ZUCCHINI PARM - MY WAY

Zucchini Parm - My Way image

My kids just love this dish...I thought I would share it...a few years ago I threw this together with the plentiful crop of zucchini we had from our garden...at the time I had canned homemade spaghetti sauce and it made this dish all the more delicious...now, I either make a quick marinara or, there are many delicious store...

Provided by Cassie *

Time 1h

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

3 - 4 medium zucchini, not ones with large seeds - sliced about 1/4 inch thick - can either soak in salt for 30 min, then rinse and pat dry - or i used as soon as sliced and patted dry, before breading
1/4 c french fried onions, crushed fine
1/4 c each - panko bread crumbs & seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 tsp each - garlic powder - kosher salt - black pepper
1/2 - 3/4 c grated parmesan cheese
8 oz bag of shredded, pizza blend cheese or mozarella
1 jar(s) marinara sauce - i used bertolli marinara with burgundy wine
1/4 c shredded parmesan cheese
enough olive oil to coat zucchini well

Steps:

1. Prepare your slices of zucchini and place in a large bowl...drizzle well with olive oil and toss to coat. I use a mandolin to slice my zucchini, super quick and all the same thickness.
2. In another bowl, mix the bread crumbs, Panko's, french fried onions, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, garlic powder, salt & pepper. Mix well.
3. Preheat oven to 450 degree F. Get out a couple sheet pans and spray with non stick cooking spray. ( or you can fry the breaded zucchini.) Press each slice of zucchini into the crumb mixture, so they are coated well. It won't be a real heavy coating. Place in single layers on sheet and bake for about 20 minutes or until browning, but not burnt - just golden.
4. In the meantime, place about 3/4 cup marinara in the bottom of a greased, small casserole dish. ( about the size of a deep dish pie plate.) When zucchini is finished, reduce oven to 400.
5. Next, layer zucchini, overlapping some, to cover sauce.
6. Next, sprinkle 1/3 of pizza blend cheese, and then a small sprinkling of shredded Parmesan.
7. Repeat the steps until you have 3 layers of zucchini, cheese and sauce. I always end with a little sauce on top and finish with cheese, I then sprinkle some dried parsley flakes and a little more shredded parm. Note: I use almost a whole jar of sauce ( 24 ounces) you may not like yours as saucy, just use as much as you want. It will still be good.
8. Place casserole in oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted and browning. ( You may want to cover with foil near the end if getting too dark, before the center of casserole is finished.)
9. This can be served as a side dish or as is. Usually, I serve as a snack type meal, when I don't feel up to cooking much... Hope you enjoy it as much as my kids do.