Easy Cheesy Zucchini Casserole
It’s coming into late summer and that means the garden is kicking out plenty of fresh produce (more if those dang tomatoes ever decide to turn from green to red)! What is one vegetable that always seems to out produce what you can do with it? Zucchini! So try this recipe for Easy Cheesy Zucchini Casserole.
Last year, for the blog, I was asked if I had any easy zucchini recipes to share.
Well, since last year zucchini was skipped being planted, I made sure to throw a few seeds in this year.
The first zucchini was pulled from the garden this weekend.
Let me tell you… it was the size of a toddler!
I place the blame on two things:
- He had been hiding on the back side of the plant.
- He had been hiding behind a very unfriendly looking garden spider.
Disclaimer.
No “very unfriendly looking” garden spiders were harmed in the making of this casserole.
With just a few simple ingredients and a little prep, this casserole comes together in no time.
Perfect when served with a grilled steak or pork chop.
Your family will be sure to give it a thumbs up!
I mean, who doesn’t want to eat their vegetables in a delicious cheese sauce and a crunchy, buttered topping?
I know I do!
Easy Cheesy Zucchini Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 cups Zucchini, diced into 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup Mayonnaise
- 1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 2 Eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 3/4 – 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/4 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1 Tbsp Butter, melted
Instructions
-
To a pot of boiling water, add the diced zucchini and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and cool.
-
In a bowl, combine the parboiled zucchini, mayonnaise, cheddar cheese, eggs, pepper, and garlic powder.
-
Pour into a greased 1 1/2 quart baking dish.
-
In a bowl, combine the Panko breadcrumbs with melted butter. Pour breadcrumbs over the top of the casserole.
-
Bake, uncovered, at 350°F for 35 minutes, or until zucchini is fork tender.
Recipe Notes
*If freezing the zucchini for this recipe. Take the diced zucchini boil in the water for 3 minutes and then place into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain the cooled zucchini and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place baking sheet into freezer. The next day bag the zucchini in a couple labeled freezer bags.
*Then at a later date, thaw the zucchini. Drain any excess water. Then continue with the recipe as listed above.
*You can make this recipe without parboiling the zucchini first, but you will need to add more baking time to the casserole.
Harvested my first zucchini yesterday and made this casserole tonight. Wonderful! I’ll be making it again.
Gary, that is great! Thanks for sharing how much you loved it. Send some zucchini good vibes my way. Seems as though mine are taking a minute to get going this summer.
I have made this before and used cream of chicken soup and sour cream instead of eggs and Mayo
Sounds delicious Pat!
Pat,
How much cream of chicken soup and how much sour cream for this casserole?
Thanks, Barb
Could you cut up zucchini add onions and garlic salt and pepper sauté it till almost done just almost tender then put all in a lightly greased pan with butter add 1can chicken cream and 1 can cream of mushroom mix gently together. Then add Pablo crimes and slice butter cubes over Pablo crumbs and bake at 350 degrees until done mane 15 min then broil for a few minutes til it darkens crumbs. Wala.
I haven’t tried it that way, but always worth a shot!
Would it be possible to put this all together one day, put it in the fridge overnight and bake it the next day?
Oh my goodness!! This recipe is amazing and so easy!! I did not have the bread crumbs so I used French fried onions. I will be making this again….especially when I need to impress someone. 😆
I’m here for the French fried onion topping.
Do you use real mayonnaise or miracle whip?
Hi Lorie! For this I use mayonnaise.
Do you peel Zucchini before cooking for a casserole???
Great question. I do not usually peel the zucchini before cooking. I have done it maybe a time or two, when the zucchini I picked was a little past prime and the skin slightly tough. But for most normal zucchini it should not be necessary to peel first.
I added leftover rotisserie chicken for a complete meal in one dish.
Kay that sounds delicious! Thanks for the info!
I added some cooked ground Italian sausage to mine for a complete meal, was awesom!
Very easy to make and it was delicious! Thanks.
