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Peace, family!
If you’ve been around a minute, then you know that I speak often about my struggle with pizza addiction. Actually, struggle is the wrong word because I refuse to apologize for it and I’m never going to do anything to change it. Tuh. When I converted to a lower carb lifestyle, I came across endless pizza swaps, many of which I developed into my own recipes and shared here on the site. If you’ve ever scrolled Pinterest for even five minutes, then you’ve certainly seen zucchini pizza bites on your feed. They’re everywhere and super easy to make. My issue? Most folks just slap some pizza sauce and cheap pepperoni on those bad boys, pop then in the oven, and call it a day. I get it. Sometimes food just needs to be fast, easy, and fit your macros! I’ve made that version many a time, but today I needed something a little more. The flavor needed show up and be accounted for. Enter these Chicken Zucchini Bites. They’re small but mighty.
Zucchini, Please!
Y’all, listen. Zucchini packs a nutritious punch. It’s high in antioxidants, low in net carbs, packed with fiber (in other words it will get you good and full), and is relatively low calorie. She’s a summer squash, so don’t go hunting in your local farmers market this time of year. I had to pick mine up from the grocery store. Being out of season, they weren’t quite as large as I had hoped for but that’s the price I paid for not shopping seasonally like I typically would.
Other Ingredients
You really want to think about the structural integrity of your zucchini bites, and top with care. When you’re in a hurry, your intuition tells you to just throw everything on the sheet pan and -bam- done. Nope. You will end up with ingredients all over the place, with nothing actually adhering to the zucchini base. No Bueno. Here you want to slow down and be intentional with your build. I started with Rao’s homemade pizza sauce as the base. I then topped (carefully and slowly) with chicken breast, red onion, feta, mozzarella, and basil. In that order. The chicken breast tenderloin was cooked to perfection and accented with fresh roasted garlic. You guys…the flavor was there! She was present. At the end of their bake session in the oven, I finished these off under the broiler to add a bit of color and intensify the flavor. One to two minutes tops should get the job done. Do not walk away from your oven with the broiler on. Just don’t.
Try It Out
If you decide to make this recipe tag me on Instagram @AGirlCalledAdri_
Peace,
Adri
Chicken Zucchini Bites | Keto, Low-Carb
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Chicken Breast Tenderloin, diced
- 1/4 Cup Rao's Homemade Pizza Sauce
- 2 Large Zucchini, sliced
- 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp. Sea Salt
- 1 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Tbsp. Dried Basil
- 1/2 Cup Mozzarella
- 1/4 Small Red Onion, sliced
- 1/4 Cup Feta Cheese Crumbles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- In a skillet, heat olive oil for 3-4 minutes over medium high heat. Add the garlic. Cook an additional 2 minutes or until aromatic.
- Add the chicken, salt, and 1 tablespoon of basil to the skillet and cook until done, about 10-12 minutes.
- Meanwhile, wash the zucchini and cut into about 1-inch slices. Arrange slices on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Top with small portions of pizza sauce, about a half teaspoon.
- When the chicken is done, top the zucchini slices with small portions each, taking care not to allow portions to fall onto the pan.
- Finish topping zucchini with red onion, feta, mozzarella, and basil - in that order.
- Cook at 400 degrees until cheese is golden brown, about 12 minutes. Optional: For the final 1-2 minutes in the oven, allow your zucchini to sit under the broiler for extra color and flavor.
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