Is there a zucchini hater in your family? Give this Cheesy Zucchini Casserole a try and see how it disappears fast. Shredded zucchini baked in oven with layers of mozzarella and a mixture made with an egg, yogurt and very little flour.
We love casserole recipes like this one. Skinny zucchini casserole, which we make with a few ingredients, is a much healthier version of this recipe. Other favorites of us are vegan zucchini tomato casserole, zucchini fritters and Turkish rice and ground beef stuffed zucchini.
You will be surprised by the simplicity of this recipe! It is creamy thanks to yogurt and wonderfully cheesy.
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Ingredients
This cheesy zucchini casserole has three layers with:
- Shredded zucchini
- Grated mozzarella (as much as you want). You can use cheddar too or a combination of both.
- Yogurt: We prepare a creamy sauce with thick yogurt, one tablespoon of flour and an egg. You can substitute sour cream for yogurt if you want.
Tip: If you are using dark green zucchinis just like the ones in the picture above, we recommend that you peel all or most of the skin. It gives a bitter taste otherwise.
Alternative Add-Ins:
Rice: You can add 1 cup cooked rice in the grated zucchini mixture if you want to add some carb into this casserole. You can buy cooked rice from the store. If you know how to cook rice, you can do so. Cook 1 cup rice in 1 and ½ cup boiling water (or 1 and ¼ for some types like Arborio rice) over low heat until all the water is gone.
Herbs: You can add some herbs like green onions, parsley and fresh dill. These would definitely make the dish even tastier.
Meat: Chicken or ground beef makes a wonderful additions to make this zucchini casserole cheesy and meaty. If you have leftover chicken, chop it into pieces and add it as a separate layer on zucchini. Just don’t use raw chicken as it will release juice and destroy the texture of the casserole. The same is true for beef. Cook it beforehand, then place over the zucchini and continue with the cheese and yogurt sauce.
How To Make
Preheat oven to 375F/ 190C. Lightly brush a small baking pan with olive oil or use a cooking spray for this and put it aside.
First, grate zucchinis. We prefer peeling them as the dark green skin could taste bitter. If you use light green zucchinis, you don't need to peel them.
Then, squeeze the grated zucchinis. Use your hands for this. Take a handful of zucchini and squeeze it in your hands firmly. Measure three cups of squeezed zucchini and put it aside.
Next, in a medium sized bowl, whisk together 1 cup thick yogurt, one egg and one tablespoon of flour until smooth.
Now sprinkle salt and pepper on the zucchini and mix it with your hand so that it is coated evenly.
Then, make the layers:
- Place half of the zucchini in the pan, gently press on it with the backside of a spoon.
- Sprinkle half of the grated mozzarella over it.
- Then pour half of the yogurt sauce all over it.
- Place the remaining zucchini over the sauce.
- And pour the remaining yogurt sauce.
Bake it for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden. Remove from the oven, sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on the top and bake for another 5 minutes or until the cheese melts.
Serve this cheesy zucchini casserole warm as a side dish or a vegetarian meal. Optionally you can garnish it with fresh herbs when serving.
FAQs
No, it is not because we used one tablespoon of all purpose flour in the yogurt sauce for some consistency. But you can use a gluten-free flour of your choice like rice flour or corn meal or any other gluten-free flour on hand. Yogurt will do the work, so it really doesn’t matter. You can also check out our list of 15 Gluten Free Zucchini Recipes post if you’d like to see more options. Oh and for those who are into baking, Michelle of My Gluten Free Kitchen prepared a great list of 30+ Gluten-Free Recipes For Baking With Zucchini. I’m sure there is something for you, go visit her post!
Well, almost. As long as you ignore the carb from that little amount of all purpose flour. If you want to customize this dish for a keto diet, an alternative type of flour is recommended like almond flour or coconut flour. Also you can increase the amount of cheese or add in leftover chicken or ground beef too.
It is not a good idea to make it ahead of time because zucchini is such a juicy vegetable that it releases water as it waits. The best thing is to prepare it and bake immediately. On the other hand, you can bake it for the first 30 minutes and keep it in the fridge. Then you can sprinkle the cheese on the top and reheat it for 5-7 minutes.
No, this is not recommended due to the structure of zucchini. It might get soggy after it is thawed and reheated.
More Zucchini Recipes
- Zucchini Pie Recipe from The View From Great Island
- Lemon Dill Shrimp Zucchini Noodle Recipe from Wonky Wonderful
If you are following Give Recipe for a while, you might have realized that we’ve shared LOTS of zucchini recipes since we began this blog. If you are a zucchini lover, just write ‘zucchini’ in the search box on the sidebar and find our 30+ zucchini recipes. Ok you can start with our readers’ all time favorite Chocolate and Yogurt Zucchini Bread if you are a chocolate lover and not after a low calorie recipe.
More Vegetarian Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Cheesy Zucchini Casserole
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup thick plain yogurt
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour or flour of your choice
- 3 cups zucchini grated and squeezed well (measured after squeezing)
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 375F/ 190C. Lightly brush a 9-inch round baking pan (or 8x8 square pan) with olive oil or use a cooking spray for this and put it aside.
- Grate zucchinis. We use 4 but the number will vary because not all zucchinis are same size. Squeeze the grated zucchini well şn your hands and measure 3 cups.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, egg and flour until you have a smooth mixture.
- Sprinkle salt and black pepper on squeezed zucchini and mix with your hands so that it is coated evenly.
- Brush the baking pan with little olive oil or use a cooking spray. Place half of the grated zucchini in it for the 1st layer. Top it with half of the mozzarella for the 2nd layer. Then pour and half of the yogurt sauce for the 3rd layer. Put the remaining zucchini on it for the 4th layer. Pour the remaning yogurt sauce over it for the 5th layer.
- Bake it for 35 min until almost golden. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella on the top and bake for another 5 minutes or until golden.
NOTES
- You should squeeze the grated zucchini very well. Otherwise, you end up with a watery or soggy casserole.
- You can use your choice of gluten-free flour to make it a gluten-free casserole.
- You can use coconut flour or almond flour to make it even more keto-friendly.
- Freezing is not recommended due to the structure of zucchini.
- If you want to make it ahead of time: Bake it for the first 30 minutes, let it cool and keep in the fridge for the following day. So you will just preheat the oven, sprinkle the cheese over it and bake for 7-10 minutes or until golden.
NUTRITION
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Elliott says
Great recipe! I just finished it last night and the result was unexpected, my wife and daughter both liked it, which made me happy. Thanks for your recipe!
Marina says
I have never eaten this dish. Your recipe seems healthy and easy enough for a newbie like me. Thanks so much.
Btw, love your nutrition factst format, it is easy understand.
eric levine says
Taught my g-daughter this recipe to teach her how to read a recipe and cook it. Came out delicious.
Chef Eric Levine says
That so tasty. I made this dish yesterday morning following your recipe. After a short while my family and I had a delicious breakfast. I have the question, can I add more eggs to this recipe? Does this affect the taste of this dish? Do you have any good advice for me? Thanks.
Msgemh says
What size pan did you use?
Abby says
I’m making this right now and tried a 9x13. It was too big so I ended up using an 8x8. Perfect size!