Zucchini Tots

Happy Friday! We all survived another week and this time with record heat! We are big fans of summer squash and zucchini but am never too creative in how to use it aside from saute, steam or grill. During the summer they are fresh and affordable so take advantage! I wish I had a garden to grow some in, but have a feeling this Florida heat would not cooperate well. This is a perfect recipe for a party food, side dish or even part of breakfast! There is built in portion control with the mini muffins and they have a little golden crunch on the outside. They are great for sneaking in vegetables since there isn't a strong flavor from the zucchini but mainly the seasonings. I am going definitely keeping this recipe on hand for the future.

Zucchini Tots
Yields: 12 mini muffins
Serving Size: 4 per person
Source: Skinnytaste

Ingredients:
1 cup zucchini, grated
1 large egg
1/4 medium onion, diced
1/4 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
salt and pepper to taste
cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray.

Grate the zucchini into a clean dish towel. Wring all of the excess water out of the zucchini. In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper.

Fill each muffin section to the top, pushing down on the filling with your spoon so it's nice and compacted so they don't fall apart when you take them out of the tin.

Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until the tops are golden.  Use a plastic knife or rubber spatula around the edges of each tot to remove them from the muffin tin.