Cake Mix Zucchini Bread

Here's another fun recipe I tried with my zucchini. It was more like a cake than bread, but it was really good.

1 chocolate cake mix
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 teaspoons butter, melted
2 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Mix all ingredients together. Pour into two greased and floured loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Or make one large loaf and bake for 60 minutes.

Frosted Zucchini Brownies

Thanks to my in-laws garden, I've had lots of zucchini lately. Usually, I just make bread and freeze most of it, but today I tried this brownie recipe. Nothing beats a good brownie and holy cow, these are soooooooo yummy! The zucchini keeps it so moist and good! I will be making this recipe again and again!

Frosted Zucchini Brownies

1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup oil
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini
2 cups flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1 1/2 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Whisk sugar, oil, vanilla and zucchini till blended. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spread into a greased 9x13" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. When cool, frost with chocolate frosting.

Frosting:
3 Tbsp melted butter
2 Tbsp cocoa
2 cups powdered sugar
2-3 Tbsp buttermilk or milk
dash of salt
1 tsp vanilla

Stir together butter and cocoa till smooth. Beat in remaining ingredients, adding milk till it's the right consistency.

Note:
--If you're worried that you can taste the zucchini, don't be. I told my dad that there was a secret ingredient in them and he never did figure out what it was. He just knew he loved them! I didn't even peel the zucchini, but you could if you wanted to.

--There are no eggs in this recipe.

Zucchini Skillet

This is a great recipe to use up those garden vegetables! It's so simple and it tastes SOOOO good!

1 pound bacon
4-6 red potatoes, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 yellow squash, chopped
Salt and Pepper

Cook bacon till crispy and chop. Drain all but about 1 Tbsp. grease from your pan. Add potatoes to pan and cook until crisp tender, it takes about 15-20 minutes. You can add a little water to the pan to speed things up if you need to. Add zucchini and squash and cook five minutes longer. Don't let them get mushy. Season with salt and pepper.

Mom's Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
1 cup oil
2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix together; then slowly add the following:

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1/2 cup nuts
2 cups grated zucchini

Grease two bread pans and divide batter evenly. Bake for 60-70 minutes at 350 degrees. I always keep one loaf to eat now and freeze the other loaf for later.