22 Parmesan-Crusted Veggie Recipes

Parmesan is one of the healthiest cheeses you can buy. Its nutritional qualities and pungent, tangy flavor pairs perfectly with many different foods, so it's no wonder that we have this many Parmesan-crusted veggie recipes to choose from. You can enjoy flavorful vegetables like cauliflower, eggplant, potato and zucchini as a delicious cheesy side or appetizer any night of the week. Recipes like our Roasted Garlic-Parmesan Cabbage and Parmesan-Crusted Brussels Sprouts are sure to become your new favorite veggie dishes.

Grilled Zucchini with Parmesan

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Grilled zucchini is one of the great food joys of summer. In this easy recipe, the crunchy, bright breadcrumbs offset the sweet, soft zucchini in the most delightful way. Serve this healthy side with grilled chicken, fish or shrimp or as part of a vegetarian summer meal. This recipe is easily doubled or tripled if you have a bumper crop of zucchini.

Baked Parmesan Zucchini Curly Fries

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This healthy recipe combines two bar food favorites--fried zucchini and curly fries--into one tempting package. Serve these baked zucchini fries with a simple dipping sauce made with ranch dressing and marinara sauce for a crowd-pleasing appetizer or a side dish for burgers, chicken or pizza. No matter what you serve them with, they're a fun way to eat more vegetables for kids and adults alike.

Crispy Smashed Brussels Sprouts

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Jacob Fox
Jacob Fox

Brussels sprouts get crispy and flavorful in the oven when they're smashed and seasoned with Parmesan cheese and everything bagel seasoning.

Baked Parmesan Tomatoes

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A sprinkle of Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil transform tomatoes into the perfect side dish. Or try sandwiching them between slices of your favorite whole-wheat country bread.

Parmesan-&-Herb-Crusted Zucchini

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Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Annie Probst
Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Annie Probst

This Parmesan-and-herb-crusted zucchini features a crispy crust of golden-brown baked cheese in every bite. This easy side dish is perfect paired with chicken, burgers or steak. To make it a stand-alone appetizer, using a toothpick, skewer each slice with a bocconcini (small mozzarella ball) and serve with marinara for dipping.

Oven-Fried Panko-&-Parmesan-Crusted Zucchini

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Jacob Fox
Jacob Fox

These oven-fried panko- and Parmesan-crusted zucchini rounds are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a hint of Parmesan cheese in the crust. Dip them into marinara, pesto or ranch dressing for an irresistible snack or appetizer.

Parmesan Roasted Corn on the Cob

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Savory Parmesan cheese and sweet corn team up in this easy corn on the cob recipe that's good for every season. Wrapping the corn in foil keeps in the flavors of smoked paprika, garlic powder and thyme. Pair with roast chicken, steak or pork or serve as part of a vegetarian meal.

Parmesan-Rosemary Baked Zucchini Fries

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Jason Donnelly
Jason Donnelly

These fries are great as an appetizer with a dipping sauce, such as ranch dressing or marinara sauce, or alongside just about anything from burgers to fish. Have an air fryer? You can use that too!

Roasted Asparagus Parmesan

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This oven-roasted asparagus Parmesan has just the right amount of cheese--and it's incredibly easy to make. Serve this healthy side dish with chicken, fish, lamb--or any other protein.

Parmesan-Crusted Cauliflower with White Beans & Tomatoes

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Jason Donnelly
Jason Donnelly

This Parmesan-crusted cauliflower makes a flavorful and hearty vegetarian main that is ready in under an hour. A generous amount of cooking spray helps the panko breadcrumb coating on these cauliflower steaks get nice and crispy.

Parmesan & Herb Crusted Potatoes

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Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Annie Probst, Prop Stylist: Gabe Greco
Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Annie Probst, Prop Stylist: Gabe Greco

A crispy, savory cheese crust coats these roasted potatoes for a mouthwatering side dish that's sure to be loved by all. Chopped fresh herbs like rosemary and sage add brightness. Serve these potatoes alongside roasted chicken, steak or pork.

Balsamic & Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

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Sonia Bozzo
Sonia Bozzo

The florets are roasted with extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic and Parmesan in this easy cauliflower recipe, which makes a delicious addition to any weeknight meal.

Roasted Garlic-Parmesan Cabbage

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Ali Redmond
Ali Redmond

Cabbage gets transformed in the oven with garlic, Parmesan and olive oil in this simple vegetable side. This irresistible side dish would make a welcome addition to any meal—try serving it alongside chicken or steak.

Crispy Smashed Broccoli with Balsamic & Parmesan

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Brie Passano
Brie Passano

Flattening broccoli florets increases their surface area, which means more space to absorb the flavors of Parmesan cheese and a sweet balsamic vinegar drizzle.

Crispy Eggplant Parmesan Fries

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The cheesy flavor and crispy crust on these eggplant "fries" is just like fried eggplant Parmesan, but with a fraction of the oil. They're the perfect appetizer for Italian night! Dip these crispy fries into a big hot bowl of your favorite marinara.

Meet Your New Favorite Veggie Side: Parmesan-Crusted Brussels Sprouts

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Stacy k. Allen, Props: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Ana Kelley
Stacy k. Allen, Props: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Ana Kelley

Parmesan cheese gives Brussels sprouts a savory, crispy crust in this easy side dish that pairs with anything from pan-seared steak to roasted chicken. We recommended freshly grated Parmesan cheese over Parmesan that comes pre-shredded; it's more flavorful and gives the sprouts a nice golden crust. (Like this technique? Try our Parmesan & Herb Crusted Potatoes and Parmesan & Herb Crusted Zucchini.)

Balsamic-Parmesan Cauliflower Steaks

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Victor Protasio
Victor Protasio

These balsamic-Parmesan cauliflower steaks make the perfect vegetarian dinner. Dried oregano and fresh thyme and rosemary flavor the cauliflower. Balsamic vinegar paired with Parmesan cheese adds a nice sweet and savory balance to the dish.

Baked Breaded Eggplant

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This breaded eggplant is baked to perfection with a crunchy outside and soft interior. It's wonderful dipped in marinara. If you want to elevate it further, add a sweet and tangy drizzle of balsamic glaze and a sprinkle of fresh basil leaves.

Garlic-Parmesan Asparagus

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In this garlic-Parmesan-crusted asparagus recipe, we combine Parmesan cheese, whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs and walnuts for a crispy topping that's baked over asparagus. Roasting the asparagus spears in a hot oven keeps them tender-crisp in this quick side dish!

Mary's Zucchini with Parmesan

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Simple and delicious, this zucchini recipe features golden slices of zucchini topped with a Parmesan crust. Serve the zucchini like a wedge of pizza, straight from the pan, with the cheese-side up. We named this recipe Mary's Zucchini after the mom of one of our former Test Kitchen managers. It's perfect for just-picked zucchini.

Spiralized Onions with Crispy Parmesan Breadcrumbs

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You may not have considered onions as candidates for the spiralizer, but you should. They create beautiful ribbons that make this recipe reminiscent of fried shoestring onions. And because this onion ring-inspired recipe is baked rather than fried, they're really easy to make. Serve them as a side with burgers or as a crunchy healthy snack for game night.

Parmesan-Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

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These roasted Brussels sprouts are about to be your new favorite side dish. In addition to getting brown and crispy in the oven, they're topped with Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar for a hit of salty, savory flavor. This makes a great vegetable side to serve with roasted meats.