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The best dish to shine a spotlight on fresh summer produce! This cheesy zucchini gratin includes corn and sweet onions in a creamy sauce, plus gooey Gruyere cheese, crispy breadcrumbs, and smoky bacon on top.

Table of Contents
  1. Zucchini au Gratin
  2. Ingredients for Easy Zucchini Gratin
  3. How to Make Zucchini Gratin
  4. What to Serve with Easy Zucchini Gratin
  5. Storage
  6. Zucchini Au Gratin Recipe Variations
  7. Tips for the Best Zucchini Gratin Recipe
  8. Zucchini Gratin with Corn and Bacon Recipe

The easy zucchini casserole is a simple side dish to serve with your favorite grilled chicken, salmon, or steak, but it’s also flavorful enough to stand on its own as an entrée with a side of crusty bread. If you have a bounty of zucchini in your garden, a delicious zucchini au gratin is the perfect way to enjoy it!

Zucchini au Gratin

While Zucchini Gratin or Zucchini au Gratin may sound fancy (thanks to its French name), this is really just a cheesy zucchini casserole! The word gratin means “a dish with a light browned crust of breadcrumbs or melted cheese,” and that’s exactly what we’ve got here. You’ll cook the onion, zucchini, and corn in butter and bacon drippings on the stovetop until tender, add flour and milk to make a creamy sauce, bake it in the oven, and finish it with Gruyere, homemade buttered breadcrumbs, and crispy bacon.

This easy recipe is a perfect summer side dish with fish or meat, or a light lunch or dinner when paired with a baguette. It’s truly the best way to eat your veggies this season!

Close up front shot of a skillet of the best zucchini gratin recipe

Ingredients for Easy Zucchini Gratin

This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a cheesy zucchini gratin recipe. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.

  • Fresh breadcrumbs: tossed with butter and toasted in the oven for the best gratin topping! See my notes below if you’d like to take a shortcut and use store-bought bread crumbs.
  • Bacon: adds a salty, smoky component to the dish that balances the sweetness of the corn and onion and provides depth of flavor.
  • Butter: to sauté the vegetables and create the roux that thickens the cream sauce.
  • Onion: for sweet, savory flavor.
  • Zucchini and fresh corn: the vegetable base of the gratin. See my notes below if you’d like to sub with frozen corn kernels.
  • Kosher salt, freshly-ground black pepper, nutmeg, and garlic powder: enhance the other flavors in the dish.
  • All-purpose flour: to thicken the sauce.
  • Whole milk: the liquid component of the creamy sauce. You can also use half-and-half or cream if you prefer.
  • Gruyere cheese: a smooth-melting type of Swiss cheese. Substitute with regular Swiss cheese, cheddar cheese, or Parmesan cheese if you prefer.
Corn and zucchini in a white bowl

The Bread Crumb Topping

Since buttered breadcrumbs are a hallmark of a good gratin, I prefer to make my own fresh bread crumbs for this recipe. Nothing can compare, and in this case it’s totally worth the extra few minutes of effort! A loaf of crusty sourdough yields a flavorful topping, but any rustic, hearty loaf will work.

To make ¾ cup fresh bread crumbs, start with about 1 ½ cups of cubed bread. Process the cubed bread in a food processor for about 30 seconds, or until it’s the consistency of coarse crumbs.

All of that said, you can certainly use a canister of store-bought breadcrumbs instead. To do so, choose either Panko breadcrumbs or Italian seasoned breadcrumbs for the best flavor and texture. Combine ¾ cup of the breadcrumbs with 1 tablespoon of melted butter.

Homemade bread crumbs in a bowl

How to Make Zucchini Gratin

Not just your average zucchini gratin, this dish features the added flavors of fresh, sweet corn off the cob and smoky, salty bacon. Best of all, the entire dish cooks in one skillet so that you have fewer dishes to wash at the end!

I’ve included the detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick version:

  • Prepare the bread crumbs.
  • Fry the bacon in a large skillet.
  • Sauté the veggies in the bacon drippings and butter.
  • Add seasoning, flour, and milk to create the sauce.
  • Simmer for a few minutes to thicken slightly.
  • Sprinkle cheese over top.
  • Bake for about 20 minutes so that the cheese can melt, add the breadcrumbs and bacon, and bake for about 5 more minutes.
Crispy chopped bacon draining on a plate
Sauteed onions in a skillet
Process shot showing how to make zucchini gratin recipe
Process shot showing how to make zucchini au gratin recipe
Overhead horizontal shot of a pan of zucchini au gratin baked with cheese and bread crumbs on top

What to Serve with Easy Zucchini Gratin

This rich, decadent, and easy zucchini casserole is a nice main course for lunch or dinner during the warm summer months. Pair it with a simple green salad dressed in balsamic vinaigrette and a side of crusty bread. We love this Dutch oven bread, this no-knead bread, or this easy baguette.

If you’d like to serve the zucchini au gratin as a side dish with a larger meal, try pairing it with any of these entrées:

Spoon serving easy zucchini gratin from a skillet

Storage

While it’s best served warm straight from the skillet, you can store leftover gratin in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350° F oven just until warmed through. You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave.

I do not recommend freezing this dish, since the cream sauce may “break” when thawed and the thawed zucchini will water down the dish.

