Zucchini Pie and School Week Meal Prep

It's "Back-To-School" week here in Colorado.  Just completed a great weekend of getting caught up on my 37 loads of laundry that I was in denial of and started on my closet purging for another Goodwill delivery.  A good home cleaning and refreshing the house for a new week and school year always feels good.  Every school year I remember my girls starting their school life in Kindergarten and reading Robert Fulghum's book, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.  It is a must read if you have not done so already.  It's a timeless classic that makes you look at and smile at life and how simple it really can (and should) be.

School clothing shopping for Senior Portraits is all complete, location scouting has been finalized and my Senior girls are ready to finish their high school careers.  Registration packets and parent authorizations are all signed. Incredibly bittersweet...what more can I say.  As always, to take my mind off my birds leaving the nest someday...I cook!

Last night I made a refrigerator full of chicken quesadillas, breakfast burritos, pancakes and waffles, chocolate chip cookies, blueberry muffins, my Pot Roast prep...you know, the quintessential teenager meal needs...(well, maybe for mama too, after all my mornings can get hectic also)!

For weeknight dinners, this side dish is awesome!  It came from one of my summer deliveries of Cuisine at Home and I was so excited to try it.  Comes together so quick and flawless that it will be one less thing to stress about during your back-to-school week.  Enjoy and have a good week!

Zucchini Pie (with cheesy rice crust)
Courtesy of Cuisine At Home May/June 2016

1 cup dry instant white rice
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 zucchini, thinly sliced
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coat a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick spray.

Combine rice, broth, Cheddar, egg, mayonnaise and pepper flakes; pour into prepared dish.

Arrange zucchini in an overlapping spiral on top of rice mixture.

Combine butter, Parmesan, Italian seasoning and salt; pour over zucchini.

Bake pie until bubbly and top is golden, 30-35 minutes;  let rest 10 minutes.

One Year Ago: Greek Chicken Salad
Two Years Ago: Spinach Chicken Bacon Pizza
Three Years Ago: Snickerdoodles