Teri, thanks for leaving the review. So glad you enjoyed it!
Super. But I sure do hate the parboiling part. Can anyone give me am idea exactly how long to baks it without parboiling and at what temperature?
Renee, without parboiling it could take 10-20 more minutes of baking. You may also want to cover the casserole for part or all of that time so the topping does not burn.
I didnt parboil and it turned out just fine. I baked it about 50 minutes. I like mine bubbly an browned. I also added salt and about 1/4 cup of finely chopped onion. Delicious
Oh the onion sounds like a great add!
I also dislike the parboiling idea so I put 1 Tbs olive oil in a skillet and sautéed just a few minutes and also added a little onion and the garlic. Then mixed everything and baked it in the skillet till the cheese was gooey. Wonderful !!!
Sounds like a delicious adjustment.
Can’t wait to try this! Just loaded up on zucchini today at the farmers market. Any idea of calorie count per serving?
Kim it is a great way to use zucchini as a side dish! Per serving this would be between 175-200 calories. Most of the calories coming from the mayonnaise and cheese.
Fabulous recipe!
I did not parboil the zucchini (my only change to the recipe), baked for about 1 hour.
The first 30 min covered with foil per your suggestion in the comments section.
It was a lovely golden brown on top. Totally perfect!
Thanks Doll
Wendy thanks so much for the review! Glad that everything came out delicious! Happy Zucchini Season! 🙂
I made this it was good. I did grate my zucchini instead of cutting them in cubes.
Thanks for leaving a review!
Why can’t I use Miracle Whip??
Can I use Light Mayonnaise if no Miracle Whip?
Cherie I have never used Miracle Whip in this recipe. While it works in some instances, I don’t know if it would in this casserole. It maybe too sweet. But if you’re willing to be the guinea pig 😉 Light Mayonnaise would be better.
This was so delicious. I halved the recipe since it was just for two and I wasn’t sure how it would reheat. Definitely making it again.
Kathy thanks for the review! So happy that you enjoyed it. I also often time halve new recipes. Hate to have too many leftovers of something you don’t end up really liking.
Really easy and great use of squash abundance, Used potato soup mix as I didn’t have time to dry out the squash and that helped thicken the sauce and added flavor
My family loved this, another great addition to our Sunday easy meal plan
Sonia what a fantastic idea to add the potato soup mix! Sounds delicious.
What can I use in place of mayo?
Jackie that is a great question. I have only ever tried this recipe with mayo. You could maybe use plain greek yogurt, but I’m not sure how well that will bake up.
We love this! Our new favorite. I made this once already and I’m making it again today. I used about 5 cups zucchini, and didn’t parboil it. 1/2 mayo and 1/2 plain yogurt. Used the end of the bag of tortilla chips instead of breadcrumbs 🙂 Adding fresh basil and chili flakes this time and serving with fresh tomatoes on top! I’m excited for dinner tonight.
That all sounds delicious!
Made this last night and was super happy with the results..I did par boil the zucchini and it wasa perfect casserole after about 35 minutes baking and 2 -3 more under the broiler for browning. Next time I make it – and there will definitely be a next time, I think I’ll try reducing the mayo just a bit but that’s just a personal taste thing. This is an excellent recipe. Thank you!
Thanks for the review Dawn. Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
We loved this recipe. Tried it last Thursday and decided to make it again today as a side dish for company. Hope they like it as much as we do!
Peggy I’m so glad you guys loved it! Here’s hoping your guests do too 😉
I think I did something wrong. I parboiled the zucchini. I cooked the casserole 35 minutes, but the ingredients in the casserole were mushy and eggy, not juicy like the picture. I did use a 2.5 quart corning ware. I am still going to try this again.
The flavor was good.
Hi Jeanine- If the zucchini was mushy, that could be the particular zucchini that was used. If it is an overly large zucchini that sometimes comes out of the garden, I will seed out the center. Another thing is to be sure to use mayo and not Miracle Whip. It may make a difference. Also you should be able to cut out an egg if you thought the first casserole was too eggy.