Zucchini Au Gratin Recipe Variations

  • While fresh sourdough breadcrumbs are the best, you can substitute with store-bought Panko breadcrumbs or Italian breadcrumbs in a pinch. You can put the breadcrumbs on top of the gratin before it goes in the oven.
  • I prefer fresh corn cut off the cob; however, you can substitute with frozen corn when necessary. If using frozen corn, you don’t need to add it to the skillet until the zucchini is almost tender, because the frozen corn will soften quickly.
  • If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, pour the zucchini mixture into a 2-quart baking dish or other casserole dish before topping with cheese.
  • Swap out the zucchini (or some of the zucchini) for yellow summer squash.
  • If using regular bacon instead of thick-cut bacon, use 3 slices instead of just 2.
  • If you prefer unsalted butter, just add an extra pinch or so of salt to the sauce.
  • Any good melting cheese will work for this recipe, so feel free to substitute with cheddar, Swiss, or Gouda in lieu of the Gruyere.
Overhead image of cheesy zucchini gratin with corn and bacon

Tips for the Best Zucchini Gratin Recipe

  • Use a mandoline to quickly cut the zucchini and onion into even slices. You can see our favorite mandoline slicers here.
  • Fresh corn cut off the cob is best for flavor and texture. I like to add some of the starchy liquid from the cob to the dish as well, which adds great flavor and helps to thicken the sauce a little bit.
  • Use whole milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream — do not substitute with a lower fat alternative. You need the fat in the milk to create a thick, rich sauce.
  • Garnish with fresh herbs like thyme, parsley, or chives for a bright and colorful finishing touch.
Overhead image of zucchini gratin with corn and bacon

More Zucchini Recipes to Try

Looking for even more ideas? Check out this collection of 20 of the best zucchini recipes!

Square overhead shot of a skillet of zucchini gratin with corn and bacon.

Zucchini Gratin with Corn and Bacon

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 5 minutes
Resting Time 10 minutes
Total: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 6 people
Calories 336 kcal
A cheesy zucchini gratin with corn, bacon, and gruyere cheese is the perfect way to enjoy fresh summer produce!

Ingredients
  

BREAD CRUMB TOPPING:

FILLING:

Instructions

MAKE THE BREAD CRUMB TOPPING

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, toss together bread crumbs and melted butter. Spread on a baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned, about 4 minutes.
    Homemade bread crumbs in a bowl

PREPARE THE FILLING

  • In a 10-inch cast iron skillet (or other oven-safe skillet), cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 6-8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving the drippings in the pan.
    Crispy chopped bacon draining on a plate
  • Add the butter to the skillet with the drippings. When the butter melts, stir in the onion and cook over medium-low heat until softened, about 10-12 minutes.
    Sauteed onions in a skillet
  • Add the zucchini and corn, cover with a lid, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, nutmeg and garlic powder; cook uncovered for 1 more minute.
    Process shot showing how to make zucchini gratin recipe
  • Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually add the milk or cream, stirring constantly. Cook over low heat for 2-3 more minutes, or until the sauce comes together and thickens.
    Process shot showing how to make zucchini au gratin recipe
  • Sprinkle the cheese over top.

BAKE

  • Transfer the skillet to the 350°F oven. Bake (uncovered) for 20 minutes. Sprinkle buttered bread crumbs and bacon over top. Bake for 5 more minutes, or until the dish is bubbly.
  • Let stand for about 10 minutes before serving.
    Square overhead shot of a skillet of zucchini gratin with corn and bacon.

Notes

*To make ¾ cup fresh bread crumbs, start with about 1 ½ cups of cubed bread (I like to use a crusty loaf of sourdough bread). Process in a food processor until the cubes are coarse crumbs.
  • Use a mandoline to quickly cut the zucchini into even slices.
  • Fresh corn cut off the cob is best for flavor and texture. I like to add some of the starchy liquid from the cob to the dish as well, which adds great flavor and helps to thicken the sauce a little bit.
  • Use whole milk, half-and-half or cream — do not substitute with a lower fat alternative. You need the fat in the milk to create a thick, rich sauce.
  • Garnish with fresh herbs like thyme, parsley or chives for a bright and colorful finishing touch.
  • While fresh sourdough breadcrumbs are the best, you can substitute with store-bought Panko breadcrumbs in a pinch.
  • I prefer fresh corn cut off the cob; however, you can substitute with frozen corn when necessary. If using frozen corn, you probably don’t need to add it to the skillet until the zucchini is almost tender, because the frozen corn will soften quickly.
  • Swap out the zucchini (or some of the zucchini) for yellow squash.
  • If using regular bacon instead of thick-cut bacon, increase it to 3 slices.
  • Any good melting cheese will work for this recipe, so feel free to substitute with cheddar, Swiss, or Gouda in lieu of the Gruyere.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 of the recipeCalories: 336kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 11gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 710mgPotassium: 455mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 751IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 203mgIron: 1mg
Keyword: zucchini au gratin, zucchini gratin
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, French
Author: Blair Lonergan
blair

Hey, I’m Blair!

Welcome to my farmhouse kitchen in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Inspired by local traditions and seasonal fare, you’ll find plenty of easy, comforting recipes that bring your family together around the table. It’s down-home, country-style cooking!

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Comments

  1. Is the 4 tbsp of butter supposed to be divided between the bread crumbs and the main part? Or is it 4 tbsp for the main part and then more for the bread crumbs?

    1. Hi, Vanessa! The breadcrumb topping ingredients are listed separately from the filling ingredients. For the topping, you’ll need just 1 tablespoon of melted butter. For the filling, you’ll need 4 tablespoons of butter. So a total of 5 tablespoons for the entire dish. Hope that makes sense!