If you love zucchini as much as we do, then this recipe is a must-try! These mini baked zucchini cakes are the elegant, savory appetizers you’ve been looking for. Each one of these single-serving delicacies looks absolutely stunning, but the flavor is what really stands out. Thinly sliced pieces of zucchini encase a citrusy, creamy chicken risotto, then it’s all topped off with a perfectly baked egg, adding a whole new level of texture and flavor to the dish. Serve it as an appetizer at your next get-together, and you’ll leave all of your guests speechless!
Mini Zucchini Risotto Cakes
Equipment
- Ramekins
- Vegetable peeler
Ingredients
- 7 oz chicken breast
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil divided
- 4 tsp salt divided
- 2 tsp white pepper divided
- 3 tsp sugar divided
- 1/2 cup uncooked arborio rice
- 1/2 onion diced
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 oz black olives pitted & diced
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 2 eggs for risotto
- 1/2 lemon juice & zest
- 1/2 cup chopped basil
- 2 zucchinis
- 4 eggs for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 275°F. Season the chicken breast with salt, pepper, paprika, and sugar, and sear it on both sides for about 5 minutes until golden brown. Place the seared chicken breast on a baking tray, transfer the baking tray to the oven, and bake at 275°F for 25 minutes. Once the chicken is done baking, let it cool for about 10 minutes, then use a fork to pull the meat apart.
- Lightly sauté the onion and garlic, then add in the arborio rice. Continue to cook the rice for about 1 minute, then pour in the chicken broth and season with salt, pepper, and sugar. Bring everything to a simmer and continue to cook the vegetable broth off until all of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Once the rice is tender, remove the risotto from the heat and let it cool for about 10 minutes. Once the risotto has cooled, stir in the zest & juice of ½ lemon, pulled chicken, chopped basil, parmesan, chopped red bell pepper, and diced olives, then crack 2 eggs over the risotto pan and carefully fold them into the risotto.
- Use a vegetable peeler to slice the zucchinis into long, thin strips. Pour the vegetable oil over the slices and season them with salt & sugar.
- Cut out 8 strips of parchment paper approximately 1 x 11 inches each. Line each 6 oz ramekin with 2 strips of parchment paper crossed over one another, then line the ramekins with slices of zucchini positioned in a circular pattern so that they overlap each other slightly. Fill the ramekins with the chicken risotto filling, leaving a small amount of space at the top. Roll the excess sections of the slices of zucchini upwards towards the center of the ramekins, twist the rolls, and position them vertically around the edge of the dishes. Crack 1 egg into the center of each zucchini cake and season with salt & pepper. Transfer the ramekins to the oven and bake at 325°F for 15 minutes. Once the zucchini cakes have baked, let them cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
VIDEO
To remove the zucchini cakes from their dishes, just to pull up on the 2 strips of parchment paper and they’ll slide right out! Slice into these elegant savory cakes and watch the delicious, creamy filling spill out. They make the perfect spectacle for a dinner party with friends!
Get the recipe for the Zucchini & Eggplant Pie featured in the bonus video.