Easy Zucchini Casserole
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This easy and tasty Zucchini Casserole is my favorite way to serve the bountiful summer vegetable as a side! It’s packed with garlic, feta, Parmesan, Italian herbs, and a delightfully crisp breadcrumb topping. It bakes in about 30 minutes and is easy to prep ahead, too.
Perfect Summer Vegetable Side Dish
Love it or hate it, zucchini is one of summer’s most bountiful vegetables, and fortunately it’s pretty flexible in the kitchen if you’re willing to get creative. I love incorporating zucchini into pesto, muffins, and even chili, but sometimes you just need a breezy side dish. This zucchini casserole is easy to make and actually tastes really, really good. I save the leftovers to eat myself!
This side dish checks a lot of boxes. It’s:
- Simple and quick. No need to pre-bake, shred, or drain anything. Mix it one bowl, bake it in one pan.
- Cheesy and crispy. Feta and Parmesan contribute a creamy texture inside, while Panko breadcrumbs adorn the top.
- Healthful but satisfying. Vegetables to nourish you; garlic, herbs, and cheese to make it appealing. The perfect mix, if you ask me!
Lots of flavor and texture in an easy-to-prep package! Pair this zucchini casserole with shrimp marinara, pasta marinara, or baked boneless pork chops for a simple yet absolutely delicious meal.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here are a few notes and shopping tips about the ingredients you’ll need to make this, as well as possible substitutions. Full amounts are noted in the print-friendly recipe card below.
- Zucchini, bell pepper, and yellow onion. These are the main ingredients, as you might expect, but there’s a lot of flexibility. No need to peel the zucchini. Use red, orange, yellow, or green pepper, as you wish. I’ve used yellow and white onion before, and am sure a red onion would also taste great. You could also substitute yellow squash for some of the zucchini and/or pepper. You can’t go wrong. Just aim for roughly 5 cups of chopped veggies in the end.
- Feta and Parmesan cheese. Most of this will go into the casserole, and a little extra goes on top at the end. You could try swapping in goat cheese for the feta, and Pecorino Romano for the Parmesan. One friend tells me she’s used cheddar cheese and liked it a lot!
- Panko breadcrumbs. Substitute regular breadcrumbs if you like.
- Egg, cream, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. These homely ingredients combine to give this casserole the best flavor and texture. The bit of egg and cream form a smidge of sauce that helps hold the zucchini and cheese together so you get that classic casserole-like effect, but it’s definitely not thick or heavy. Use garlic powder in a pinch.
How To Make a Zucchini Casserole
Few of us feel like making anything remotely complicated in the summer, myself included, so another key element of this casserole is how simple it is to throw together. Here are the steps and a quick visual overview. You will find full instructions with exact ingredients in the print-friendly recipe card below.
- Prep zucchini and pat it dry. Zucchini has a notoriously high water content. Slice zucchini, quarter it, then let it rest with a sprinkle of salt. After a few minutes, blot the zucchini all over with a clean kitchen towel. This will extract just enough of the moisture to make it work here.
- Toss together the vegetable mixture, all in one large bowl.
- Spread the zucchini mixture out into a shallow baking dish and top with breadcrumbs.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes at 400 degrees F. It’s done when the vegetables are fork tender and the top is crisp and golden brown.
What size baking dish to use?
The white scalloped dish shown in these photos is 10.5″ wide and 1.5″ tall. (Similar dish here.) It’s been awhile since I reflected on pie-r-squared, but this is roughly comparable in surface area to a 9″ square or an 8″x10″ rectangle baking dish.
If in doubt, my advice is to use a dish that is relatively shallow and wide, so you get more of the crisp top — that’s the most popular part among my family and friends. And don’t worry too much in any case. This is pretty flexible.
If at any point the top of the casserole is getting too browned or you’re at all worried the top will burn, place a piece of aluminum foil on top of the baking dish while it bakes the rest of the way through.
A few sprigs of fresh parsley, basil, oregano, or thyme make a really pretty garnish at the end, but are totally optional; the casserole already has loads of flavor from the seasonings baked in.
Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips
Can you over-bake zucchini?
Yes, it’s possible to bake zucchini too long, which will result in soggy pieces and a watery casserole. For best results, it should retain some texture and bite. I find 25 minutes uncovered in a 400 degree is perfect — use that as a starting point but adjust as needed if your oven runs hot or cold, etc.
Can I make this gluten-free?
This zucchini casserole can be made gluten-free if you use gluten-free breadcrumbs or make your own.
Serving Suggestions
I absolutely love eating this casserole alongside steaks, Italian dressing chicken, grilled shrimp, lemon herb salmon, or any other lean protein for a really healthy yet satisfying dinner. Round out things with a loaf of garlic bread or a green salad if you want to stretch the meal further.
Storage & Reheating
- To Store: Package up any leftover zucchini casserole in an airtight container and keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- To Reheat. Leftovers can get warmed quickly in the microwave, but if you have time, I highly recommend placing them in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 200 degrees F. This will get you the crispy effect all over again!
- I don’t recommend freezing this casserole, either before or after making it. This one is best served fresh!
Related Recipes
In the market for additional light and tasty side dishes? We love a good quinoa chickpea salad, Greek chickpea salad, or pearl couscous with tomato and cucumbers.
Have more zucchini to use up? My go-to moves are a big batch of zucchini basil pesto, followed by pasta with zucchini and garlicky breadcrumbs, zucchini fritters, banana zucchini muffins, lemon olive oil zucchini muffins, or parchment salmon with zucchini and potatoes.
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Easy Zucchini Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini cut into 1/2” slices and quartered
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 large egg
- 1 bell pepper seeded and chopped into 1” pieces
- 1/2 medium yellow onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 heaping teaspoons Italian seasoning
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese divided
- 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs divided
- 1-2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- To prep the zucchini, cut both plants into slices about 1/2” thick, then cut each slice into quarters. Line a bowl or colander with a clean kitchen towel, then put quartered zucchini inside and sprinkle with about 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, and lightly coat a shallow baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cream and the egg. Add bell pepper, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, red pepper flakes, most of the feta, and 1/4 cup of the breadcrumbs.
- Returning to the zucchini, wrap it up in the towel and press gently all over to blot out a bit of the excess moisture. Add the lightly dried zucchini to the bowl with the other veggies. Stir well.
- Spread mixture out into the prepared baking dish and top generously with remaining breadcrumbs.
- Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, until the top is nicely browned and all the vegetables are tender. Add remaining feta and a bit of Parmesan to the top when about 5 minutes of baking time remain. Remove when golden brown and crisp. Enjoy!
Notes
- Other veggies? Feel free to use any color of bell pepper, or substitute yellow squash for some of the zucchini and/or pepper. You can’t go wrong. Just aim for roughly 5 cups of chopped veggies in the end.
- What baking dish? I bake this in a round dish that is 10.5″ wide and 1.5″ tall. (Similar dish here.) This is roughly comparable in surface area to a 9″ square or an 8″x10″ rectangle baking dish. If in doubt, my advice is to use a dish that is relatively shallow and wide, so you get more of the crisp top. And don’t worry too much in any case. This is pretty flexible
- Watch the top: If at any point the top is getting too browned or close to burnt, place a piece of aluminum foil on top of the casserole.
