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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 love this recipe, and I have been using it for about two years! And I have passed it on to so many people. However, I am deeply regretting, not copying it because lately every time I come on the ads, make it almost completely impossible to view the recipe. And if you try to click the X on the ads, it takes you to the ad so you have to start all over again. So I understand that ads are how you make your money, but you might want to reconsider how many youโre actually showing! I am writing this recipe down and Iโm never coming back to the side again. But once again, it is an amazing recipe.
Made this as the main dish. It went over very well.
The only thing I changed was to plac the veggies on some paper towel layers and sprinkle them with a bit of salt. Let them set a bit and that will release some of the water. This will help control the chance of a watery casserole.
I did salt the dish but VERY LIGHTLY.
We followed this recipe exactly for a dinner party – and it was the hit of the evening. Now I have to share this recipe with everyone there! Absolutely delicious.
I am looking forward to making this, since I have a habit of changing up what I eat on a regular basis.
Just one note on the zucchini… even if small sizes are not available, I use a vegetable peeler and peel the veg top to bottom right thru to the level of the seeds… rotate the squash and continue till all sides are peeled into long thin strips. Then, I throw the center into a ziplock bag and into the freezer. I discovered this technique making zucchini noodles because the center is LOADED with the seeds AND the water. My noodles do not get soggy any longer with I heat them up. I also have a Salmon dish with Roasted Plum tomato sauce… and the noodles are heated in that sauce and the dish is to die for delicious.
Impossible to grow tomatoes in AZ summer. Looks delish! Wondering if could use canned whole tomatoes cut in pieces and drained? I would pre cook sliced Zucchini a few minutes in microwave and drain It doesn’t weep.
My cream cheese mixture was tasty but not spreadable. I spooned it on in dollops. The Italian blend cheese got lost. Didn’t look as cheesy and as appetizing as expected. Three out of six liked it.
It was tasty, but I had to bake it for over an hour for it to be done. My oven is accurate, so that wasnโt the problem. I sliced everything thin. You might want to consider adjusting the baking time or the temp.
yep, I think I will have this problem too…. it is because the directions say to cut the zucchini into 1/4″ slices…… but a look at the pictures reveals that she really cut them about 1/16″ thick…… I cut mine into 1/4″ slices as directed and I expect that it is going to take alot longer than 20-25 minutes to get that zucchini cooked…
I used chive onion cream cheese, about 1/3 small container as I didnโt want to go to the store. Just put dabs on the tomatoes. Also used Panko bread crumbs for thickening. Topped it with Tillamook medium-cut farm style cheddar cheese. Baked at 325 until tender. Had to stop myself from eating half the pan!
I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! ๐
I do find it a bit watery, but I just drain off the excess moisture when I put the leftovers in the fridge. I added eggplant, and it was fantastic! Iโm trying it this time with a dusting of coconut flour on the zucchini to absorb some of the moisture. I also use just dried herbs, and add a bit of red pepper flakes.
This was great! I added ground italian sausage for my meat loving family. It was a little soupy from the zuchinni, but it was delicious and relatively easy to make.