This Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Casserole is an easy side dish recipe that pairs beautifully with just about any family meal!
This Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Casserole is an easy side dish recipe that pairs beautifully with just about any family meal!
This zucchini casserole has quickly become a favorite among the boys in my house!
I’m telling you: if you want to get your kids (or your husband) to eat some green vegetables, then THIS is the recipe for you. The zucchini is mild, it’s baked with three different kinds of cheese, and it’s finished with a buttery Parmesan breadcrumb topping. What’s not to love?!
It’s cozy, it’s family-friendly, and it will make your house smell ah-mazing! A “home cooked” dinner never tasted so good — especially at the end of a busy day.
Here’s What You Need to Make it
- Zucchini – grated
- SaltÂ
- Onion – I like to use frozen diced onion as a shortcut
- Garlic – fresh and minced
- Eggs
- Parmesan cheese – freshly grated
- Mozzarella cheese – Shredded
- Cheddar cheese – Shredded
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Butter
Why You Should Salt Zucchini Before Baking
Zucchini naturally holds a lot of water so you’ll probably notice as it cooks a lot of water is released. This can be a problem when adding them to casseroles, bakes, and sauces as it can water down the sauce and texture causing a bland flavor.
If you sprinkle the zucchini with salt and allow them to sit for 10 minutes the salt will draw out a lot of moisture so you won’t have that problem.
TIP: In order to make sure that I get most of the water out of the zucchini (and avoid a runny casserole), I like wrap the zucchini in a dish towel. Squeeze it and wring it out multiple times while it’s in the towel — you will be shocked by how much liquid comes out!
Is This Casserole Gluten Free?
You can easily make this zucchini casserole gluten-free by using gluten-free breadcrumbs.
If you want to add a little more fiber and nutrition to the dish you could use whole wheat breadcrumbs instead of regular ones.
How to Make Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Casserole
- Place zucchini in a colander, sprinkle with salt, and allow to sit for about 10 minutes (this will help draw out some of the water from the zucchini). After 10 minutes, squeeze out moisture from the zucchini.
- In the prepared dish, combine zucchini, onion, garlic, eggs, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and cheddar cheese. I like to use my hands to make sure that it’s all completely combined, and then gently press the mixture evenly into the prepared dish.
Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. - Meanwhile, in a small bowl, pour melted butter over breadcrumbs and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Stir until completely combined.
- After 20 minutes, remove zucchini from the oven. Sprinkle buttered breadcrumbs over the zucchini and return the dish to the oven.
- Continue baking for about 5-10 more minutes, or until the top is golden brown and crispy.
Can I Freeze this Casserole?
Although you can freeze this I don’t recommend it since the zucchini will hold a lot of water and it will affect the texture and taste after being frozen.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheated in the oven until piping hot throughout.
Cook’s Tips and Recipe Variations:
- I just use a handheld box grater to shred my zucchini, but you can also put it through a food processor if you prefer.
- Make sure that you drain the zucchini before adding it to your casserole. To do so, I like to place the grated zucchini in a dish towel and squeeze it really hard to wring out all of the excess liquid.
- I’ve used three different types of cheese here: Parmesan, mozzarella and cheddar. You can substitute with an equal amount of any of your favorite cheeses — or stick to just mozzarella or just cheddar.
- Garnish the dish with fresh herbs (such as chopped fresh parsley) for a bright burst of color and flavor.
What Can I Serve with This Zucchini Casserole?
This casserole would be a perfect side dish to grilled chicken, salmon or baked white fish, with sausages or served alongside a roast dinner.
The cheesy and creamy texture with fresh zucchini and a crispy butter topping will not disappoint however you choose to serve it!
Other Easy Zucchini Recipes that You Might Enjoy:
- Easy Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Dump-and-Bake Chicken and Zucchini Noodles Casserole
- Zucchini & Parmesan Baked Omelet
- Dump-and-Bake Summer Pasta with Zucchini, Corn and Chicken
Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Casserole
This Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Casserole is an easy side dish recipe that pairs beautifully with just about any family meal!
