Broiled Zucchini with Mozzarella and Pepperoni (Video)
My sister Val’s kid-friendly Broiled Zucchini with Mozzarella and Pepperoni is delicious, and it’s a fun way to cook zucchini! And this is a low-carb zucchini recipe the whole family will enjoy! Skip the pepperoni if you want a meatless version.
PIN the Broiled Zucchini to try it later!
Broiled Zucchini with Mozzarella and Pepperoni is a kid-friendly zucchini recipe from my sister Val that has evolved through the years into a hugely popular zucchini recipe on Danica's Kitchen. And zucchini season is starting, so I’m today I’m reminding you about this absolutely easy and tasty way to cook zucchini.
Years ago my sister Val shared her method of broiling seasoned zucchini with cheese and guaranteed me that all her very cute kids would gobble up zucchini when it was cooked this way. And I agreed that the broiled zucchini topped with cheese was delicious.
But when I decided to update the recipe with better photos with my niece Kara, we hit on the idea of giving the kid-friendly broiled zucchini more of a pizza vibe. That’s how the recipe morphed into this broiled zucchini recipe that has Mozzarella and pepperoni. And wow.
What a great idea it was to add some Italian herb seasoning to the zucchini and throw on a few slices of pepperoni after the cheese had broiled a few minutes.
Kara and I both loved these slices of still slightly-crisp zucchini topped with melted cheese and pepperoni. She thought this would be great to make for kids as a quick snack or an easy dinner, and I’ve already made it again as an easy lunch for myself.
What ingredients do you need?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- zucchini, about 8 inches long
- Spike Seasoning (affiliate link) or your favorite season salt
- Italian Herb Seasoning (affiliate link) or your favorite herb seasoning
- grated Mozzarella cheese
- sliced pepperoni
Can you make this Broiled Zucchini without Pepperoni?
I made this easy and cheesy broiled zucchini many times through the years with just zucchini topped with cheese and loved it, so if pepperoni is not your jam, just leave it off and make the original cheesy version.
Can you make this kind of Zucchini Recipe on the grill?
If you’d like to make this type of recipe on a grill, check out Grilled Zucchini Pizza Slices!
Want more ideas for using zucchini?
For gardeners who are starting to get too much zucchini and are looking for Zucchini Recipes I do have a good collection of them from my own years of trying to keep up with the garden zucchini! And even now that I have to buy my zucchini at the Farmer’s Market, it’s still one of my favorite summer ingredients, and I enjoy making my favorite zucchini recipes over and over every year!
Want More Low-Carb Zucchini Recipes?
- The Top Ten Low-Carb Zucchini Recipes
- Low-Carb and Keto Grilled Zucchini Recipes
- Keto Recipes with Zucchini Noodles
- Low-Carb Zucchini Noodle Soups
- Amazing Salads with Zucchini
How to Make Broiled Zucchini with Mozzarella and Pepperoni:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Technique is important in a simple recipe like this one. If you can, use a mandoline slicer (affiliate link) so you get zucchini slices that are an equal 3/8 inch thick.
- Be sure to pre-heat the broiler and spray the pan with oil or non-stick spray before you put the zucchini slices on.
- Season zucchini with Spike Seasoning and Italian Herb Seasoning before you sprinkle on the cheese.
- I like a generous amount of cheese, but adjust to your preference for that.
- Broil the zucchini topped with cheese for about 3 minutes, then sprinkle on the half-slices of pepperoni if using and broil about 3-4 minutes more.
- That’s it! Serve Broiled Zucchini with Mozzarella and Pepperoni while it’s hot, and I bet the big and little eaters at your house will gobble this up in a hurry!
More Tasty Ideas for Using Up the Zucchini:
- Instant Pot Ratatouille
- Flourless Breakfast Muffins with Zucchini and Feta
- Marinated Zucchini Salad
- Zucchini Noodles with Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce
- Zucchini Carpaccio
Broiled Zucchini with Mozzarella and Pepperoni
Val’s Kid-Friendly Broiled Zucchini with Mozzarella and Pepperoni is a zucchini recipe that even the kids will love.
Ingredients
- 4 zucchini, about 8 inches long (see notes)
- 1 tsp. Spike Seasoning (or your favorite season salt)
- 1 tsp. Italian Herb Blend (or your favorite herb seasoning)
- 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese (more or less to taste)
- 20 slices pepperoni, cut in half
Instructions
- Preheat broiler and put rack into middle position or about 4 inches away from broiler.
