Zucchini Casserole Recipe: How to Make Zucchini Casserole
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Mar 30, 2022 • 2 min read
Zucchini casserole is a decadent summer weeknight side dish. This vegetable dish is made rich with breadcrumbs and a creamy Parmesan sauce.
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What Is Zucchini Casserole?
Zucchini casserole is a Southern side dish made with chopped zucchini squash cooked into a creamy cheese sauce and baked until golden brown. Like green bean casserole or potatoes au gratin, zucchini casserole is a classic comfort food option for potlucks and barbecues. It is often made in the summer when fresh zucchini is in season.
As far as health benefits go, fresh zucchini are high in dietary fiber and potassium—useful in maintaining good blood pressure—and help achieve the recommended daily value of vitamin C and B6.
4 Tips for Making Zucchini Casserole
Follow these tips to make the best zucchini casserole:
- 1. Salt or sauté the zucchini to remove excess water. To avoid making a watery zucchini casserole, arrange the sliced zucchini on a sheet tray lined with paper towels, and sprinkle the slices with salt. Let the slices sit for thirty minutes, then squeeze out the remaining moisture to ensure they don’t get mushy. Alternatively, you can sauté the zucchini to cook off some water and reduce the cooking time.
- 2. Add protein. Make this a filling a one-pot meal by stirring in shredded cooked chicken breasts or shrimp before baking. This will turn the delicious side dish into a main. You can add other veggies like sliced bell peppers, tomatoes, or shredded yellow squash to add extra variety to the casserole. You can also experiment with different cheeses, like fontina and gruyere.
- 3. Make it gluten-free. To make your zucchini casserole without gluten, replace the all-purpose flour with an alternative gluten-free flour and use a gluten-free bread crumb for the topping.
- 4. Make the dish ahead of time. Cheesy zucchini casserole is a good make-ahead dish since you can cook the whole casserole a day in advance and simply broil it with the crumb topping before serving the next day. The dish reheats well, making it a good option for a weeknight meal or neighborhood potluck.
Zucchini Casserole Recipe
makes
prep time
15 mintotal time
40 mincook time
25 minIngredients
Note: Total time does not include 30 minutes of inactive time.
- 1
Line a baking sheet with paper towels. On the prepared baking sheet, toss the zucchini with salt; spread out in an even layer and set aside to drain, 30 minutes.
- 2
Gather the zucchini noodles in a clean kitchen towel or colander and squeeze out the excess water.
- 3
While the zucchini is resting, preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the upper third of the oven. Spray a small baking dish with cooking spray.
- 4
In the prepared casserole dish, stir to evenly combine the zucchini, onion, garlic, eggs, cream, pepper, ½ cup Parmesan, and all of the shredded cheese.
- 5
Transfer the dish to the oven and bake the zucchini mixture until starting to set, about 20 minutes.
- 6
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir to combine the remaining Parmesan, breadcrumbs, and melted butter.
- 7
Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the casserole and switch the oven to the broiler setting. Return the casserole dish to the oven on the upper third rack and bake until breadcrumbs are crispy and toasted, 2–5 minutes (watch closely so it doesn’t burn).
- 8
Garnish the casserole with parsley.
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