It's summer zucchini season! What are you going to do with all that zucchini? I've got a tasty solution for you! Give this baked Zucchini Casserole a try. It's full of zucchini, fresh tomatoes, and sweet onion, all bound together with crispy crackers, butter and shredded cheese. It makes a great easy side dish to serve alongside just about any protein you like.
There's no better indicator of late summer than zucchini overflowing from gardens all across the country.
Unfortunately, I don't have one of those gardens. Over the years, our backyard has developed a large shade canopy from the surrounding trees and I no longer get enough sun to grow things like zucchini and tomatoes. However, I can still get garden fresh zucchini and tomatoes from local farmers' markets and my grocery store in late summer.
I love zucchini! It's so versatile and it's perfect for both sweet and savory recipes. You might be familiar with other zucchini recipes on this site; Greek Style Zucchini Ribbon Salad, Glazed Orange Zucchini Muffins, Zucchini Carrot Fritters, and Summer Vegetable Saute. They're all wonderful ways to enjoy zucchini! You might even want to check out myZucchini Pinterest boardwith lots of wonderful zucchini inspiration. But for now, let's focus on this delicious recipe.
I stumbled on the inspiration for this recipe while browsing one of my favorite cookbooks, Cooking from Quilt Country by Marcia Adamsfor the best Amish zucchini casserole recipe. It's the companion cookbook from the PBS series of the same name in the late 80's early 90's. It's a lovely cookbook, full of delicious Amish and Mennonite recipes.
My version of this dish is similar to the Amish version in the cookbook. I changed a few processes from the directions in the cookbook to make it easier to make, but the end result is as delicious as the original version.
My favorite part of this casserole is how the juices from the zucchini, tomatoes, and onion all get soaked up into the cheese/butter/cracker layers.
So cheesy and comforting! Not surprising. Isn't that what casseroles are all about?
How to make Zucchini Casserole
This zucchini casserole is a layered casserole. To make this recipe, zucchini is layered in a baking dish, along with fresh tomato slices, sliced sweet onion, seasonings, a little sugar (optional, but nice), crushed crackers, butter, and shredded cheddar cheese.
There are two layers to this casserole. (See image below for a step-by-step tutorial.)
- Step one: Place half the zucchini slices in a single layer on the bottom of the dish. I cut them about 1/4" thick.
- Step two: Layer half the tomato slices over the zucchini. I didn't bother peeling the tomatoes, but I did core them.
- Step three: Layer half the onion slices over the tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, fresh thyme, and sprinkle of granulated sugar, if using.
- Step four: Cover the onion layer with half the crushed crackers. I used saltines, but butter cracker rounds, such as RITZ crackers also work well in this zucchini casserole recipe.
- Step five: Dot with half the butter and sprinkle half the shredded cheese over the crackers.
- Step six: Repeat all the steps with the remaining ingredients and ending with the remaining cheese.
- Your assembled casserole is ready to bake!
Can I freeze Zucchini Casserole?
This casserole is best enjoyed the first day and as leftovers for a few days after the initial baking. It's not recommended that you freeze this casserole.
How to pick zucchini
If you are like me, and don't have a garden that's overflowing with zucchini, you'll need to get to the farmers' market or grocery store to buy zucchini. Look for zucchini that is about 6 to 8 inches in length. Stay away from the very large zucchini, since they tend to be more watery and have large seeds. Look for zucchini that have dark green, unblemished skins and strong stems.
zucchini casserole, zucchini casserole recipe
side dish, vegetable
American
Yield: 6 servings
Author: Renee Paj
Zucchini Casserole
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 15 M
Zucchini Casserole is full of zucchini, fresh tomatoes, and sweet onion, all bound together with crispy crackers, butter and shredded cheese. It makes a great easy side dish to serve alongside just about any protein you like.
Ingredients
- 4 -5 fresh zucchini (about 6" to 8" length), sliced into 1/4" slices
- 4 medium sized ripe tomatoes, cored and sliced into 1/4" slices
- 1 medium sweet onion, sliced
- 1 tsp. Kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. Fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
- 1/2 TBSP granulated sugar (optional)
- 1 cup coarsely crushed saltine cracker crumbs*
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spray a 2 or 3 quart, high sided glass casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Assemble the casserole by arranging half the zucchini slices in a single layer on the bottom of the greased casserole dish, followed by half the tomato slices, then half the onion slices. Sprinkle with half the salt and pepper then half the fresh thyme and half the sugar (if using).
- Sprinkle with half the crushed crackers and dot with half the butter.
- Sprinkle the cracker layer with half the cheese and then repeat all layers, ending with the last of the shredded cheddar cheese.
- Cover and bake in oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove cover and bake an additional 30 minutes uncovered, or until the casserole is hot and bubbly and the vegetables are tender.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
* 1 cup is roughly equal to half a sleeve of crackers. You can also use Ritz crackers instead of saltines.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
287
Fat (grams)
18 g
Sat. Fat (grams)
11 g
Carbs (grams)
22 g
Fiber (grams)
3.7 g
Sugar (grams)
5.7 g
Protein (grams)
10 g
Sodium (milligrams)
313.9 mg
Cholesterol (grams)
50 mg
Nutritional Information is an estimate.
https://www.reneeskitchenadventures.com/2019/08/zucchini-casserole.html
Copyright © 2019 Renee's Kitchen Adventures
More side dishes to love
- Garlic Roasted Potatoes
- Easy Mushroom Rice Pilaf
- Roasted Asparagus and Mushrooms
Pin Zucchini Casserole to your Pinterest boards and share on your social media so your friends can enjoy this recipe too!
