Panko Parmesan Crusted Zucchini Fries

It occurred to me, that my kids might like zucchini more if it was in the form of a french fry. However, I didn't want to fry the zucchini in oil and decided to bread it with a crispy panko-parmesan mixture and oven fry it until golden.   I baked it on an oven rack to allow air to circulate on all sides, making it super crispy, and it worked like a charm.  If you don't have a baking rack, you can lightly spritz a baking sheet with cooking spray and it will be equally delicious!

  
You'll need:
2 x-large or 3 medium zucchini
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan/Parmesan-Romano cheese
1 1/2 tsp dry Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic salt
3 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup melted butter or light butter

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.  This will allow for easy clean-up later.  My baking rack was slightly larger than the baking pan that I used.  I took care, and made certain that it was firmly in place before moving.   Otherwise, fit the rack inside of the baking pan.

Remove the stem from either end, then cut the zucchini through the middle into two equal halves.  Then, slice each piece lengthwise in half again.  Lay on the cutting board, flat side down.  Cut into 1/4-1/3 inch slices.  No two zucchini's are the same, but, it's important that the pieces be the same width and length so, the fries will cook evenly.

On a plate, mix together the panko, parmesan, Italian seasoning and garlic salt until well blended.

Prepare the dredging ingredients in this order, zucchini fries, egg wash, and panko Parmesan crumbs.  Liberally spray the baking rack with cooking spray to prevent sticking.  If you're using a cookie sheet, you won't need to be quite as heavy handed, a light spritz with cooking spray will work.

Dip the zucchini in the egg wash then into the panko Parmesan breadcrumbs.  Place side by side on the baking rack leaving equal space between each piece.  Drizzle each with the melted butter.

Place into the preheated oven and bake for 16-18 minutes or until golden and crispy. 

Allow to cool on the rack/pan for a couple of minutes before removing to a serving plate.  Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.  Yield: 4-6 servings

Cook's note:
When I'm making a dish that requires a dredging mixture, I tend to over make the breading.  There's nothing worse, in my opinion, than getting halfway through the process and having to stop and mix more breading ingredients.  My zucchini were approximately 9-10 inches long and around 4-5 inches in circumference.  You can adapt the ingredient amounts based on the size of the zucchini you're preparing.