Packed full of fresh zucchini and cheddar cheese, this easy and creamy Zucchini Casserole is a delicious, low-carb dinner that comes together in just 30 minutes!
Brace yourselves for a feast of flavors with our savory Zucchini Casserole! It’s a delicious ensemble of fresh zucchini and cheddar cheese, culminating into a creamy and hearty dinner you can prepare in just half an hour.
This oven-baked Zucchini Casserole makes a truly tasty vegetarian entrée or a side dish bursting with flavor, texture, and nutrients. It’s a win-win for all! I mean, who would’ve thought that something made with this bland green veggie could taste better than Zucchini Brownies or my Apple and Zucchini Bread? I ❤️ them both.
But, you know, filling up a baking dish with layer upon layer of zucchini, rich cream, and cheese is a trophy-deserved dinner recipe. And this stunner is sure to wow all the crowds!
Zucchini Casserole
You can prepare this fantastic casserole with simple pantry ingredients and make a perfect one-pot weeknight dinner. It’s an easy-to-share dish that will surprise even those who usually turn up their noses at zucchini. It’s cheesy and creamy, and a single bite of this meal might just convert them!
How To Make Zucchini Casserole
- Slice 2 to 4 zucchinis to get 6 cups of half-moon pieces. Place them in a greased 9-inch baking dish, sprinkle with salt, and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl or a large measuring cup, combine cream, eggs, garlic, parmesan, basil, nutmeg, and pepper.
- Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the zucchini and pour the cream mixture over it.
- Add pats of butter over the zucchini and bake for 25 minutes. Add more cheese and bake for another 7 to 10 minutes until it’s brown and bubbly.
- Let it cool for 10 minutes, then cut and serve.
COOK’S NOTES
- If you prefer a softer zucchini, and the top of the casserole is already browned, lightly cover the baking dish with foil to prevent further browning.
- To achieve a perfect, intact square, you will need to let the casserole cool for about 20 minutes.
Tips and Variations
- Choosing Zucchini: Look for medium-sized zucchini that are firm.
- Zucchini has a high water content. To avoid a watery casserole, salt the zucchini slices and let them sit for 15 minutes, then pat dry to remove excess moisture before adding them to the casserole.
- Seasoning: Zucchini is a mild vegetable and can handle plenty of flavors. Feel free to adjust the amount of garlic, basil, or nutmeg to suit your personal taste.
- Cheese Choices: While cheddar is classic, other cheeses like mozzarella, provolone, or a mix of different cheeses can bring a new twist to your casserole.
- Baking: When baking the casserole, ensure it’s cooked until the top is golden and the zucchini is tender.
- Resting Time: Don’t forget to let your casserole rest after baking. This allows the juices to be reabsorbed and makes it easier to serve.
- Variations: The recipe is flexible. Feel free to add more veggies like bell peppers, tomatoes, or mushrooms, or add a protein like cooked chicken or ground turkey for a heartier meal. You can also swap the zucchini for yellow squash.
Serving Suggestions
The best pairing for you depends on your personal preferences and dietary needs, but that won’t stop me from suggesting some favorites. ?
- Grilled or Roasted Meats: Since the zucchini casserole is rich and cheesy, it pairs well with a simple chicken or steak recipe. For a lighter option, consider my Grilled Swordfish or roasted turkey.
- Salads: Consider a simple green salad, a tangy Macedonian Shopska Salad, or a colorful tomato and cucumber salad.
- Wine: If you enjoy wine with your meal, a white wine like a Pinot Grigio or a light red like Pinot Noir would pair well with this dish.
Storing Leftovers
- Keep any leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. It makes a delicious and quick lunch for work!
- While it’s possible to freeze the casserole, I would not recommend it. Zucchini tends to release a lot of water, which can alter the taste and texture of the dish.
More Zucchini Recipes
- Zucchini Lasagna Roll Ups
- Zucchini Tomato Casserole
- Garlicky and Cheesy Quinoa Zucchini Fritters
- Ricotta Zucchini Meatballs
- Baked Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Chips
ENJOY!
Cheesy Zucchini Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 to 4 zucchini, sliced into half moons about 1/4-inch thick (you will need 6 cups total)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 3 whole eggs
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, or to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 2 tablespoons butter, sliced into 1/4-inch thick pieces
- chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F.
- Grease a 9-inch baking dish with butter.
- Add the sliced zucchini to the baking dish and sprinkle with salt; mix and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, eggs, parmesan cheese, garlic, basil, pepper, and nutmeg.
- Layer 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese over the zucchini.
- Pour the prepared cream sauce over the zucchini and scatter pieces of butter over the zucchini.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
- Bake for 7 to 10 more minutes, or until bubbly, browned, and zucchini is tender.
- Remove from oven and let stand 10 to 15 minutes.
- Garnish with parsley; cut and serve.
Video
Notes
- If you like a softer zucchini, but the casserole is already browned on top, loosely place foil over the baking dish to keep it from browning further.
- Pick small to medium firm, shiny zucchini for the best taste and texture.
- Avoid a watery casserole by salting the zucchini slices and patting them dry before use.
- Don’t hold back on seasoning; zucchini can handle it.
