Crispy Ham and Swiss Zucchini Stacks

These crispy ham and Swiss zucchini stacks sandwich thin deli ham and melted cheese between breadcrumb-coated zucchini slices. If you want a lunch built around your zucchini haul, this recipe serves four in 40 minutes, with cold honey mustard alongside for dipping.

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Ingredients for ham and Swiss zucchini stacks

• 2 large zucchini
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups fine dry breadcrumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 6 slices Swiss cheese, cut to fit
• 6 slices thin deli ham, cut to fit
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey

Dry zucchini gives the coating a better start

The first step deserves your attention: salt the sliced zucchini, wait the full 15 minutes, and pat it very dry. Moisture left on the surface can turn the flour coating pasty and make the breading harder to apply evenly. Look closely at the broad, flat surfaces before moving each slice to the flour.

Keep the slices as even as you can at the specified 1/4-inch thickness. You are making 12 lengthwise slices that will become the tops and bottoms of the stacks. Similar thickness helps them fry evenly, while similar shapes make the finished stacks easier to line up and press together.

Have the filling ready before frying

Cut the ham and Swiss to fit before the zucchini comes out of the oil. The cheese needs the heat of the freshly fried slices to melt and hold the stack together, so this is an awkward moment to stop and trim your filling.

Match the fried slices by shape as you assemble. Lay the ham and cheese within the edges of the bottom slice, then place its partner on top and press. A filling that fits inside the zucchini gives you a clearer edge to hold when you pick up a stack.

Coat, fry, and assemble while hot

• Cut the zucchini lengthwise into 12 slices, 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt, wait 15 minutes, and pat very dry.
• Stir the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and honey together in a small bowl. Chill the sauce while you prepare the zucchini.
• Mix the fine dry breadcrumbs with the black pepper and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Coat each zucchini slice in flour, then beaten egg, then the seasoned crumbs. Cover both broad sides and the edges.
• Heat 1/4 inch of vegetable oil to 350°F. Fry the coated zucchini in batches for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden. Watch the color across the surface as you turn each slice.
• While the zucchini is hot, lay ham and Swiss on one slice and press a second slice on top. Continue assembling the stacks straight from the pan.
• Rest for 1 minute so the cheese melts and holds the slices together. Serve with the chilled honey mustard.

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Serve after the cheese has had its minute

The short rest is part of assembly. Give the Swiss its full minute between the hot zucchini slices before serving. The melted cheese helps keep the ham enclosed and makes the stack easier to handle without the top sliding away.

Keep the honey mustard alongside for dipping so the breadcrumb coating stays exposed until you eat it. The sauce brings together creamy mayonnaise, sharp Dijon, and honey, giving you a cold accompaniment to the hot zucchini and melted filling.

This recipe is written for serving straight after assembly. It does not provide storage or reheating directions, so plan the frying around when you want to eat. You can have the sauce mixed and chilling, the filling cut to fit, and the coating ingredients ready before the oil is heated.

For more zucchini lunches, try our turkey and Swiss stacks or pepper Jack stacks . If you want zucchini served as a side, see the baked zucchini fries with garlic yogurt dip .

Before you start cooking

Does the honey go into the breadcrumb mixture?

No. Stir the honey into the mayonnaise and Dijon mustard for the dipping sauce. The breadcrumb mixture contains fine dry breadcrumbs, black pepper, and the remaining salt.

Should I put all the salt on the zucchini?

Use 1 teaspoon on the sliced zucchini before the 15-minute wait. The remaining 1/2 teaspoon belongs in the breadcrumbs, so the coating receives seasoning too.

What if the Swiss does not melt enough to hold?

Check the assembly timing. The recipe calls for building each stack while the zucchini is hot, straight from the pan, then resting it for 1 minute. Letting the fried slices cool before adding the cheese takes away the heat this method relies on.

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Written and edited by The Foodie Yummy Kitchen Team

The Foodie Yummy Kitchen Team writes and edits the recipes on Foodie Yummy: classic American potluck salads, holiday sides and easy comfort food, with a few low-carb options. Every recipe lists exact quantities, numbered steps and a printable recipe card, plus notes on swaps, storage and make-ahead timing. Spot a problem with a recipe? Tell us through the contact page and we will correct it. About us