Goat Cheese Stuffed Zucchini Pancakes

Ever since I discovered my love for goat cheese, I have been looking for different ways to use it in my cooking. I have a huge log of it in my refrigerator now, so I need find ways to use it up! As a side note - it was three times more expensive at my local grocery store (Albertsons) than it was at Sam's Club. Granted, it was 1 lb vs. 5 ounces so part of that was due to the bulk discount... but I would much rather pay $5.50 for 1 lb and not use it all than $5 for 5 ounces.

When I want to find a goat cheese recipe, I visit's Elly's blog :) I don't know anyone else who loves goat cheese more than Elly! That's where I found this recipe for goat cheese stuffed zucchini pancakes. I have to admit that we were in such a rush to eat, that I forgot to top these with the tomato sauce, so you won't see any photographs of these with the sauce...

Even without the tomato sauce, I thought this recipe was wonderful. We have a hard time incorporating vegetables into our diet so the use of zucchini in this dish was a welcome change... at least for me :) My husband who does not like goat cheese did not care for these very much. I thought that since he liked the chicken stuffed with goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes, that he might reconsider his dislike for goat cheese but alas, he did not. So now I'm on a mission to find other recipes with goat cheese (besides the stuffed chicken recipe) that he might like as well, because I don't want goat cheese to be one of those things that I can only eat when he is out of town!

Goat Cheese Stuffed Zucchini Pancakes with Tomato Sauce

from Emeril on FoodNetwork.com


1 pound small zucchini, grated and squeezed dry in a towel
1/4 cup grated yellow onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons chopped lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup olive oil
1 (5-ounce) log goat cheese, very thinly sliced (the goat cheese we have is soft, so I just added a dollop of goat cheese to each pancake)
Tomato Sauce, recipe follows
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the zucchini, onions, basil, zest, garlic, salt, and pepper. In a small bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Add the eggs and flour mixture to the vegetables and stir just until combined.

Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. When hot, add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the batter by tablespoons into the skillet (making sure to spoon both batter and vegetables), leaving 1-inch between the cakes. Immediately drop a round of cheese into the center of each pancake. Top with another tablespoon of batter to enclose the cheese. Cook until golden brown on the bottom side, about 1 1/2 minutes. Flip with a spatula and cook on the 2nd side until golden brown, about 1 minute. Remove from the pan and place on a baking sheet. Keep warm in the oven while preparing the remaining pancakes.

Arrange the pancakes on a platter, drizzle with the tomato sauce, and serve immediately.

Tomato Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup chopped yellow onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped carrots
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
Pinch cayenne
1/2 cup chicken stock

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the onions, carrots, salt, and black pepper and cook, stirring, until the onions are soft, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, basil, oregano, and cayenne, and cook for 1 minute. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and fragrant, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and puree in a food processor or blender. Serve immediately over the Stuffed Zucchini Pancakes, or store, refrigerated, in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat in a saucepan over low heat.

Yield: about 1 1/2 cups