Ingredients
- 4 cups grated zucchini I used about 3.5 medium zucchinis
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup finely diced onion I like to use frozen diced onion as a shortcut
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese plus an additional 2 tablespoons
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a small baking dish with cooking spray and set aside (I used a dish that was 8-in x 5-in, but an 8-inch square pan will also work).
- Place zucchini in a colander, sprinkle with salt, and allow to sit for about 10 minutes (this will help draw out some of the water from the zucchini). After 10 minutes, squeeze out moisture from the zucchini. TIP: In order to make sure that I get most of the water out of the zucchini (and avoid a runny casserole), I like wrap the zucchini in a dish towel. Squeeze it and wring it out multiple times while it's in the towel -- you will be shocked by how much liquid comes out!
- In the prepared dish, combine zucchini, onion, garlic, eggs, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and cheddar cheese. I like to use my hands to make sure that it’s all completely combined, and then gently press the mixture evenly into the prepared dish.
- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, pour melted butter over breadcrumbs and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Stir until completely combined.
- After 20 minutes, remove zucchini from the oven. Sprinkle buttered breadcrumbs over the zucchini and return the dish to the oven. Continue baking for about 5-10 more minutes, or until the top is golden brown and crispy.
Recipe Notes
- I just use a handheld box grater to shred my zucchini, but you can also put it through a food processor if you prefer.
- Make sure that you drain the zucchini before adding it to your casserole. To do so, I like to place the grated zucchini in a dish towel and squeeze it really hard to wring out all of the excess liquid.
- I've used three different types of cheese here: Parmesan, mozzarella and cheddar. You can substitute with an equal amount of any of your favorite cheeses -- or stick to just mozzarella or just cheddar.
- Garnish the dish with fresh herbs (such as chopped fresh parsley) for a bright burst of color and flavor.
Is this easy to make before (maybe the morning of?) and then cook later on for dinner?
Hi, Kristin! Yes, you can definitely make it ahead of time. Your best bet would be to bake it through Step 4 in advance. Then freeze or refrigerate the baked zucchini until you’re ready to finish it. Then you just need to top it with the breadcrumbs and finish baking when you’re ready to serve. Hope that helps! 🙂
I really enjoyed this zucchini casserole. I was afraid that it would have an overwhelming zucchini flavor, but it didn’t. Although, it did have a ton of flavor! The onions added a nice crunchy texture. And the cheese was the icing on the cake.
Yumyumyumyum!
Thanks for your note, and I’m so glad that you enjoyed it! The zucchini is very mild, isn’t it? I think that’s why my kids and husband love it so much. 🙂
I just want to say how delicious this dish was. I made it while visiting my daughter because she loves squash. It was a huge hit. This pin on my board is pinned repeatedly everyday. There must be lots of zucchini lovers out there!!! Thanks so much for your creativity!!!
Hi, Laurie! Thanks so much for your kind note and for letting me know. A good zucchini recipe is always helpful to have on hand — especially in the summer. So happy that your family enjoyed it!
What can I replace the eggs with? May daughter is allergic to eggs.
Thanks,
Kimberly
Hi, Kimberly! I’ve never made this dish without eggs, so I’m not sure how it will work with different ingredients. That said, I do know that vegans and other folks with egg allergies often substitute regular eggs with “flax eggs.” Have you used flax eggs before? To make a flax egg, just mix one tablespoon ground flaxseed meal with three tablespoons of water. Mix together, and let sit in your fridge for 15 minutes to set up and thicken. That’s equivalent to one egg, so just double or triple depending on how many regular eggs you’re replacing.
Thanks! I never heard of that before. I will have to buy some – thanks!!
You’re welcome! 🙂
okay so I made it last night…overall I liked it. I tried the “flax egg ” mixture instead of the egg like you suggested. Since I’ve never made this dish before I’m not sure what the consistency should be like, but I think mine was more on the wet side. I’m not sure if the zucchini wasn’t drained enough or if it was the “flax egg”.
I also think I put too much garlic in…I think 1 tablespoon might be too much.
