Baked Zucchini Spaghetti Medallions

Special thanks to Green Giant! This post was sponsored by Green Giant as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

David versus Goliath. Jeans versus post-baby body. Netflix versus 8 hours of sleep. Some battles are epic. But there is one that has withstood the test of time, eternal turmoil to rival all wars… toddler versus vegetables. I am currently huddled in the muddy trenches of this bloody struggle. Like her mother before her, my daughter refuses to eat veggies. And if it wasn’t for my maternal force-feeding instincts, I would wave the white flag. But no! I am no quitter. I will not be defeated by a 2-year-old. She will eat her veggies and she will like them! Lucky for me, I was asked to whip up a recipe incorporating Green Giant® Veggie Spirals by the brand and a mommy lightbulb turned on in my head. Baked Zucchini Spaghetti Medallions. The solution to end the war!

I am a firm believer that food should be fun for kids… even veggies. So, when I heard that Green Giant® had released a line of Veggie Spirals to take on noodles, it was very exciting. Another fun tool in my food arsenal! And think about it, Green Giant® Veggie Spirals are a fantastic alternative to traditional pasta. The Veggie Spirals are gluten free, made with 100% veggies, and have up to 90% fewer calories than most pastas. Plus they are pre-cut, come in microwaveable packaging, and only require a two-step cooking process. Fun and easy! So let’s get to cooking…

Baked Zucchini Spaghetti Medallions

Time: 25 min., Yields: 6

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 packages of Green Giant® Veggie Spirals Zucchini
• 1 cup of shredded parmigiano reggiano cheese (or whatever your kid’s favorite cheese is)
• 1 tablespoon of herbs de provence (or Italian herbs)
• 1 teaspoon of garlic salt
• Garnish: Tomato sauce (or again, whatever sauce your kid likes!)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 450F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Defrost the frozen Green Giant® Veggie Spirals by heating the packages per their instructions in the microwave for 6 minutes.
3. Drain the excess liquid from the heated zucchini in a colander. Then place the zucchini in a mixing bowl.
4. Add the cheese, herbs, and garlic salt to the bowl and mix well with the zucchini.
5. Arrange the zucchini into 3-4 inch veggie medallions on the baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake approximately 15 minutes (or until crispy along the edges). Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, top with tomato sauce, and enjoy!

Now was the moment of truth. After carefully crafting a recipe with a few of my daughter’s favorite ingredients, I slyly slide the plate in front of her, turned on her favorite movie (distractions are key), and nonchalantly walked away. I had dropped the veggie grenade. Now all I could do was wait for it to go off in an explosion of happy toddler munching. With held breath, I watched as she took the bait. Chubby hands picking up a bite-sized piece of the Baked Zucchini Spaghetti Medallions. Large eyes suspiciously examining the contents between her fingers, a skeptical sniff, and then a bite. Suddenly, the whole piece was in the mouth and a hint of movement could be detected as jaws began chewing. Elation flooded over me. Had I finally won?! Had this tiny food tyrant succumbed to my attempts at a balanced diet?! Was the war over?! Those thoughts had just enough time to gleefully rush through my head before she promptly spit out the piece and quickly wiped the residual off her tongue. Before I knew it, she was at my feet looking up at me with angelic eyes saying, “Mama, want cheese please!” Utter defeat. Toddler – 1, Mom – 0. With surrender in my heart, I sat down and started to eat the untouched Baked Zucchini Spaghetti Medallions. They were absolutely delicious. I looked at my sweet baby girl cheerily scarfing down her string cheese and started to plan my next military maneuver. But in the meantime, I happily finished the veggies myself and reflected on the great new dish in my arsenal.

And with that, I pass along this recipe to you. May my Baked Zucchini Spaghetti Medallions serve you well in your endeavors. I leave you now with hope in my heart and grit in my resolve. Someday, I will look back upon this turbulent time and reflect upon it’s parsnips… I mean, hardships. Until then, I will keep my head down and soldier on. Onto the next veggie concoction. As for you, get more information about Green Giant® Veggie Spirals and recipe ideas here. And if you have any parental food tips, please leave them in the comments section… I’m dying here!

For more recipe ideas, visit my ‘Appetizer’ section here!