a small spoon to spread a thin layer of Parmesan cheese on each slice of zucchini. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until Parmesan turns a light golden brown. (Watch these closely the first time you make them and pull them out of the oven early if the Parmesan is golden before 15 minutes!) Serve immediately.
Equipment Needed
Video
Nutrition
Post originally published on June 21, 2014
Great blog! I love your pictures, too! Can't wait to try this recipe.
Thanks so much for your kind words, Kristen! I hope you enjoy these zucchini rounds if you have a chance to try them, and I hope you find some other recipes that appeal to you to try as well. 🙂 Have a great rest of the week!
Can't wait to try these...thanks for sharing!
You're very welcome, Jean...I hope you enjoy these! 🙂
I made these the other night and they were AMAZING. I will be sharing this recipe on my blog if you don't mind! I could eat these every day!
I'm so glad you enjoyed these, Courtney, and thanks for mentioning them on your blog! I just hopped over and saw your post...good luck on your healthy eating journey! 🙂
Hi Samantha,
These looked really yummy so I made them tonight, but before I placed the zucchini on the foil I spread olive oil on the foil. The zucchini did not crisp up. They were more soggy. I am guessing this was due to the olive oil? Anyway, they were still good, but I expected a different texture. Thank you.
Brandi
Hi Brandi! Sorry these didn't turn out like you expected. I can imagine that using olive oil could definitely make the bottoms soggy. Even without olive oil, however, the underside of these zucchini rounds is soft rather than crispy. The top gets crispy as the cheese browns, but the zucchini underneath develops an almost creamy texture. I hope that helps! 🙂
Hey Samantha!
These look awesome. Do you flip them over at all or are they just cheesy on one side??
Hi Andrea! No flipping required...they're just cheesy on one side. 🙂 Enjoy!
I stumbled across your blog via Pinterest and knew I had to try these. One night I did not have the fixing for a salad to go with the pasta I had whipped up for several of my daughters friends who had decided to gather as they discussed their plans for their upcoming senior prom. I made this recipe and it was an instant hit! A real crowd pleaser and so fun to make! I love when that happens! Thank you! Also I will be back to try more of your yummy looking recipes!
I'm so happy that this recipe was a hit with your daughter and her friends, Vickie! I can't wait for zucchini season so that I can put it back on our regular menu rotation around here. 😉 Thanks for taking the time to comment, and I hope you enjoy any other recipes that you decide to try from the site!
Made these last night--and while the kiddo and hubs would have nothing to do with them, I ate the entire batch! Loved this and will be incorporating it into my summer veg rotation! Thank you!
Ha, Robin -- they don't know what they were missing, right?! It's amazing to me how quickly a whole pan of them can disappear. 😉 So glad these were a hit for you and that you'll be enjoying them all summer long! 🙂
Hi, these really did not turn out well for me. I took them out after 20 minutes & the cheese wasn't golden brown so my husband put them back in while I grilled the chicken. I looked over everything & the only thing I can think of is that it is because I didn't use fresh Parmesan & I didn't completely cover the zucchini. Does that sound right? I felt like your finished slices looked a lot thinner than mine so maybe that was part of it. Or just not being good quality because it is out of season.
Best,
Rosie
Hi Rosie! I'm so sorry these didn't turn out for you. 🙁 If these were still pale after 20 minutes, I would say the cheese was very likely an issue. I've only made this recipe using freshly grated Parmesan, and it always melts smoothly and turns golden brown within a certain amount of time. So maybe by cooking them longer than 20 minutes to try to get the cheese brown, your zucchini overcooked? I'm just guessing here, as you didn't specify what you didn't like about how these turned out. At any rate, I wish that this recipe had turned out better for you, but I appreciate your feedback. Hope you have better luck next time if you decide to try them again! 🙂 Have a great weekend!
Thanks Samantha. We have had a bad string of cooking accidents. Ha! My husband said I probably shouldn't try to do more than one new recipe at a time. (He is the one who cooks the more adventurous things, I always do the same stuff.) I'll have to give it a try when I have fresh parmesan. I also think we will buy a oven thermometer because we have had a lot of problems getting stuff to cook properly.
Best,
Rosie
Lol I feel for you, Rosie! I am new to learning to cook (My mom almost never cooked, so I learned zero skills). My husband told me recently, "Why don't we just make ONE new recipe a week?" haha I was so excited about making new recipes and trying new foods, that I was making like 4 new recipes a week.
