This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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!
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
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.
This was absolutely amazing! I will be making this a lot in the future.
That’s great! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! ๐
Was excited to make and eat this but unfortunately it was just one big dish of water after cooking
My son doesn’t like cream cheese. Is it obvious after it’s cooked? He’s sometimes ok if you can’t tell it’s in there after it’s done. Is there something else I could use?
I haven’t tested this with anything other than cream cheese, but maybe you can try to make it with sour cream or plain yogurt.
When reviewing a recipe I hate to make substitutions and expect the same outcome, but with this one I was able to-and came pretty close. Just came from the Farmerโs Market with heirloom tomatoes and found your recipe to help make use of them. I grilled the zucchini strips to soften them a bit. Didnโt have cream cheese, but used 4 oz goat cheese thinned with 2T half and half and added all the spices to that mixture. I spread that over the first zucchini/tomato layer, then topped with the final veggie layers.- seasoning with a little kosher salt and pepper in between. I topped with shredded white and yellow cheddar. Wasnโt sure how that cheese topping would pair with the goat cheese, but it works. Theses veggies are very high in water content and excess liquid should be expected. Just use a slotted spoon when servingโฆjuices will stay in the casserole dish.
On a keto diet, added red onion and mushrooms. Now I have my pizza substitute!!!
Thatโs the way Iโm going to do it. Were you a Tyndall AFB in 1973? Canโt be tooo many Bill Smiths out there!
This looks really good! Does it freeze well?
Zucchini usually doesn’t freeze well due to its high water content.
Amazing. I keep making it over and over and I am cooking for one now but it never goes to waste.
That’s great to hear! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! ๐
Loved this recipe!! I used 1/4 of the cream cheese however but it tasted just perfect!!
Thank YOU! ๐ I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Should the garlic be minced or chopped?
Terrible- i used a mandolin to slice zucchini- came out hard. Not impressed with this at all. Flavor-eh
When I am in a hurry for the meal to cook I partly cook the vegies that way it cooks in about half the time. I am cooking this tonight and have done as stated pre cooked. Just did one it with one layer of vegies, but also added some pumpkin. It looks a great dish and we are having sausages with it. Hope this helps if you cook again. Cheers Narelle..
Wow! This was fantastic! I didnโt have a problem with excess fluid as others mentioned but I used one of my over grown zucchiniโs which was perfect. The only problem was that we all over ate! ๐
Thank YOU! I hope you enjoy it! ๐
The flavor was really incredible. I cooked it in a deep oval casserole dish and 25 min was not enough. Next time I’ll either cook it longer or use a shallower dish to distribute the layers. Thanks for the recipe!
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! ๐