Cheddar Bacon Zucchini Fritters are a simple way to use up the prolific garden veggie, zucchini. Savory and salty and the perfect side dish for a summer dinner or a perch for a fried egg.
I may have gone a bit overboard in my zucchini planting this year. I must not have been thinking clearly when I planted 6 zucchini seeds in the ground a couple of months ago. It’s not even July yet and already I have way more zucchini than any one person should ever have in their house at one time. I have little tender ones, and ones with the flowers still attached, and the giant ones that are the size of a VW bus (the result of no one checking the zucchini plants for an entire day). I think the zucchini plant must be closely related to rabbits.
Fortunately, the zucchini (and the other popular prolific veggie, summer squash) is probably one of the most versatile vegetables you can grow. You can put them in anything; bread, eggs, casseroles, sautés, stirfries, and you can even cut them into noodles. When you run out of recipes ideas for the squash that keeps on coming, you can throw them all in a 5-gallon bucket and leave them on a neighbor’s doorstep (and then run!).
The humble zucchini fritter is nothing knew except that I have now made it acceptable for breakfast. This one has the nice salty bite of bacon, those crispy edges, and just enough savory cheese to make this perfect by itself or underneath a fried egg (of which I also seem to be swimming in). So, you all should be prepared for more recipes about how to use up the “garden weed” that has invaded my kitchen. And if anyone has any spare 5-gallon buckets, I could use a few.
Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchini , shredded
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ onion , grated
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 slices bacon , chopped and cooked until crisp
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 egg
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- In a colander, place the zucchini and onions and toss with the kosher salt. Let the zucchini and onions drain for 15 minutes then rinse with cool water. Place the zucchini in a kitchen towel and squeeze as much water as you can out. Place the zucchini/onion mixture in a large bowl. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
- Heat about ½ inch of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Drop about a ¼ cup of the fritter mixture in to hot pan and flatten with the back of a spoon. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown, then remove to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with a little salt and serve immediately.
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