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Zucchini Tomato Casserole is made with layers of baked Zucchini and Tomatoes coated with a creamy, cheesy blend and loaded with flavor! Serve it as a tasty appetizer, side dish, or a delicious vegetarian dinner.
Zucchini Casserole with Tomatoes
This creamy and savory Zucchini Tomato Casserole is so incredibly simple to make, and it’s the perfect way to enjoy a garden’s summer veggies. After a short stint in the oven, you’ll be dishing out a vibrant and tasty meal that could stand alone or complement any main dish.
The star players, zucchini and tomatoes, bring a natural juiciness to this dish. The tomatoes provide a balance of sweet and tangy that goes perfectly well with the creamy zucchini. If tomatoes aren’t quite your style, don’t fret, our cheesy zucchini casserole recipe makes an excellent alternative.
When you taste a dish as delicious as this Zucchini Tomato Casserole, it’s almost impossible to resist the urge to polish off the entire thing. It’s light, flavorful, and doesn’t leave you feeling heavy. Plus, it’s a low-carb and Keto-friendly dish, so it perfectly fits into any diet plan.
Why You Should Make This Summer Casserole
- Easy: It’s simple to make with common, easy-to-find ingredients.
- Seasonal Freshness: This dish is a great way to utilize fresh summer produce, especially if you have a surplus of zucchini and tomatoes.
- Crowd-Pleaser: It’s creamy, savory, and has a delicious mix of textures that will appeal to everyone. The lack of leftovers will be proof of its popularity!
How To Make Zucchini Casserole
I’ve realized that if I want this family to enjoy veggies more often, I must pair those veggies with cheese! 💡
Ingredients
- Zucchini: Use smaller zucchini – they are tastier and have less seeds.
- Tomatoes: I like to use heirloom tomatoes in this recipe.
- garlic, herbs, and seasonings
- whipped cream cheese, milk, & shredded cheese.
Directions
- We start with slicing up around 2 average-sized zucchinis and two large heirloom tomatoes. Slices of both veggies should be around 1/4-inch thick.
- In a 9-inch baking dish layer the zucchini slices and then the tomato slices. In between each layer, sprinkle the tomatoes with fresh basil and garlic. Sprinkle the zucchini with salt and fresh ground pepper.
- Combine cream cheese and milk in a bowl and whisk in a pinch of nutmeg, and Italian Seasoning. Add a layer of the cream cheese mixture over the tomatoes and sprinkle with shredded Italian blend cheese or mozzarella cheese. You can use whatever type of shredded cheese you have on hand.
- Continue with one more layer of zucchini and lastly a layer of tomatoes. Spread the remaining layer of cream cheese mixture and add more cheese.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until bubbly, browned, and veggies are tender.
- Let stand 10 minutes in room temperature before cutting and serving.
Tips & Add Ins
- Zucchini and tomatoes will release water during baking, and that’s completely normal.
- If you don’t want to bother with adding salt, pepper, garlic, and basil in between layers, you can just mix them in with the cream cheese blend.
- For those that like a softer veggie, keep the dish in the oven for an extra 7 to 10 minutes. If you see that it’s browning too much on the top while baking, loosely cover it with foil while continuing to bake.
- Choosing Zucchini: Smaller zucchinis are usually more flavorful and have fewer seeds. They are a great choice for this casserole if you can find them.
- Adjust the Creaminess: If you like casseroles extra creamy, consider adding more cream cheese or even a dollop of sour cream.
- Add Protein: To make a complete meal, add some cooked chicken or ground turkey to the mix.
- Cheese: Feel free to play around with the types of cheese you use. Mozzarella, Parmesan, or even a sharp cheddar could work wonderfully.
- Pre-cook The Veggies: To reduce the amount of water in your finished dish, you can lightly sauté your zucchini and tomatoes before adding them to your casserole.
- Add Crunch: For a crunchy topping, sprinkle the top of your casserole with some breadcrumbs, pork rind crumbs, or crushed buttery crackers before popping it in the oven.
Serving Suggestions
This Zucchini Tomato Casserole is a must-try for its simple yet delicious blend of fresh vegetable flavors. It’s the perfect way to add some variety to your table and trust me, it’ll leave your taste buds craving for more. Here are some ideas to serve the casserole with:
- Honey Soy Grilled Pork Chops
- Air Fryer Steak
- Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
- Lemon Butter Grilled Salmon
Storing Leftovers
- Store in airtight containers and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Makes for a delicious and quick work lunch!
- I don’t recommend freezing it because zucchini and tomatoes both release a lot of water, and that will affect the taste and texture of the overall dish.
More Zucchini Recipes
- Tomato and Zucchini Frittata
- 15 Best Zucchini Recipes
- Cheesy Bacon and Corn Stuffed Zucchini
- Creamy Ricotta Zucchini Noodles
ENJOY!