Also, Samantha...I don't really like parmesan all that much...do you think this would turn out just as well with fresh grated mozarella? I love zucchini AND cheese, so I think I'd really like this recipe and I'm eager to try it!
I've actually never tried this recipe with mozzarella, Sharon. The Parmesan turns rather crispy and forms a crust on top of the zucchini and I'm not positive that mozzarella would do the same? That being said, even if your zucchini turned out gooey-cheesy, that wouldn't be an entirely bad thing, would it? 😉 Hope it works out for you if you decide to try the substitution. 🙂 Happy Friday!
What if you put them under the broiler for a few minutes if they didn't brown?
You must have a million hits from this photo on Pinterest. It just looks so inviting.
Ha, Barry...the recipe actually did go Pinterest crazy over the summer. It's died down a bit now that the cooler months are upon us, but I suppose the moral of the story is that people can't resist a 2-ingredient recipe! 😉 Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you have a great weekend!
Thank you for such a quick and easy zucchini recipe. You make it a lot more simple than anyone else out there! And I adore your photos and story of your little girl and her love of zucchini.
Thanks so much for the thoughtful comment, Rose! My daughter definitely got up close and personal with this zucchini while I was trying to photograph it. But I can't say that I blame her...it's pretty darn tasty and smells good, too! 😉
I will cook this for our dinner tonight. Hubby will be happy new way of cooking it other than grilling it all the time. Lol thanks
I made these on a silicone baking sheet and the bottoms of the slices were wet. Not tasty. 🙁
I'm so sorry to hear that, Kat! I've never tried this recipe on a silicone baking sheet so I appreciate you sharing that it doesn't result in the best outcome. I hope you have better luck if you try them again without the silicone mat!
I just started a low carb diet so I have been searching the internet trying to find recipes that still taste good and I am so happy I found this! I made them tonight for a light dinner and they were so tasty. I put garlic powder, pepper, and parmesan cheese and baked them and then I ate them with a little bit of pizza sauce (marinara sauce could work too!). Yum! I still have to be careful with the zucchini carbs but in moderation it's okay. Thank you so much for the recipe!
I'm so glad you enjoyed these, Nicole! I've never thought to serve them with marinara...sound delicious! Thanks for the comment and I hope you're having a great week! 🙂
What is that, that's drizzled on the plate?
Hi Malissa! That's actually just the pattern of the plate. 🙂 It's a mustard-colored plate with a white design, but you're right...it does look like it could be something drizzled below the zucchini! Hope that helps, and hope you're having a great week!
Might be a dumb question, but I do not have any fresh Parm to grate........can I just use some pre-grated parm cheese, the kind that comes grated in the little plastic shaker bottle?!?!
Hi Mandie! Not a dumb question at all. 🙂 I haven't tried it myself, but I think that any type of Parmesan should work in this recipe. The kind in the plastic green shaker just might not melt as smoothly as Parmesan that's a little fresher. Good luck...hope it turns out well for you! 🙂
I tried it with the grated parm in the bottle and It did not melt. Guess I will have to try fresh.
Sorry to hear that, Lynae! Yes, I definitely recommend using freshly grated Parmesan for this recipe. You can buy it already grated in a little tub...it just needs to be the fresh stuff. 🙂
Made these for dinner last night and they were amazing!! Thank you for sharing!! I have never been a big fan of zucchini but I'm trying to find ways of making veggies taste better. I will definitely make these again! Thank you!
I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed these, Becky...thank you for coming back to let me know! And I agree with you...I'm not naturally inclined to want to eat a bunch of veggies, but every time I make these, I just can't stop popping them in my mouth! 😉 I appreciate the kind comment and hope your week is off to a great start!
These look delicious!!! Stopping over from The Makers and pinned!
Thanks so much for stopping by, Summer, and I really appreciate the pin! 🙂 Hope you're having a great week!
Congratulations!! Your Zucchini Rounds have been featured at Tickle My Tastebuds on my blog, Lori’s Culinary Creations. Hop on over and grab a feature button and link up your latest culinary creations. Congrats again.
Lori
What an honor, Lori...thanks so much for stopping by to let me know! 🙂 Hope you're having a great week!