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Fill up a baking dish with layer upon layer of zucchini, rich cream, and cheese, and this stunner is sure to wow all the crowds!
ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE
This baked Zucchini Casserole is an irresistibly delicious vegetarian meal or a side dish, chock full of great flavor, texture, and nutrition. Did I mention that it’s also cheesy, low in carbs, and Keto-friendly? It IS! High Fives! ✋
Our Zucchini Bake is made with just a handful of ingredients, making it a great one-pot meal for a weeknight dinner. A super simple dish that is perfect for sharing with friends and family, even with those who don’t normally like zucchini. A quick taste of this casserole will definitely change their minds.
HOW TO MAKE ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE
- We start with slicing up about 2 to 3 zucchini. We need 6 cups of half-moon cut zucchini slices. I used 3 average-sized zucchini.
- Next, butter up a 9-inch baking dish and place the zucchini slices inside of it. Sprinkle with salt, mix, and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl or a large measuring cup, whisk together some heavy cream, eggs, garlic, parmesan cheese, dried basil, nutmeg, and ground pepper.
- Add a layer of shredded cheddar cheese over the zucchini and pour over the cream mixture.
- Add pats of butter over the zucchini.
- Bake for 25 minutes; sprinkle with more cheese and continue to bake for 7 to 10 more minutes, or until bubbly, browned, and zucchini is tender.
- Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes.
- Cut and serve.
COOK’S NOTES
- If you like a softer baked zucchini, but the casserole is already browned on top, loosely place foil over the baking dish to keep it from browning further.
- To lift out a perfect, intact square like the one you see in the first photo, you will need to let the casserole cool for about 20 minutes.
CAN I ADD CHICKEN?
- Yes, you may, but the chicken should be pre-cooked and shredded. Add it on top of the uncooked zucchini slices and then continue with pouring in the creamy sauce.
- Minced/ground meat should also be cooked before adding it to the zucchini.
CAN I FREEZE ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE?
- Yes, you can, but I don’t recommend it. Zucchini releases a lot of water and it will definitely affect the taste and texture of the overall dish.
HOW TO STORE LEFTOVERS
- Store in airtight containers and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Makes for a delicious and quick work lunch!
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!
TOOLS USED IN THIS RECIPE
Cheesy Zucchini Casserole
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!
Servings : 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 zucchini, sliced into half moons about 1/4-inch thick (you will need 6 cups total)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced (1 tablespoon minced garlic)
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper, or to taste
- 1 1/2 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, nutmeg, and ground pepper.
- 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 and sauce.
- 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 minutes.
- Garnish with parsley; Cut and serve.
Video
Notes
WW FREESTYLE POINTS: 9
- LOWER points down to 6 by using Half & Half in place of Heavy Cream, and use Low Fat Shredded Cheddar Cheese.
- 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.
- To lift out a perfect, intact square like the one you see in the first photo, you will need to let the casserole cool for about 20 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 256 kcal | Carbohydrates: 4 g | Protein: 13 g | Fat: 22 g | Saturated Fat: 13 g | Cholesterol: 143 mg | Sodium: 411 mg | Potassium: 244 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 2 g | Vitamin A: 880 IU | Vitamin C: 12.1 mg | Calcium: 288 mg | Iron: 1 mg | Net Carbs: 3 g
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.
Did you make this recipe?Leave a Rating!
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.
Hi, I am going to make it. Just curious, what are the reddish areas on top of the baked casserole?
Hi!
That’s burnt cheese. 😃 I popped it under the broiler for about 4 minutes to get that reddish top because it was too yellow in the picture… it looked like a shiny yellow blanket, so I put it under the broiler to get some color. 😊
Looks like there is something red (tomato?) on top of the casserole, but I don’t see it in the recipe. What am I seeing?
Hi! Nope, that’s burnt cheese. 😆 I baked it on “broil” for a few minutes toward the end to get that redness because it looks better in pictures. 🤷♀️ 😊
How many carbs are in this dish? I love this. Will make again.
Can I use left over Zuchini, and yellow squash?
Hi!
Do you mean already cooked zucchini? Because, No, that won’t work – you’ll just end up with big overcooked mush. 😊
OK, just made this for a potluck birthday party. Was going to bring salad but had too many zucchini to use! I thought it was good. I did turn the broiler on at the end to brown the cheese. Next time I would dehydrate the zucchini in the oven first at 350 f0r 15 minutes (like I do for zoodles). It was rather watery. Thanks for sharing the recipe as it was another way to make keto life doable and pleasant!
Could this be done in the crock pot?
Delicious!!! Love your recipes!
Thank you!! 😊 🙏
The recipe sounds delicious and wonderful, and I have plenty of zucchini to use up. I’ve also printed your Zucchini Tomato Casserole recipe and will use it tonight or tomorrow.
I won’t return to Diethood.com, though. The pop-up video that stays on top and won’t quit is FAR too annoying. I’ve seen videos like that but after 2 or 3 recipes, ads, or whatever, they have a “close” button. On your sites they do not. The videos have finally quit but the little window is still covering content. Thank you for the recipes; but I won’t be back.
This casserole is so simple and quick to make! Tastes delicious too!
I know what I want for dinner tonight!
I love casseroles for dinner! I should make it for Sunday dinner!
After salting the zucchini, should you let it drain in order to release water, so the casserole is firm and not mushy?
Hi!
Yep, you can definitely do that. Zucchini will still release water while cooking and there will be some water at the bottom of the dish, but that’s normal.
What a delightful casserole recipe! This is just the sort of recipe I have been looking for! Yum!
The dish you used was 9? 9 by what? how many quarts?
Hi! It’s 9×9… 1.5 to 2 quarts will work.
What a delicious casserole for dinner! I will be adding this to my dinner line up for the week!
I LOVE finding new and delicious recipes for my garden veggies. This looks amazing!
Fave low carb dish!
What a flavorful casserole! I know what I will be making for dinner tonight; this looks amazing!
So delicious! Thanks for the tip for making the zucchini softer, it worked perfectly!
This is absolutely delicious! I love zucchini and this is a great use for it!