These golden baked cheddar and courgette balls are the perfect way to use up any courgettes you might have lurking in the fridge. They are wonderfully crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.
Flavoured with a generous dose of extra mature cheddar cheese, herbs, garlic and paprika, these balls are utterly delicious!
I find them super quick and easy to make for lunch, and any leftovers will keep well in the fridge. You can enjoy them hot or cold.
My kids love these two, which is especially good as my 4 year old have become quite picky about vegetables recently. So these are the perfect way to sneak some extra veggies into her diet.
Are These Cheddar & Courgette Balls a Main or a Side Dish?
Have them standalone with a side of salad for lunch or serve them with my easy roast pepper and cherry tomato dip.
They are a brilliant addition to a picky lunch spread or tapas meal and the dip is super quick to make. You simply roast the pepper and tomatoes in the oven while the courgette balls are baking, then blitz with garlic, white wine vinegar and olive oil.
Alternatively, if you would prefer to use a shop bought dip, try a premade aioli or tomato salsa. Ideally something with a bit of garlic or acidity, as that will pair best with the flavours in the courgette balls.
Should I Enjoy These Cheddar & Courgette Balls Hot or Cold?
I like to eat these cheddar & courgette balls while still warm from the oven, but you could serve them cold too. Simply pop them on a wire rack to allow any moisture to escape while they are cooling, else you’ll get soggy bottoms.
Can I Batch Cook & Freeze Them?
Yes you can (if you can resist gobbling them all up, they are far too easy to eat!). Allow them to cool fully on a wire rack, then freeze in layers with greaseproof paper, to stop them getting stuck together. When you want to serve, reheat them in the oven.
Baked Cheddar & Courgette Balls Recipe
This recipe makes about 12-15 courgette balls, depending on how big you make them. I really love as a quick lunch, but they are also perfect as part of a tapas meal, with a big salad, pan-fried chorizo, Red Pepper Spanish Tortilla and Patatas Bravas. So delicious! You could also have them as a starter with Prawn & Chorizo Paella as the main mmmm.
I would recommend using an extra mature or vintage cheddar for these, as it real gives a wonderful flavour, over mild or medium cheddar. I use the Wyke Farms Vintage White Cheddar, as the flavour is tasty without being too farmyardy, if you know what I mean!
You’ll find a full method below, plus some photos to help guide you through the recipe. Feel free to email me any questions or comments you might have. You can contact me at laura@mygfguide.com or message me on Instagram/Facebook @myglutenfreeguide. I love seeing your home creations too so please do tag me on social media if you make these.
Lastly, if you enjoy these courgette balls, I would be really grateful if you could leave a star rating or review on the recipe card below. Thank you!
Laura xxx
Baked Cheddar & Courgette Balls (GF)
Incredibly moreish and flavoursome courgette balls. Oven baked and gluten free. Perfect as part of a lunch or tapas spread and kid-friendly. With optional roasted tomato and red pepper dip to serve.
Ingredients
- 400g courgette
- 50g gluten free breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 50g extra mature cheddar cheese, finely grated
- 1 fat clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp paprika
- 0.5 tsp dried oregano
- Optional (for added flavour): 8 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper
Roasted tomato and red pepper dip:
- 15 cherry tomatoes
- 1 red pepper
- 0.5 tsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 small clove of garlic, roughly chopped
- Pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C (fan) and line an oven tray with non-stick baking paper, lightly oiled.
- Grate the courgette (skin on) using the coarse side of a cheese grater. Take a clean tea towel or muslin and place the grated courgette in the centre. Bunch the tea towel around the courgette and squeeze all the excess water out of the courgette (see images below).
- Transfer the courgette flesh to a mixing bowl and added the other ingredients: breadcrumbs, egg, cheddar, garlic, oregano, paprika, basil (optional) and a little salt and pepper.
- Use your hands to mix the ingredients together really well, then shape the mixture into 12 balls and place on the prepared oven tray.
- Bake in the centre of the oven for 20 minutes, until golden. Enjoy hot or cold!
If you would also like to make the roasted tomato and red pepper dip to serve with the courgette and cheddar balls:
- Deseed the pepper and chop into pieces, add to a small oven tray (tray lightly oiled, pepper pieces skin-side down) with the whole cherry tomatoes. Pop into the oven on the shelf underneath the courgette balls when you put them in to cook.
- Once roasted, add the tomatoes and pepper pieces to a small blender with the vinegar, oil, garlic and salt. Blend until smooth and then serve in a dipping dish alongside the courgette balls.
For more tasty gluten free morsels, check out some of my other recipes while you are here:
Enjoy! Laura xxx
