An easy side dish that pairs beautifully with just about any family meal! The garlic parmesan zucchini casserole features fresh shredded veggies, garlic, and onion baked with three types of cheese and finished with a buttery, crispy, Parmesan breadcrumb topping.
Table of Contents
If you have a ton of fresh zucchini, check out some of our other favorite zucchini recipes, such as sauteed zucchini, this easy snickerdoodle zucchini bread, a batch of one-bowl zucchini muffins, and a loaf of zucchini bread!
How to Make Zucchini Casserole | 1-Minute Video
easy, delicious and a good low carb veggie dish. I added a heavy splash of hot sauce and some freshly grated nutmeg to balance all the cheese. this recipe is a keeper
– Sheba
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Easy. If you can stir together some simple ingredients, then you can make this easy zucchini casserole recipe. With about 15 minutes of prep time, the dish is ready for the oven!
- Flavorful. On its own, zucchini can be a very neutral, bland vegetable. This casserole is anything but boring, however! The veggies are seasoned with plenty of garlic, three different types of cheese, and a crunchy, buttery topping.
- Versatile. The zucchini casserole works well as a vegetarian entree, but also serves as a delicious side side for almost any main course. Offer it with your Easter or Christmas ham, alongside a Thanksgiving smoked turkey breast, with marinated grilled shrimp, or with grilled bbq chicken breast, grilled pork chops, and grilled hamburgers throughout the summer months.
Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for an easy zucchini casserole. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Zucchini: this freshly-grated veggie is the star of the show! You’ll need a total of 4 cups grated, which is equivalent to approximately 3 ½ medium zucchinis. I use a handheld box grater to shred my zucchini, but you can also put it through a food processor if you prefer. There’s no need to peel the zucchini.
- Salt: enhances the flavors in the dish and helps to draw out moisture from the zucchini so that you don’t end up with a watery casserole.
- Onion and garlic: for more flavor. I use sweet onion, but yellow onion or white onion both work fine.
- Eggs: give the casserole structure.
- Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and sharp cheddar cheese: three different types of grated cheese add a variety of flavors to the casserole. You can substitute with an equal amount of any of your favorite cheeses — or stick to just mozzarella or just cheddar. Other good options include Monterey Jack, Colby, Colby Jack, Pepper Jack, Gruyere, Swiss, and Gouda cheese.
- Panko breadcrumbs and melted butter: combine the panko bread crumbs with the Parmesan and melted butter to form the crispy, golden brown topping. 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, use whole wheat breadcrumbs (which are not gluten-free).
Directions
This old fashioned zucchini casserole is an easy recipe to take advantage of an abundance of fresh summer veggies. You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Place the zucchini in a colander, sprinkle it with salt, and allow it to sit for about 10 minutes (this will help draw out some of the water so that the zucchini doesn’t make your casserole watery). After 10 minutes, squeeze out the moisture from the zucchini. A dish towel works really well to wring out all of that excess water.
- Combine the drained zucchini, onion, garlic, eggs, some of the Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and cheddar cheese in a small, greased baking dish.
- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Make the topping by combining melted butter with breadcrumbs and additional Parmesan cheese.
- Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the zucchini mixture and return the pan to the oven.
- Bake for about 5-10 more minutes, or until the zucchini is tender and the top is golden brown and crispy.
- Garnish the dish with fresh herbs (such as chopped fresh parsley, fresh basil, or fresh thyme) or with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for a bright burst of color and flavor.
Serving Suggestions
This versatile casserole pairs nicely with just about any meat, seafood, or pasta. We love the cheesy zucchini casserole alongside grilled salmon or grilled scallops, with crispy fried chicken, grilled chicken, or baked chicken thighs, maple Dijon chicken, with marinated pork tenderloin, alongside a Southern meatloaf, with cozy stuffed shells, this turkey Sloppy Joes recipe, with pasta and marinara sauce, a tomato sandwich, or with a veggie pizza. Then, add a strawberry jello salad or easy banana pudding for dessert.
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!
– JJ
Preparation and Storage Tips
Store leftover zucchini casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven just until warmed through, or warm individual servings in the microwave for 30-60 seconds, or until heated through.