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Zucchini Tomato Casserole
Ingredients
- 8 ounces whipped cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 average-size zucchinis,, sliced (you’ll need about 6 to 7 cups of sliced zucchini)
- salt and fresh ground black pepper
- 2 large heirloom tomatoes,, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic,, minced, divided (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil,, divided
- 1 cup Italian Blend Shredded Cheese
- 2 tablespoons butter,, cut up into 1/4-inch slices
- chopped fresh basil,, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375˚F.
- Grease a 9-inch baking dish with a little butter. Set aside.
- Prepare the cream cheese mixture by combining cream cheese, milk, basil, and ground nutmeg in a bowl. Set aside.
- Layer half of the zucchini slices on the bottom of the baking dish.
- Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.
- Add a layer of sliced tomatoes over the zucchini slices.
- Sprinkle with half of the garlic and half of the fresh basil.
- Add a layer of HALF of the cream cheese blend over the tomatoes; sprinkle with half of the shredded Italian cheese.
- Repeat one more layer of zucchini slices; add a bit of salt and pepper.
- Repeat one more layer of tomato slices; add the rest of the garlic and fresh basil.
- Spread a layer of the remaining cream cheese mixture and sprinkle the rest of the shredded Italian cheese.
- Dot with slices of butter.
- Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until mixture is bubbly, browned, and veggies are tender.
- Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh basil; cut and serve.
Notes
- Zucchini: Choose smaller zucchini for more flavor and fewer seeds.
- Cream Cheese: Per the recipe, please use whipped cream cheese. It’s soft and spreads easily.
- Creaminess: Add more cream cheese or sour cream for extra creaminess.
- Protein: Add cooked shredded chicken, ground turkey, or ground beef for a complete meal.
- Cheese: Experiment with shredded mozzarella, Parmesan, or cheddar cheeses.
- Reduce Water: Lightly sauté zucchini and tomatoes before adding to the casserole to slightly reduce moisture.
- Crunch: Add breadcrumbs, pork rind crumbs, or crushed crackers on top for a crispy finish.
- Store in an airtight container and in the refrigerator 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.
I thought this was really good. I did not have milk. So I used heavy cream. I used cheddar cheese. I think it would be good with crumbled bacon in it. I would make it again. Next time I will try the Italian cheese blend. Very good!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. Iโm going to make it. I only have shredded zucinni. Would I be able to use thatโฆ and if so how much would you recommend me using.?? Thank you, Jacqueline
Hi!
I have yet to test this recipe with shredded zucchini, so I’m not 100% sure, but I usually get about 1 to 1.5 cups of shredded zucchini from one whole zucchini. Since the recipe calls for 2 zucchini, youโll probably need around 2.5 to 3 cups of shredded zucchini. Just make sure to squeeze out any excess moisture from the zucchini before using it.
Great side dish! Only used ~ 4 oz of regular cream cheese I had on hand, softened it up in microwave. Didn’t have milk, added a little H2O for moisture to whip it up. This was easy and delicious!
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Great improvisation with the cream cheese and waterโsounds like it turned out perfectly! Thanks for sharing your tweaks! ๐
This was amazing! I used 3 zucchiniโs and fresh basil throughout the recipe.
Definitely a keeper and a dish in the normal rotation of recipes.
I’m so glad you loved it! Using fresh basil and extra zucchini sounds delicious. I’m thrilled it’s now part of your regular rotation! Thank YOU! ๐
Great for a vegetarian dish or with some cooked bacon for those who like their meat
I hope you enjoy it! Thank YOU! ๐
The casserole is very flavourful, but i would add more zucchini and tomatoes (or maybe I didnโt add enough). I will definitely make this again and add cooked chicken.
I made it slightly different. I fried ground beef and drained it in a bowl, and saved the drippings until the fat harden at the top in the fridge. I can use the for soup stock another day just throw away the fat. I use garlic, onion, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and basil. I also sautรฉed that with celery, mushrooms, fennel bulb, and little ginger, and, turmeric. I cut the tomatoes and zucchini as directed in the direction, layered it one zucchini slice, one tomato slice and ground meat in-between, and I did that until it was all used up. I put the sautรฉed stuff on top of the zucchini and meat spreading evenly, then I put pecorino cheese over it and sliced goat cheese over it. then I used olive oil for the bread crumbs with parsley for color, and spread that all over the top. Baked it like the directions said. Let it cool and man did we eat. I have left overs for the week end. It was a long process because I used fresh herbs that I had to pick and clean, and I added a lot that was not in the recipe. It was excellent for all the work and time that went into it. I cook the old Sicilian way. I just needed a little guidance along the way.
Very good ! I didn’t have whipped cream cheese so I put 1/2 block of cream cheese, shredded cheese, milk and seasonings in mixer and whipped. Came out perfect.