Pretzel Crusted Zucchini Meatballs

Weeknight Family-Friendly Pretzel Crusted Zucchini Meatballs! They are easy, veggie-packed meatballs that can be served with pasta or used as meatball subs. 

Before I start busting out all things pumpkin, I am gonna go ahead and share last zucchini recipe for the year. It was fun pickling zucchini & enjoying them in form of zucchini chocolate chip muffins among other things. I debated whether or not to share Pretzel Crusted Zucchini Meatballs because I am torn between two seasons. I made these Pretzel Crusted Zucchini Meatballs long time ago as a way to repurpose abundance of zucchini I had. Surprisingly, it turned out so good – easy vegetarian-friendly meatballs packed with veggies, I just could not not share it with you guys.

I say this every single year but I feel like this year went by so quick. I am probably feeling this way even more so with Fall-ish vibe everywhere, which means Halloween – Thanksgiving – Christmas – year 2017. Bam! I digress..let’s talk Pretzel Crusted Zucchini Meatballs. It starts off with shredded zucchini & potatoes – both of which are formed into balls with the help of binder (egg + crushed pretzels). Little nuggets are then pan-fried until they turn golden, a process very similar to Split Green Peas Falafel.

You probably can bake Pretzel Crusted Zucchini Meatballs instead of pan-frying them. If you try the baked version, I’d love to hear your experience.When possible, I like to healthify a recipe – by adding veggies, substituting whole-wheat alternative, or baking it..and it’s super gratifying when it turns out delicious. One thing I have learned through this journey is to “not healthify recipes too much” that it takes away the joy of eating delicious food. If you have a picky eater or if you are cooking for people who are used to traditional recipes – transition them slowly by making one subtle healthy change at a time rather than introducing too many new food at once.

I think Pretzel Crusted Zucchini Meatballs could be one of those recipes. It’s a quick weeknight family-friendly recipe that will hopefully please you & your family. I enjoyed it with whole-wheat thin spaghetti, store-bought marinara sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese. If pasta is not your thing, they will work great as a meatball sub, which is on my agenda next. [Tweet “Weeknight Family-Friendly Vegetarian Zucchini Meatballs! #meatlessmonday “]

Pretzel Crusted Zucchini Meatballs

Author: Dixya @Food, Pleasure, and Health

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 2 medium zucchini, shredded
• 1 large potato, peeled and shredded
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup crushed pretzels (use GF if needed)
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• salt, pepper
• 1-2 tablespoon olive oil for pan-frying

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, line a kitchen towel and add zucchini. Pull the sides and squeeze as much water as possible. Repeat the same process with potatoes.
2. In the same bowl, combine shredded zucchini, potatoes with egg, crushed pretzel, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
3. Form the mixture into small balls.
4. Heat a large skillet with oil over medium heat. Add zucchini meatballs to the skillet and allow it to pan-fry for 4-6 minutes on each sides until it becomes golden brown.
5. Remove from the skillet and place it on a plate lined with paper towel.

Do you think if the year is going by tooo fast?