Baked Italian Parmesan Zucchini Sticks

Mmmm hot crispy deep fried Zucchini sticks. It's definitely a comfort food, and one my family's favorite appetizers. Well, I discovered a fairly healthy and guilt free way of eating them. BAKED! I promise you, you will not be disappointed with this recipe. It is super fast and easy to make. The hardest part is waiting them to cool down when they come out of the oven before eating them! They smell delicious while they bake, and are easily accompanied by sauce you may already have in your fridge. I used a fat free ranch dipping sauce, and I also opened up a jar of pasta sauce, added a tablespoon of Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of red pepper chili flakes as another dip. It went perfectly!

Crunchy baked zucchini sticks, guilt free!

Ingredients

Zucchini sliced into thin sticks (Don't make them too thick or they will fall apart after cooking)

1 large egg

1 tablespoon of milk
1/2 cup of Italian bread crumbs
2 tablespoons of grated pecorino romano cheese (Parmesan is also good)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Cayenne Pepper (Just a dash)

Paprika (Just a dash)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Parchment paper (Or olive oil spray/Pam)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a small bowl beat the egg and milk together. In a large bowl, place the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, cheese, salt and pepper, dash of each cayenne and paprika and shake well. Line the cookie sheet with the parchment paper and set aside.

Dip the zucchini sticks into the egg & milk mixture and then into bread crumb mixture, make sure you coat evenly. Place the breaded zucchini in a single layer onto the lined cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, checking on them around the 15 minute mark. They should turn a lovely golden brown color. 

Serve with whatever dipping sauce you would like!