Any substitution for mayo?
Hi Jennifer. I have not tried anything other then the mayo for this casserole. I know sometimes people are able to substitute Greek yogurt in place of mayo, but I’m not sure if that would work in this recipe.
Holy moly this is sooooo good!!!!! I even made some for my baby ( minus the Mayo) and she loved it! We all did! I just added some cauliflower as I had a little left and a bit of cayenne pepper for some spice and it turned out so freaking good!!!!
Thanks for the review! Adding some leftover cauliflower sounds brilliant.
Made it tonight and loved it! Always looking for good zucchini recipes as my next door neighbor is very generous with her zucchini supply. Very easy- will be making this again and will share with my neighbor. Look forward to making more of your recipes.
Marsha thank you for the kind review! I swear zucchini is the most “gifted” garden produce there is. Always looking for a new recipe that helps use it up.
Chanda, I tried your recipe this has now been added to my rotation of recipes. I did not blanch my zucchini I did remove the seeds and cube them. Followed the recipe exactly after that and it is amazing. I tried a couple of other zucchini recipes but they were just so so. This one is a keeper. Thank You! Debbie
Debbie, I’m so glad that you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
I have used cream of mushroom soup before. Or you can use the chicken or celery soup!
Thanks for the info Janice! Sounds great.
I i
I used Miracle Whip & it added a nice flavor. Great recipe!
Thanks Dottie! So glad you enjoyed it.
I made this as a side dish for dinner. It was delicious. We really liked it. I know I will be making this again.
Thanks for the review Mindy! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Would other cheese work ok?
Hi Penny! Yes. I think most shredded cheese types would work. My personal favorite is cheddar, but pepperjack is good to.
This looks so good! What a great way to use up a bunch of zucchini for a hearty meal!
Thanks Suzanne! Any gardener knows you need to have an arsenal of good zucchini recipes.
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Hi Vanessa great question. I wouldn’t say this is a great “keeper” sometimes with leftovers the sauce seems to separate a bit. But it will keep a few days in the fridge.
Why no salt?
Hi Jim… you can certainly add salt or any other seasonings you like to the casserole. Garlic and onions are both great additions too.
Omgosh! This was delicious! I used “Spin Blend”to substitute Mayo. It really gave it a tangy taste. And the zucchini was so tender, just right. I also added very chopped onions. I used bread crumbs, since I make my own, and always have them in my cupboard. And . . . I had all the ingredients, that’s also good!
Thanks for the comment Sandi. So glad you enjoyed it!
Absolutely the best zucchini casserole I’ve ever eaten. We added onion and homemade Italian breadcrumbs with panko for toppings. We cooked a double batch and will Absolutely have this again. The best ever.
Thanks for the review Mary Jane! So glad you enjoyed it.
This is delicious! Made it exactly as written. Next time I make it I will cut down a little on the mayo….nothing else!
Thanks for the review Leslie. Glad you enjoyed it!
I used cottage cheese instead of the mayonnaise and it turned out fine. Great recipe. Thanks.
Thanks for the information Carol! Sound like a great substitution.
What a fantastic recipe with simple ingredients!
I paired it with fish thinking it would be a little heavy, to my surprise it was not heavy at all. Very light with that comfort food taste.
Thanks for the review Karen. So glad you enjoy it.
Could I use yellow neck squash instead of zucchini?
I have not used it in the past, but think it would work well.
Instead of buttered panko,I wonder if buttered Ritz crackers would work. Used many times on other caseroles and it’s delicious. Not sure if it will be too much? I’m going to give this recipe a try tomorrow.
Oh I’m all about the Ritz crackers…
I made this today for the first time and loved it. I added about 1/4 cup of Romano cheese in with the mayo because I didn’t have any cheddar. Sprinkled Panko on top without the butter after baking about 20 minutes. Baked about 10 minutes more. Then put shredded Asiago on top and broiled for 3 minutes to brown it. Yummers! Thank you for the recipe. It will be a fun one to experiment with using up what’s on hand! 🙂
That all sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing your variations.
