End of the Road Recipes: Chicken Bacon Ranch Zucchini Boats with a Fried Pickle Twist

by Crystal Schlueter

Zucchini season will soon be here, and I wanted to come up with a fun way to use it up. A friend of mine recently recommended I make something with chicken, bacon, and ranch flavors, and I thought those would go great with zucchini. I felt the ingredients needed something acidic, plus a crunch element, so I did a spin on fried pickles. Of course, if you wanted more heat, you could use fried pickles or pickled jalapenos. You can use gluten free panko or omit them entirely if you want to further lessen the carbohydrates. 

INGREDIENTS:

2 slices thick cut bacon 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs 1 pinch of salt and black pepper 2 ounces softened cream cheese 1/4 cup ranch dressing 2 tablespoons minced dill pickles 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh dill fronds 8 ounces diced grilled chicken breast 4 ounces shredded sharp cheddar 2 medium zucchini Oil for brushing 12 dill pickle chips Ranch dressing, sriracha, and fresh dill for garnishing

Instructions:

Preheat a grill to medium heat. Meanwhile, place a skillet over medium low heat. Add the bacon and cook until crispy, flipping occasionally. Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Reserving grease in the skillet, add panko. Turn the heat to medium and cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove panko to a heat-proof bowl. Season with salt and pepper. In a medium sized bowl, stir together the cream cheese and ranch dressing until mostly combined. Stir in the minced pickles and dill. Crumble in the bacon and add along with the chicken and cheddar cheese. Stir until combined. Set aside. Trim the ends from the zucchini and halve lengthwise. Brush on each side with oil. Place cut side down on the grill. Grill, uncovered, until marks appear (cut side only). Remove zucchini with a large tongs and let cool for a couple minutes. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds. Place on a cutting board with the hollow sides up. Fill with the chicken mixture (pile it high). Press 3 pickle chips over each zucchini half. Sprinkle equally with toasted panko. Place in a grill basket (if available) and grill, covered, until heated through and the cheese is melted. Remove to a platter and drizzle with ranch dressing and sriracha. Sprinkle with fresh dill.

Yield: Serves 2 as a main or 4 as a side.