- While cheddar is common, try mozzarella or provolone for a change.
- Bake until the casserole is golden and the zucchini is soft.
- Let the casserole rest after baking for easier serving.
- For variety, add different veggies or pre-cooked chicken to the mix.
- Keep any leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Delicious way to use serve zucchini! I definitely recommend salting the zucchini beforehand, and letting it sit for 15 minutes, to remove excess water. Everyone in my family loved this dish even those not watching their carbohydrate intake.
Made this last night and it was delicious!!
I will definitely be making this as much as possible!!
Can’t make this much zucchini without an onion. It was different because the taste was subtle with parmesan overtones, but very good. I didn’t add all of the garlic, added a couple of dashes of hot chili flakes. Will definitely make again and share with friends. I would personally add 5-10 mins of cooking time to first timer for a soft consistency of the zucchini.
Looks good. Just wondering how many servings this makes in a 9×9? I don’t see it listed but I might be overlooking it. Thank you.
Very good recipe packed with flavor. I used a mix of zucchini and yellow squash (because it’s hard to tell one from the other, right?). I did put it under the broiler at the end to improve the color. The dish reminds me of a quiche, and that’s not a bad thing. Next time I might give the zucchini a quick saute at the start…. All in all, a solid recipe.
I make this at least twice a month. Who knew what a difference nutmeg could make! Last time I made it I added some fresh mushrooms and substituted shredded mozzarella for the cheddar. Yum! Super quick and always tasty.
That’s great! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for chiming in! 🙂
This was sooooo much better than i expected!! I added fresh chili pepper & crushed red pepper to spice it up. Plus a little (1/2c) pasta sauce its like a spicy baked ziti!!
Just made this. AWESOME! Always looking for Keto side dishes and will be making this again and again!
That’s great! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I was looking for a zucchini casserole that didn’t call for boiling the zucchini first. So the recipe looked awesome. I tweaked it a little bit as I was using a side dish in a german-inspired meal. I used Swiss and gruyere cheese in place of the cheddar. Otherwise I went according to directions which were flawless. Super tasty, looked beautiful and my husband who is becoming a little zucchini numb at this point in the growing season said wow this is a keeper. Thanks for sharing this tasty dish.
I am very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
This dish is so delish! No kidding- super good! Comfort food on a low carb budget! My 3 yr old grandson even asked for seconds- you can’t go wrong with this one. Go with your gut on the seasoning, I added extra garlic because we love the benefits and taste. I didn’t have nutmeg so didn’t add any of that. Used pink salt and generous on the cheese. So good- this is a keeper! Yum!!
That’s great to hear! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I’ve made this many times and it’s always a hit! I didn’t change a thing. I’m making it for Thanksgiving too. Thanks!
So happy to hear that! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I skipped the egg and lowered the amount of cream. Absolutely delicious 😋
I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
used 2% milk and whipped in yogurt sour cream . consistency perfect as if cream. going to add tomatoes to leftovers and more cheese
That’s great! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Overall, it needs a lot more flavor. Zucchini on its own is pretty boring, I feel like there needs to be more here.
This recipe was a bit bland for me. And had a touch too much garlic. The overall flavor was not great unfortunately.
This was delicious!!!! Definitely a keeper! The consistency of mine was not watery at all. And I used 2% milk instead of heavy cream (because I didn’t have any 🙂 ) I also put it under the broiler for a few minutes at the end and it came out perfect. I also used the excuse that it had eggs in it to eat it for breakfast the next day, LOL!!!
😀 Great idea! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
This was tasty for sure! I did wish I could find something on the crunchy side to add to this dish; the veggies are nice, so I wonder what other veggies to put in it?
I did salt and roast my zucchini before using and it helped absorb some extra water. I didn’t have any shredded cheddar so I just used mozzarella instead as well. I also added ricotta cheese since I had some!
Mine came out very garlicy but it was nice with the cheese! If there is keto pasta, I’m sure I could easily mix this dish with it and it would taste great!
I really enjoyed this recipe and it is very versatile! Thank you!
Thank you so much!! I am very glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Way too watery.
I thought that might happen so I salted and let the zucchini sweat some water before adding to baking dish. I also added one more egg and an additional 1/4 C heavy cream to see if that might help. It did but it doesn’t make sense to add that many calories.
Food is a matter of taste, and while many loved it, I did not. First, a tablespoon of minced garlic is way too much for this recipe. Now my oven and kitchen both smell strongly of garlic. I love garlic in more substantial dishes that can handle it, but I thought it completely overwhelmed this one. Second without the garlic, I think it would be quite bland. Zucchini is not a strong tasting vegetable, and with little more than a teaspoon of dried basil and large pinch of nutmeg to flavor it except tons of cheese, there just isn’t much taste to it, which may be why so much garlic was recommended. Like I said, many loved and enjoyed it. It’s just a matter of taste, so I will keep looking for a recipe I love.
How many carbs are in this dish?
Hi!
The Nutritional Analysis is in the recipe box/card, located towards the bottom of the post. Carbs are 4 g, Fiber is 1 g.
Could I add mushrooms to this casserole?
In my mind mushrooms would add even more water this making it less likely to set.