Old Fashioned Zucchini Casserole

This is the easiest way to use up zucchini, an easy delicious bake with plenty of cheese. This zucchini casserole with sour cream is extra creamy and such a comforting dish!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Diet Halal, Vegetarian

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Servings people

Calories 309kcal

Author Farah Abumaizar

Ingredients

For the zucchini casserole:

2 tablespoon unsalted butter 28g
1 onion, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
4 cups grated zucchini (or squash), or zucchini cores. I also added 1/2 cup sliced zucchini for visual appeal, totally optional 1 lb, 600 g
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil and 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 8 oz, 225g
1/2 cup sour cream 120g

For topping:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup panko breadcrumbs 65g
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese 25g

Instructions

For the zucchini casserole:

Preheat oven to 350 F (180C) and place oven rack in the center of the oven.
In a large skillet, add the 2 tablespoon of butter. Heat over medium heat, and once butter is melted, add the diced onion, garlic, zucchini, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
Saute for 6-8 minutes until softened and fragrant. If there's a lot of extra liquid, drain it out.
Turn off the heat, and stir in the mozzarella cheese and sour cream. Mix until well combined, then transfer this mixture to an 11x7 inch pyrex or casserole dish, spread out with a spatula until even.

For topping and baking:

Melt the 1 tablespoon of butter and olive oil in the microwave. Add to the panko breadcrumbs, and toss to thoroughly coat.
Sprinkle the buttered panko breadcrumbs all over the top of the zucchini mixture in the casserole dish. Sprinkle with grated parmesan.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown. If you want a deeper color, you can turn the oven to broil for 1-2 minutes to crisp up the topping further.
Let casserole rest for 5-10 minutes, then serve while still hot. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Feel free to use frozen/defrosted grated zucchini, a mix of grated and sliced zucchini, or zucchini cores leftover from stuffing zucchini, like in this recipe,

You can use summer squash baby marrow equally effectively.

To get a nice golden brown color on the top of the casserole, make sure to toss the panko breadcrumb thoroughly in the melted butter and olive oil mixture and bake until golden brown. You can broil for the last 1-2 minutes in the oven to get a deeper color.

Gluten free zucchini casserole: Omit the breadcrumbs, or substitute with a gluten free version.

Storing leftovers: Leftover zucchini casserole will last 3-4 days tightly covered in the fridge. You can reheat it in a microwave, or in the oven.

Freezing zucchini casserole: I recommend freezing before baking. Let the filling cool completely, then freeze with or without the panko topping. Tightly wrap in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months.

You don't need to thaw before baking, but you can stick it in the fridge overnight to thaw if you want it to take up less time in the oven. If baking directly from frozen, you'll have to add about 10 minutes or so extra time.

Nutrition