- Wash zucchini and cut off ends.
- Cut into slices about 3/8 inches wide, using a mandoline (affiliate link) if you have one. It’s important that all zucchini slices are same width so they can cook evenly.
- Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick spray.
- Cover baking sheet completely with zucchini rounds, putting them as close together as possible.
- Sprinkle each zucchini piece with Spike Seasoning (affiliate link) and Italian Herb Seasoning (affiliate link) or use whatever seasoning salt or spices you have on hand.
- Completely cover top of zucchini with grated cheese.
- Broil until cheese is starting to melt, about 3 minutes.
- Cut pepperoni slices in half while the cheese is starting to melt, then sprinkle the cut pepperoni slices over the partially melted cheese.
- Broil about 3-4 minutes more, or until the pepperoni is slightly crisped and the cheese is starting to brown.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
You can use three larger zucchini as well, but same size zucchini works best so they cook in the same amount of time.
This recipe is from my sister Valerie.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 168Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 597mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 11g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Broiled Zucchini with Mozzarella and Pepperoni is suitable for low-carb, Keto, and low-glycemic eating plans and with low-fat mozzarella and turkey pepperoni it can work for any phase of the original South Beach Diet.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Zucchini Recipes or Kid Friendly to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Danica's Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
My sister’s broiled zucchini recipe was first posted in 2005, without pepperoni. In 2019 the recipe was updated with the option to add Pepperoni which was a great change, and it was last updated with more information in 2023.
20 Comments on “Broiled Zucchini with Mozzarella and Pepperoni (Video)”
Well thank you for this recipe – it was just wonderful and I followed directions exactly. I used Crazy Jane’s Mixed up salt because that was in my cupboard. Also when I served leftovers later I microwaved a small cup of pizza sauce for dipping. Try it – it was great!
Oh I love that idea of dipping in pizza sauce! So glad you enjoyed it!
Wow, the dish looks really amazing. Can’t wait to try this out.
Looks so good! Great recipe for the summer! Say "hi" to Val for me.
Thanks Sharon, hope you enjoy. I get the comments in an e-mail so I'll forward to Val.
I love this recipe! It is healthy, tasty, and ready in under ten minutes– great for a pregnant mom with two young kids. My picky 4 yr old turned her nose up but my 22 month old chowed down. It hits all the right pregnancy craving buttons so I'll probably be making it at least once a week.
Leslie, glad to hear it was a hit. I'll have to tell my sister!
Just tried this tonight and it was super tasty! I used a combination of kosher salt, garlic powder, paprika and a bit of black pepper as the seasoning. Even my zucchini-hating husband admitted that it was good. Thanks!
Hi Kalyn!
I really like zucchini and my husband and kids think I'm nuts. This recipe, though, might just meet with their approval. And if not, it sounds great to me.
Thanks so much for the creative idea.
Karen
This looks absolutely wonderful – a combination of two of my favourite foods! I also love the way that you can make it as nursery food, or make it all grown-up with Parmesan. Definitely book marked!
I said I would make these last night and I did. YUMMY! A little dried oregano, garlic powder, s&p and parmesan cheese, then fresh basil. I love it! Got the kids to try it. Super easy.
I’m so happy people can see the attraction in this simple recipe! Leanne, I’ll be sure to tell my sister. She’ll be happy to know it was such a hit at your house.
Thanks for posting this recipe. I had a zuchini sitting on my counter for the past week. I was trying to think of what to make with it when I saw this recipe! My husband & kids "don't like zuchini"; my husband was brave & tried one – trying to convince our kids to do the same. My husband & son enjoyed it – my husband ate several which I was happily surprised!
Thanks for this simple recipe – and for helping me to get my family to eat zuchini!
~ Leanne from Canada
excellent idea! i’ll try this one out 😉
Not only kid friendly but me friendly – This really looks great and what a wonderful way to incorporate a great veggie into the picture.
Zucchini broiled with cheese sound so simple and yet good!
Yum. This sounds really good. Plus anything with zucchini is good in my book.
this looks so good. might try it out tonight!
Very tasty–we all enjoyed them. Rachel said “this zucchini is the bomb”! That is definitely a great endorsement.
Thanks again for sharing.
Pam
Thanks, Kalyn!
Adam;-)