#Kitchen #Recipe and #HealthyFood

शुक्रवार, 13 अगस्त 2021

Zucchini Pizza Bites

These melty, cheesy zucchini pizza bites have all the goodness of pizza without the carbs! In just 15 minutes, you have a tasty appetizer that you can feel great about eating!

Indulging in pizza doesn’t have to break your diet. Eggplant, keto, and whole-wheat pizzas are more health-conscious varieties to try out!

Zucchini pizza bites on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Easy Baked Zucchini Pizza Bites

It is time to introduce you to the king of healthy snacking- zucchini pizza bites! This is the most ingenious recipe. It is honestly 100% as satisfying as a slice of pizza. It has all of the cheesy, perfectly seasoned flavor of pizza but on bite-sized zucchini pieces. Don’t let the thought of veggie as a pizza crust deter you. If you didn’t already know, zucchini is one of the most versatile veggies around! Zucchini doesn’t have an overpowering flavor. This makes it work as a substitute for basically anything. Try it in this casserole, lasagna, and even fries!

Next time you are wanting to make a pan of pizza rolls or bagel bites, go for the healthier option of zucchini pizza bites! You can utilize all of your leftover zucchini and have a delicious dinner ready in minutes. When baked, zucchini becomes amazingly tender. It also absorbs the flavor of pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings. Each bite is loaded with flavor! These are every bit as good, if not better, than traditional pizza and I love that they keep portions small. It makes it easy to customize toppings too. That way everyone in your family can get in on the action and create their own pizza bite! These zucchini bites are truly easy! Delicious and the perfect way to snack while fueling your body with the low-carb, antioxidant-packed goodness of zucchini.

What You Need For Zucchini Pizza Bites

The best thing about this recipe is that it uses basic pizza ingredients, just swapping out a crust for sliced zucchini. You have the freedom to switch up these pizza bites with whatever sauces and toppings your heart desires! For all measurements of ingredients, see the recipe card below.

Zucchini: I use large zucchini in this recipe, but any kind of zucchini works! You can use smaller zucchini for more bite-sized pieces. 8 ball and yellow zucchini are also great substitutes!
Salt and Pepper: To enhance the flavor of your zucchini pizza bites. I add to taste.
Marinara: You can use any marinara you like here, or swap out for a different sauce like BBQ, buffalo, or alfredo. In this recipe, I use homemade marinara for the best fresh flavor!
Mozzarella Cheese: I love how Mozzarella melts down in the oven. It is the perfect stretchy, ooey-gooey cheese. For substitutes, provolone and cheddar have a similar effect and taste great, too!
Pepperoni: Pepperoni makes everything better! I use mini pepperoni to match the sizing of the zucchini slices.
Olives: I use black olives, sliced into small pieces.
Italian Seasoning: A pinch of Italian seasoning really enhances the overall flavor of these pizza bites. You can make it at home! It really comes in handy for so many different recipes.
Basil: Who doesn’t love a good basil garnish? It is the perfect aromatic addition and makes your pizza bites look fancy, too.

Making Zucchini Pizza Bites

Making your pizza bites only requires a touch more effort than throwing premade snacks in the oven. The results are mind-blowing! I know you will become addicted to the fresh, delicious flavor of these easy snacks! These are always a hit!

Prep: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice a zucchini into ¼ inch slices. Put them on a single layer on a baking sheet and salt and pepper.
Add Sauce and Toppings: Add marinara sauce then top with cheese and pepperoni and olives. Sprinkle the tops with Italian seasoning.
Bake and Serve: Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted and zucchini is soft. Garnish with chopped basil.

Zucchini pizza bite ingredients separated into small glass bowls.

Tips for Making Zucchini Pizza Bites

This recipe is super easy and straightforward! Here are a few extra tips to keep in mind so you get the best results! So many options for a great dinner!

Cutting Zucchini: Try to cut your zucchini into uniform slices. This way, they cook at the same rate!
Pat Zucchini Slices Dry: Zucchini naturally has a very high water content. If you are having trouble with your pizza bites becoming soggy, first salt your zucchini and then pat dry before baking.
Zucchini Sticking to Pan: If you don’t have parchment paper to line your baking sheet with, you can toss your zucchini slices with olive oil before baking to ensure they don’t stick to the pan.
Keep Skin On: I like to keep the skin on my zucchini. It is completely safe to eat and isn’t difficult to bite through. Additionally, Zucchini skin contains healthy cartenoids that boost your immune system and support things like eye health. Time to put away that peeler!
Other Toppings: You can easily mix and match toppings to get different pizza flavors. The sky is the limit! For buffalo-style pizza bites, add buffalo sauce, chicken crumbles, red onions, blue cheese, and drizzle with ranch. Another easy variation would be alfredo pizza bites. Simply coat your zucchini in alfredo and top with mozzarella cheese, chicken crumbles and Italian seasoning!

Adding sauce and pizza toppings to zucchini slices.

What to Serve With Zucchini PIzza Bites

The great thing about these pizza bites is that they work as an easy snack, an appetizer, or even the main meal! For a complete meal, serve your pizza bites alongside breadsticks, salad, or soup for a dinner à la Olive Garden. Zucchini pizza bites also taste great with an assortment of other appetizers, perfect for get-togethers and game days! No matter what you serve your pizza bites with, their incredible flavor will shine through!

Bread

Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks

Salads

Italian Chopped Salad

Appetizers

Mozzarella Sticks

Side Dishes

Grilled Tomatoes

Close-up of zucchini pizza bites with basil garnish.

