Social media is great for inspiring me with new dinner recipe ideas. It is so easy to get stuck in repeating the same dinner recipes over and over again. I love when I find a recipe that is tasty, easy to make, and packed with protein. I double the recipe so I can eat it throughout the week. Click on the link to the original recipe so you can increase the size of the recipe. I also increased the amount of cheese in the recipe. This is the kind of recipe that tastes even better the next day.

Zucchini Bake

BY  Sailorbailey.com: Click Here For Original Zucchini Bake Recipe

Zucchini Bake is a cheesy, easy low carb meal full of protein from ground chicken in every bite. A feel good meal for the week you will love. 

Equipment

• oven safe bowls or a baking dish a cast iron will also work well. 
• sharp knife
• large skillet

Ingredients 

• ▢ 1 lb ground chicken 
• ▢ 1 tsp olive oil 
• ▢ 3 medium zucchini, cut in slices or half-moon slices, *see notes
• ▢ ⅓ cup white onion, diced 
• ▢ ⅓ cup red bell pepper, diced , *see notes
• ▢ 1 tsp garlic powder
• ▢ 1 tsp dried basil
• ▢ ½ tsp salt, *more as needed
• ▢ ½ tsp red pepper flakes , *optional 
• ▢ ½ tsp paprika
• ▢ 2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce 
• ▢ 1 14oz can diced tomatoes, liquid drained. 
• ▢ 2 Tbsp dijon mustard
• ▢ ½ cup mozzarella, shredded, more as needed 
• ▢ ¼ cup Parmesan, grated, more as needed
• ▢ 4 Tbsp green onions, chopped , for garnish

Instructions 

• Wash and slice the Zucchini into a half moon shape. Add to a large bowl and lightly salt the slices. Let them sit in the salt while you prepare everything. This pulls out the excess liquid and will make for a more flavorful dish. 
• Preheat the oven to 350º. Meanwhile in a large skillet, add the oil and ground chicken. Brown the ground chicken for about 6 minutes. Add the seasonings and onions. Cook for 3 minutes. 
• Next, add in drained diced tomatoes, red peppers (drained if using jarred/roasted), dijon, Worcestershire sauce. Taste the mixture, add more salt, Worcestershire or dijon if needed! Once everything is well combined, take it off the heat. 
• Step Four. Carefully drain the liquid from the Zucchini slices. You can also use a paper towel to soak up the liquid. Using a greased 8×8 casserole dish or 20-25 oz oven safe bowls these are the ones I use layer the Zucchini and meat mixture. Start with zucchini slices on the bottom, next add the meat mixture, more Zucchini and cheese. Top with Parmesan and shredded cheese.
• Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted, bubbling and lightly browned. Garnish with more Parmesan, chopped green onions and red pepper flakes. Serve and enjoy! 

Notes

*lean ground beef or turkey will also work. 

*half moons are easier to bite into! Be sure to salt the zucchini slices and let them sit for a bit to help pull the excess moisture out. 

*roasted red bell peppers will also work as a substitute. 

*feel free to add as much cheese as you prefer, manchego or pepper jack cheese also works great and offers more flavor. 

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can freeze these for up to 2 months.   

Nutrition

SERVING: 1.5cup | CALORIES: 298kcal | CARBOHYDRATES: 11g | PROTEIN: 27g | FAT: 16g | SATURATED FAT: 6g | POLYUNSATURATED FAT: 2g | MONOUNSATURATED FAT: 6g | TRANS FAT: 0.1g | CHOLESTEROL: 114mg | SODIUM: 767mg | POTASSIUM: 1161mg | FIBER: 3g | SUGAR: 6g | VITAMIN A: 999IU | VITAMIN C: 46mg | CALCIUM: 186mg | IRON: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.