My daughter (who is allergic to eggs) liked it in the beginning then said she didn’t like it. But she almost finished her small bowl of it. Again, I think it was the overpowering garlic taste.
Either way I would make it again with less garlic and have her try it again!
Hi, Kimberly! I’m glad to know that it worked out overall. When it comes to draining the zucchini, I like to wrap it in a dish towel and literally wring it dry — squeezing it as hard as I can until no more water is coming out. You would be amazed by how much moisture is released, and I think that you’ll find the casserole is not watery at all if you do it this way. Hope that helps, and thanks for sharing your feedback! 🙂
Made this tonight, it is awesome, love It! Will keep this recipe for future use.
Perfect! Thanks, Karen — I’m so glad that you enjoyed it! 🙂
I made this for supper last night and it is amazing!! A hit with the whole family! This is a keeper recipe! Thank you!!!!
I’m so glad to hear that the family enjoyed it, Cheryl! Thanks for letting me know!
I’ve been looking for a new dish to take to Thanksgiving dinner. This sounds like a yummy, updated version of a classic family dish!
Wonderful! Enjoy, Jen! It’s one of our favorites! 🙂
Made this tonight for the first time and I really liked it. I grated 2 cloves of garlic and did find the flavor on the strong side but I like garlic, so I was ok with it. I also know grating garlic releases a stronger flavor so that might be part of it. Great recipe!!!
Thanks, Heidieh! 🙂
If planning to double the recipe, would you also double the time in oven? Very excited to try!
Hi, Kristelle! No, I wouldn’t double the time in the oven. You might need to add a little bit of time to accommodate the larger dish, but probably not much. I would bake it uncovered for 25-30 minutes before adding the buttered breadcrumbs on top. Then return to the oven for the final 5-10 minutes. If that still doesn’t seem long to heat it through, you can cover the top lightly with foil (to prevent the top from getting too brown) and leave it in the oven for a few more minutes, as necessary. 🙂
plan on making this in a 9×13 dish for Easter Sunday…..I was going to almost double amounts ….cooking time suggestions?
Hi, Bernie! Doubling the ingredients for a 9 x 13 dish should work perfectly. The cooking instructions should remain largely the same; although you might want to add about 5-10 minutes to the overall cooking time to make sure that it’s properly heated through. Just check it after the first 20 minutes and see if the zucchini mixture looks adequately warmed through. If not, pop it back in the oven for 5 more minutes before adding breadcrumbs to the top. Hope you love it!
I made this last night for 8 guys who were working on my house. I doubled the recipe and you would have thought that it was the best thing these guys have ever eaten. It was all devoured by the end of the meal! Definitely going to make this again!
Wonderful! It’s a huge WIN when a veggie dish gets the stamp of approval from a group of guys! 🙂
This recipe was wonderful, I followed the recipe exactly minus the onions and when you follow directions its comes out exactly the way it should be , no ruuny mess over here lol.
Perfect! So glad that it worked, Robin! 🙂 Thanks for your note!
I made this tonight and it was so good! My husband even commented on how great it tasted especially with so much zucchini in it. Will be making this again, as our family of 3 devoured pretty much the whole thing in one sitting. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Wonderful! Love when the husbands approve of veggie dishes! 🙂
Can you shred the zucchini instead of grating it? It seems like it would take a very long time to grate the zucchini.
Yes, I think that would probably work fine.
Thank you, Blair!
How did shredding vs grating work out? Glad you asked as when I read grated, I assumed shredded. Agree grating would take forever!
Also wanted to make ahead but wondering if 10 minutes after adding pinko would reheat it up sufficiently.
Hey, Karen! I would think that it will likely need about 15-20 minutes to reheat completely, so maybe sprinkle on the topping towards the end.
Do you measure the zucchini before or after you squeeze it out? Kind of confused. Sounds good tho.
Measure it before squeezing it out. 🙂
I made this last night to go with grilled lamb loin chops.
I added a cup of cooked white rice to the mixture and used lowfat cheeses.
It was excellent!!! My husband ate two helpings. I will definitely make this again.
Oh, great idea to add the rice! Thanks, Nancy!