Cheesy Amazing Baked Zucchini Chips

Baked Zucchini Chips: 
I have been seeing all kinds of chips on food blogs lately. Apple, kale (we make these all the time), cauliflower, quinoa... the list goes on and on. I found a recipe on www.health.com for oven-baked zucchini chips that claimed to taste as though they were deep fried. I love all things deep fried,(but rarely choose that route) so I decided to adapt the recipe to make it gluten free. The recipe claims a "low-fat chip/french fry substitute" which sounded just lovely. I had an abundance of zucchini from my garden harvest which (you will see in the background of some of the photos below) so sliced up a zucchini and started the quest.
They turned out wonderful. A nice, crunchy coating on the outside, with a warm, softer middle. Kind of reminded me of fried pickles as far as consistency goes.... Ooooh! Next time, I will try this with pickles!


Baked Zucchini Chips with a Crunchy-Coat

Ingredients.

• 10-15 corn tortilla chips, pulsed in a food processor to resemble 'bread' crumbs (of course, you can buy GF bread crumbs, but I didn't have any on hand. So decided to try some stale tortilla chips instead...) Should equal a little over 1/4 cup.

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus a bit more for sprinkling 
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt 
• a few pinches of smoked paprika (optional, but recommended)
• a pinch of cayenne pepper (optional, but recommended)

• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch thick wheels

Instructions.

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Mix together all the ingredients starting at the top of the list, ending at cayenne, if you are using it. (I highly recommend using it for a nice little kick!)

3. Dip the zucchini in the milk, and dredge through the 'bread' crumb mixture. (As the crumbs begin to get wetter toward the end, you may have to press the mixture onto the zucchini, place it face down, and sprinkle the mixture on the back if you are using the chips and not GF breadcrumbs. The breadcrumbs will hold up to the moisture a little better than the chips.)

4. Place on an oil sprayed cookie sheet


5. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Take them out and flip them using a thin spatula. (if some of the coating comes off, just place back on top. Sprinkle them with the rest of the Parmesan cheese. As it melts, it will glue the fallen off pieces back to the zucchini.)  

6. Return to oven and bake another 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and crispy. 
7. Serve immediately. (Excellent dipped in marinara sauce, or ranch dressing. I like to add swirl of Sriracha, aka 'Rooster Sauce' to my ranch. Mostly because Adam loves it on EVERYTHING and it keeps your taste buds interested.)

Enjoy! <3 Amy