You can freeze the leftovers; however, this is not my preference because the zucchini will hold a lot of water, negatively impacting the texture and taste when thawed.
Recipe Variations
- Use a combination of yellow squash and zucchini, or replace all of the zucchini with yellow summer squash. Shredded carrots would also be a nice addition.
- To serve a larger family, double all of the ingredients and bake the casserole in a larger dish. You may need to add a few extra minutes to the total cooking time, but the rest of the instructions remain the same.
- Toss the breadcrumbs with olive oil instead of melted butter for a slightly different flavor.
- Add some ground black pepper or crushed red pepper for a zestier kick. Italian seasoning would also be a nice addition to the filling.
- For a tasty twist, try adding coarsely grated zucchini to this dump-and-bake vegetable casserole with rice.
Made this tonight, it is awesome, love It! Will keep this recipe for future use.
– Karen
More Zucchini Casserole Recipes
Zucchini Pie
50 minutes mins
Chicken Zucchini Casserole
55 minutes mins
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 cups grated zucchini (I used about 3.5 medium zucchinis)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup finely minced or grated onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
- 2 large 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 salted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 1 ½-quart baking dish; set aside.
- 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 the moisture from the zucchini. TIP: In order to make sure that you get most of the water out of the zucchini (and avoid a runny casserole), 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 a large bowl, combine zucchini, onion, garlic, eggs, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and cheddar cheese. 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.
Notes
- I use a handheld box grater to shred my zucchini, but you can also put it through a food processor if you prefer.
- Add some ground black pepper or crushed red pepper for a zestier kick. Italian seasoning would also be a nice addition to the filling.
- Garnish the dish with fresh herbs (such as chopped fresh parsley) for a bright burst of color and flavor.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in February, 2017. It was updated in June, 2024.
I’ve made this three times. The last time I used yellow squash and carrots because it was what I had. Just as yummy as the first 2 times. My husband requests it.
Awesome! Thanks, Cerina!
Do you peel the zucchini?
Hi, Jana! No, you don’t need to peel the zucchini. 🙂
I had a recipe for zucchini that was similar. I bakedit and cut it into squares for appetizers. It was delicious, but I can’t find
the recipe. Could this be modified to do the same thing?
Hi, Sherrie! This might work, but I don’t think that it will cut as neatly into squares as you might hope. These two recipes sound more like what you’re looking for, so take a look and see if they’re similar to your old recipe:
Zucchini Pie: https://www.theseasonedmom.com/zucchini-pie/ (just bake it in a square pan and slice into squares instead of using a round dish)
or
Cheesy Spinach Squares: https://www.theseasonedmom.com/aunt-bees-spinach-cheese-squares/ (use zucchini instead of the spinach, perhaps?)
Hope that helps!
Recipe is listed as a Weight Watcher but what are the points per serving?
Hi, Carolyn! I haven’t listed the recipe as “Weight Watcher friendly,” so I’m not sure where you saw that. I’m not familiar with exactly how to calculate points for Weight Watchers, so I’m not any help in that regard. Maybe you can use the nutrition panel provided below the recipe to help you calculate the points? Again, sorry that I’m not able to be more helpful! I hope that you get to try it, though — we love this dish! 🙂
Great and simple recipe. I added a can of fire-roasted diced tomato (simply because I love zucchini and tomato together) It was wonderful.
Sounds delicious! Thanks, Amanda!
sy and turned out great. I used thawed roasted garlic I had in the freezer, doubled the recipe and used as a main dish. It came out pretty too – so I’ll have another option for potlucks! Thanks for the tip to wring out the zucchini – that’s always been a problem for me and zucchini!
Yay! I’m so glad to know that you’ve found a keeper, Johanna! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment!
I cut the recipe in half since it was just for myself and added a cup of mixed vegetables. Love it! Used stuffing mix instead of Panko breadcrumbs. Delicious!
Sounds perfect, Ashli! Thank you!
Thankyou for this recipe! I made it as written except I added a kittle leftover Feta cheese that I had in the fridge.
Excellent dish!
Definitely will make this again, yum.
