Easy Garden Skillet

A few weeks ago I posted a last minute dinner recipe on instagram that had been  amazing, as all of my recipes I don’t take the time to photograph are. We devoured it. We loooooved it. And apparently so did all of you since we got soooo many requests to post the recipe. Even Dellalo convinced us to do it again. We majorly regretted that it was too dark out for pretty pictures. I do love when simple recipes turn out so delicious that not only did you spend zero time making it, but cleanup is especially wonderful. Kind of like my husband’s amazing pan fried tortellini. It’s just like this recipe as it can easily be made for meatless Monday or with your favorite meat. Or these famous Avocado Tacos that can go from meat and avocado, to vegetarian to vegan without losing any flavor. This dish really is the perfect dish. In fact, let’s walk through its versatility and awesomeness.

First, we had meatballs the night before. Delicious turkey meatballs that will actually be posted next week with a giveaway! I know, I’m working backwards. Anyway, I had about 6 meatballs left over and while our Meatball Subs are pretty darn fantastic I didn’t feel like something that heavy, so we decided to just throw everything in a skillet and cook it up. That’s our first favorite thing about this dish. It was an easy way to use up leftovers. As you’ll find out next week, I like to make extras of our favorites and partially cook them. Then let them cool and freeze for later use. Partially cooking them allows me to reheat without drying things out or over cooking. So, we had leftover meatballs that I threw in here.

Which leads me to our next favorite part. You can easily make this dish vegetarian. You totally don’t have to add meatballs to make this dish amazing. Throw in more varieties of squash, peppers, whatever and you’ve got yourself an awesome vegetarian dish.

And heaven knows you all are like us and still totally trying to work your way through gobs of zuchinni. Woohoo for a way to use it up that’s not zucchini bread, muffins or pizza!!

And don’t forget the tomatoes. Ours were slow this year so they are finally ready to be picked and we are hurrying to get them all off the plants before a freeze hits. I love that about this meal. Whatever veggies you have in the garden or freezer you can throw in. It’s awesome!! One thing I’m totally bummed about is that we usually garnish with fresh basil which brightens the whole dish, but I was so excited to eat I forgot. So add it!!

And finally, the gooey cheese. Gosh I love cheese. This particular kind is Galbani Mozzarella, but now that we’ve made the dish a few times I’ll add that Follow Your Heart Vegan cheese totally works great and we love to use it. That means that this dish can be vegetarian, meat eaters, or vegan!!! BOOYAH!! Plus it’s a one pot wonder and no starches so it’s easier clean up and healthier. HECK YEAH!!

What Is The Difference Between Cherry and Grape Tomatoes?

Grape tomatoes look different than cherry tomatoes.

Grape tomatoes are oblong, shaped like a grape.

Grape tomatoes are smaller than cherry tomatoes and have a thicker skin.

Cherry tomatoes are sweeter and their flesh is meatier and less watery.

Are Zucchini Good For You?

Zucchini is an outstanding source of manganese and vitamin C.

Zucchini is also a great source of dietary fiber.

It also contains vitamin A, magnesium, folate, potassium, copper, and phosphorus that help in boosting health.

Is Fresh Basil Good For You?

Basil promotes blood flow.

It is a good source of Vitamin A and it promotes healthy eyesight.

It has also been shown to be an effective anti-inflammatory, much like aspirin and ibuprofen.

Easy Garden Skillet

Yield: 6 cups

Easy Garden Skillet

Total Time: 12 mins

Prep Time: 2 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

• 6 Turkey meatballs, cooked and chopped *optional
• 1 small to medium Zucchini, chopped
• 3/4 cup sugar sweet or sunshine tomatoes
• 3/4 cup grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1 heirloom tomato, chopped
• 1/3 cup Marinara sauce
• 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese
• olive oil and salt and pepper
• *basil, chopped, optional

Directions:

1. Drizzle a little olive oil in a skillet and heat to medium heat.
2. Add the zucchini and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Saute for one minute and add the meatballs, tomatoes and sauce.
4. Cook until the tomatoes are big and bursting, zucchini is tender and everything is hot.
5. Sprinkle with cheese and add the lid to help melt the cheese, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Serve with fresh basil and more salt and pepper if needed.

Use any vegetables that you’d like as well as dairy or vegan cheese!

Nutrition Information

Yield: 6 cups, Serving Size: 1

• Amount Per Serving:
• Calories: 284 Calories
• Total Fat: 20.9g
• Cholesterol: 73.1mg
• Carbohydrates: 4.8g
• Fiber: 1.3g
• Sugar: 3.4g
• Protein: 18.8g

All images and text ©Carrian Cheney for Oh Sweet Basil.

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