This hearty zucchini skillet is our go-to dinner most summer nights during the year. It’s been a great way to clean out excess zucchini from the garden, and in a pinch, we also buy from the local farmer’s market. It comes together rather easily, and even if you have frozen zucchini in the freezer from past years, throw that in too! It’s really impossible to mess this recipe up.

We have tried numerous different recipes to enjoy garden zucchini through the year, but this it the most common one we use. We’ve shredded it for omelets, froze it for chocolate zucchini bread, made fritters, lasagna, and most everything in-between. It never gets old! When we harvest, or process it, we slice it in medallions, quarter it, shred some, and flash freeze in a vacuum seal bad, and it lasts all year.

Hearty Zucchini Skillet

This hearty zucchini recipe is something that we enjoy all year round. It it's also a great option to use excess zucchini from the garden if you have any.

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Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: main dish, Side Dish, skillet meal

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Calories:

Equipment

• 1 Large Skillet
• 1 Small saucepan for cooking rice.

Ingredients

• 2-3 Zucchini You can add more or less depending on how much zucchini you are using.
• 2 Bell peppers (diced) Colored peppers are fine too.
• 1 Medium white onion (diced)
• 1 Can Petite diced tomatoes. Or diced fresh tomatoes will work.
• 1 Can Whole kernel corn
• 2-3 Cups White or brown rice. You can adjust the rice depending on how much you are making.
• 1 Cup Shredded cheese Optional

Instructions

• Slice and/or quarter the zucchini and set aside.
• In a small saucepan cook the rice according to the instructions. The is no judgment if you use microwave rice. We done it too!
• In the skillet sauté the zucchini, onions, and peppers, until everything if soft.
• Add the diced tomatoes, the can corn, and continue to sauté.
• Add the cooked rice and mix everything well. Salt and pepper to taste.
• Sprinkle with cheese until melted. (Optional) Enjoy!

Notes

This recipe is the most common way that we make it, but by all means adjust it to your liking.  You can add the seasoning of your choice, black beans, or ground pork or turkey for added protein.  We’ve made it numerous different ways over the years, and it tastes even better when the extra sits in the fridge overnight.  It will last in the fridge for several days in an airtight container, or you can even freeze the excess.  

Zuccini Skillet Ingredients

• Zucchini

• Bell peppers

• Medium white onion

• 1 Can Petite diced tomatoes

• 1 Can Whole kernel corn

• 2-3 Cups White or brown rice.

• 1 Cup Shredded cheese (Optional)

Options

This zucchini skillet has so many options. We make is different each time, but as mentioned before we are always looking for recipes to clean out excess zucchini from the garden. The most important thing is that you start with a base of zucchini and rice.

Protein

You can also add shredded chicken, ground beef, ground turkey, or even lentils. We chose to eat his dish in about the same manner that the recipe describes. This feeds out family well, and if you have been following us, you know that our son has down syndrome. This makes a nice soft dish that he can eat.

My dad made this from his excess zucchini and still does to this day. Sometimes he will add black, or pinto beans to make it even more hearty. I should also point out that this is even better when it has set overnight. It also doesn’t require many more seasonings other than salt and pepper, everything else does the rest. It is a little old school, but this recipe has served our family well all the way back to the 90’s. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did as a kid.

We would love to know if you have any additional tips, tricks, or even if you have tried this. Please leave us a comment, feedback, or give it a rating! It’s much appreciated. WE LOVE HEARING FROM YOU!