Storing Leftover Pizza Bites

Zucchini pizza bites are best when served fresh. They can also be kept in the fridge and heated up for a quick and easy treat! My kids love having these on hand and popping them in the microwave for an after-school snack. It’s a great way to sneak more veggies into their diet!

In the Refrigerator: Zucchini pizza bites will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Reheating: You can easily reheat your pizza bites in a skillet, microwave, or even an air fryer! I like to reheat mine in the oven until warmed through to preserve flavor and texture.

Pizza bites on a white plate with marinara dipping sauce.

Zucchini Pizza Bites

These melty, cheesy zucchini pizza bites have all the goodness of pizza without the carbs! In just 15 minutes, you have a tasty appetizer that you can feel great about eating!

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword zucchini pizza bites

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 17 minutes

Servings pizzas

Calories 254kcal

Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

1 large zucchini
salt and pepper
1/2 cup marinara
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1 cup mini pepperoni
1 cup sliced olives
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
chopped basil for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice zucchini into ¼ inch slices. Put them on a single layer on a baking sheet and salt and pepper.
Add marinara sauce then top with cheese and pepperoni and olives. Sprinkle the tops with Italian seasoning.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted and zucchini is soft. Garnish with chopped basil.

Nutrition

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गुरुवार, 12 अगस्त 2021

Homemade Cajun Seasoning

Cajun seasoning is the perfect blend of spices to add a little zest to your dish. Completely versatile and delicious, this homemade spice can be added to a wide variety of recipes giving them just the yummy kick you were looking for!

This amazing and savory flavoring takes just minutes to put together but can completely take a dish to the next level! I absolutely love the spice that it brings. If you love cajun food, try this cajun shrimp and sausage, pasta, and cod!

Cajun Seasoning Mix

Homemade spices don’t have to be complex and complicated and can be used in a lot of different ways! This recipe is a brilliant blend of spices that can be used on vegetables, chicken, fish, shrimp, burgers, and steak. As a result, anything that you love will become even more delicious by adding this delicious flavor to it! The key to making any recipe stand out, it how it’s seasoned. I especially love this specific mixture because although it has a tiny kick, the heat is not too much to handle. Making your own seasonings is such an easy and unique way to make a dish your own. This recipe uses very common ingredients that you are likely to already have on hand!

I love making my own homemade spices because I realized how expensive they are at the store! You can make this at home (double or triple this recipe so that you always have some on hand!) using basic ingredients. Because cajun seasoning hails from Louisiana, it will bring that delicious southern cooking right to your own home! It’s yummy, zesty, and it will add exactly the extra taste that your recipes need! You will want it in your spice drawer for years to come!

Cajun Seasoning Ingredients

The best part about this seasoning is that you probably already have all of the spices in your spice drawer, ready to go! Just get them out, mix them together and you will have a bold flavor ready to add to all of your favorite foods!! See the recipe card below for exact measurements.

Paprika: You can use regular or smoked paprika depending on your preference or what you have on hand.
Garlic powder: Garlic powder is more mellow than actual garlic cloves so it is perfect for seasoning!
Cayenne: This is the ingredient that will bring the heat to your dish. Go light on this for less heat.
Dried oregano: Oregano will add a warm, peppery flavor to this mixture.
Dried thyme: Make sure that you are using dried thyme and not ground time. Your measurements will be different if you change this up!
Onion powder: Onion powder adds a sweet and savory flavor to certain dishes that you arent able to get from fresh onions.
Kosher salt: Because of its larger size and ability to blend well, kosher salt is preferred to table salt. It does a great job drawing out the flavor of any meats that you put it on.
Black pepper: I like to use freshly ground black pepper.

How to Make Cajun Seasoning

This cajun seasoning is so easy to make, you will never go back to buying this again! Because of how simple it is, you can double or triple this recipe because once you try it, you are definitely going to want more! The seasonings are all combined and stored in an airtight container.

Spices ready to be mixed together in a bowl.

DIY Cajun Seasoning

Here are some ways that you can use this seasoning! This spice blend can be used in SO many different recipes. I regularly use it for my jambalaya but here are a few other ways to use it!

Protiens: This seasoning can be used as a rub on shrimp, steak, burgers, chicken and pork. Rub a little olive oil on your protien, pat this seasoning on and cook as usual. Your meat will be full of delicious flavor!
Potatoes: You can use this on all kinds of vegetables but it is especially tasty on any kind of potatoes (fries, roasted or baked).

Cajon seasoning mixed in a bowl with a spoon.

Making the Best Cajun Seasoning

Sometimes, you just need someone to tell you EXACTLY how to make something your own! I am here to help you out with some expert tips that will help you make this seasoning the best for you!

Adjust the heat: If you would like this spice to have more or less heat, adjust the amount of cayenne pepper. Use more if you want it spicer!
Ground vs dried: Use dried ingredients in this recipe. Ground ingredients are more condensed offering more flavor in smaller amounts. The measurements of this recipe are based on DRIED ingredients. If you only have ground spices on hand, reduce the amount of these seasonings (oregano and thyme).
Less salt: If you find it a tad too salty, reduce the salt a little bit at a time.

Cajon seasoning being dished with a spoon.

Storing Homemade Cajun Seasoning

Cajun seasoning is something to have on hand to add to any and all of your recipes. Its super easy to store and will last a long time. Here is how you store it!

Storing: You can reuse an old spice jar, buy a new, empty spice jar or even use a ziplock bag! Just make sure that whatever you use is a sealed, airtight container otherwise your spices will clump together!
How long can this be stored? This cajun seasoning can be stored for up to 3 years in a sealed, airtight container!