Baked zucchini stacks

Hello, new favorite appetizer. This dish makes me crave summer. Also, anything with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and balsamic glaze is pretty much guaranteed to please.

I don’t have a lot to say about this dish, other than holy cow, it’s so simple and easy and tastes SO good. If you’re having people over for dinner and want to impress them with a great appetizer, try this one out. It’s so simple and has big flavor.

Just be careful how thick you slice your zucchini and tomatoes – and how high you stack them. They’re prone to falling over if you move too quickly. (How do I know? Because two of them fell over while I was trying to get a damn picture. Cursing ensued.)

So if you want tall stacks, slice things thin. If you want small stacks, slice things thick and just use one slice of each ingredient. It will still be a perfect bite to get your appetite going!

So many layers of delicious.

Recipe courtesy of Eat.Drink.Love.

Ingredients:

For the balsamic glaze:

• 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbs. brown sugar

For the baked zucchini:

• 1 zucchini, sliced into about 12 1-inch slices
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 tsp. salt

For the stacks:

• Baked zucchini slices
• fresh mozarella, sliced
• 3 Roma tomatoes, sliced
• balsamic glaze
• fresh basil

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray.
2. To prepare the baked zucchini, beat the egg in a shallow bowl. In another bowl, mix together the flour, panko bread crumbs, and the salt.
3. Dip each slice of the zucchini into the egg and then into the bread crumb mixture. After all of the slices have been coated, arrange them on the baking sheet and spray the tops with non-stick spray. Bake for about 10 minutes, flip them over and then bake for another 5 minutes or until the slices are golden.
4. To make the glaze, add the balsamic vinegar and stir in the brown sugar in a small sauce pan on medium heat. Bring to a simmer and heat until the vinegar is reduced by half. Turn off the heat, but leave the pan on the stove.
5. To make the stacks, layer with a slice of zucchini, followed by a tomato slice and then the mozzarella. Repeat. Drizzle some of the glaze on top. Garnish with fresh basil. Serve promptly.