I bet the feta was delicious! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a note. 🙂
I just made this for dinner tonight and it wasn’t a huge hit. I think the onion & garlic combo overpower the other flavors- and I think the cheese might be too much. I usually love zucchini but this wasn’t great
I made it with a few changes because of health reasons. First change was I sliced the Zucchini instead of grating it. Second I deleted the salt and 3rd I deleted both the mozzarella and the cheddar cheeses. Even though I made these changes it turned out FANTASTIC!
I did make it the second time Exactly as per the instructions. I didn’t like it. It was OK, but after tasting the first one, that’s all it was.
Now I friends making your Recipe (my way) with other vegetables and the love it. Thank you very much. This is one of the best things I make and can eat, happily.
That’s great to hear, Bonnie! Thanks for sharing your changes and for taking the time to leave a note. 🙂
Thank you for responding.
Question:.Do you have any other Recipes that can be adapted to fit with Chronic kidney disease all stages?
Hi, Bonnie! I’m not familiar with the dietary restrictions associated with chronic kidney disease. If you can give me a few more details about what you’re looking for, I might be able to direct you to some other recipes. 🙂
Thank you for responding.
Question:.Do you have any other Recipes that can be adapted to fit with Chronic kidney disease all stages?
Taste was great. Personally, I would grill the onions and garlic before adding to the recipe.
We enjoyed this casserole tonight with our dinner. I substituted white cheddar cheese for regular. This turned out perfectly cooked in our toaster convection oven. : )
That’s wonderful, Nancy! Thanks for taking the time to come back here and let me know!
I was torn on how to rate this recipe. It is fantastic, but for me it’s not a casserole. It’s definitely an egg bake. Leaving off the crackers made a delicious keto egg breakfast. If you like garlic and eggs, this one is a winner, but it’s not a casserole.
I made this several times last summer and it was always a hit. While reviewing the recipe before this year’s first zucchini I thought I would drop a few comments. I usually use an extra egg because I like the casserole a little firmer. Also if I use about half the onion out of dried, chopped onions it takes on part of the zucchini moisture and makes draining/squeezing a little less critical. I’m with the folks who add hot sauce, though a small (cooks preference on amount) of chopped fresh peppers is an interesting flavor. Other additions I’ve found work for me: fresh basil, ham or chicken, top with feta crumbles instead of bread crumbs for gluten free. Thanks for the great recipe.
Thanks for those helpful notes, Jim! Your additions sound perfect!
WE just made this recipe at a Hosiptal kitchen, and its sooo good! we will be serving it to the whole hospital tomorrow!
That’s amazing, Sophia! Thanks for your note. I hope that the hospital patients enjoy the dish. 🙂
I made this yesterday. It came out perfect. I used zucchini from our garden. Thank-you. Very gtood
I made this yesterday. It came out perfect. I used zucchini from our garden. Thank-you. Very good.
Thanks, Donna! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it! Can’t beat garden-fresh zucchini. 🙂
I made this tonight with a slight change. Instead of using the mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, I used ricotta and the Parmesan. My husband is not a huge fan of cheeses so this was what we agreed on. I also used yellow squash and the zucchini. OH MY GOODNESS, so so good. I think next time I’m going to saute the onions first. They still have a slight raw taste to me (which in all fairness could be my oven). Other than that, I wouldn’t change a thing. Hubs said it’s definitely a keeper!!! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!!!
I’m so glad that you both enjoyed the dish! Thanks for sharing your twist. 🙂
We loved this recipe. For getting rid of the excess moisture from the zucchini, I put it in my salad spinner and “spun” the excess moisture out after 10 minutes. It worked well.
I also cut back just a little bit on each of the cheeses to help reduce the fat content. It was still delicious. The panko bread crumbs on the top really puts it over the top. My hubby is not a fan of zucchini but he liked this so well, he suggested I make it at Thanksgiving. Who knew???
Thanks!
Yay! So glad that your husband even approved! 🙂
We loved the recipe. I used a salad spinner to get the excess moisture out of the zucchini after it sat for the 10 minutes. I also cut back just a little bit on each of the amounts of cheese mainly to help reduce the fat content of the dish. My husband who is not a fan of zucchini, really enjoyed it as well. He even suggested serving this dish at Thanksgiving this year. Who knew??
Thanks!