Hi and thanks for this recipe! A co-worker gave me 5 monster-sized zucchini from her garden, so I’m trying to find recipes to use them in. I used your recipe as the starting point, but sautéed some sweet onion, sweet pepper, and minced garlic together in olive oil, then added that mixture to the parboiled cheesy zucchini mixture before topping with buttered Panko crumbs and baking in the oven. This casserole came out really well! 😋
Sounds like some great additions. So glad you enjoyed it!
Made this for the first time today. Wasn’t sure about how it would go over at dinner, since my partner is not a fan of zucchini. We both loved it! Only change I made was to add about a half a cup of diced onion.
I DID par-boil the zucchini first. I also read all of the comments about other items that people added, but I stuck with everything except adding the onions. The dish was done in about 30 minutes, and I put it on broil for the last few minutes to brown the topping.
A definite keeper!
Love hearing it was a keeper Anne!
Really good! Definitely will be making again. I used Hellman’s light mayo and it was great. Next time I will try fat free yogurt.
Thanks Kathy for the review. So glad you love it.
Loved this dish. I would really like to have the nutritional values though….
Thanks for sharing,
Jan
I have made this twice now. My only adjustments are to use 1/2 tsp garlic and 3/4 mayonnaise.I doubled the topping since my casserole dish is wide.
Thanks for the review. So glad you enjoy it!
Love this casserole!! I add a can of mushrooms with the juice to the Mayo and eggs. Also parm cheese. If I have them, I also use pimentos drained. I used to par boil but quit, I like it a little firm
Thanks Nan for the review. I love how you can customize it to fit your taste or what needs used up from your pantry.
I asked about putting this all together the day before, refrigerate overnight and then baking it the next day. Would this work?
Hi Doris. Yes, I believe you should be able to make it the day before and then bake. It may take a little longer to bake if it is cold from the fridge.
Has anyone doubled this recipe? How long should I increase cooking time?
Hi JoAnn! I have not doubled the recipe, but I would say the cooking time would depend on the baking dish you use. Also bake until golden brown and bubbling. It may be a bit of a trial and error at first.
I chopped up half of a big red onion and added to the squash while boiling it. Otherwise, made exactly as listed. It was great. We both loved it.
Sounds like a wonderful addition Elaine. Thanks for sharing.
Made this last night and I loved it!!! I actually used half zucchini and half squash! Will definitely be making again!
That sounds delicious! So glad you enjoyed it.
Delicious! But in your picture of the finished dish that’s MORE than a 1/4 c. Of Panko!
My son is growing Zucchini, and I used it in your casserole. I forgot to buy the Panko and used my Italian Breadcrumbs. I also grated the Zucchini added mozzarella and used light mayonnaise and light cheddar. I think the panko will work much better. Tonight we are having spaghetti with my homade sauce. I am thinking of using the leftovers and adding cooked rice to it with a little sausage and stuffing some red peppers! Great recipe thanks so much will be playing with it more. I come from a family of Chefs!
Wow! That all sounds amazing! Especially making it a meal with the addition of cooked rice and sausage.
I made this tonight and it was exceptional. I think those who want to remake the entire recipe should start their own cooking blog, but I did tweak a few things: I omitted garlic powder and added lemon pepper instead, and a splash of lemon juice. For the topping, to make it low-carb, instead of Panko crumbs I used coconut flour mixed with Parmesan cheese — the kind that comes out of a shaker jar (this is my new go-to for any recipe that calls for breading or a crumby topping, because it’s tasty and works just like bread crumbs). But seriously this dish is delicious. My husband loved loved LOVED it and I will definitely be making it again. Thanks so much.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Just wanted to say I’ve been making this recipe for over a year. It is my all-time FAVORITE vegetable casserole recipe.
I call it Crack Casserole because it’s so addicting. 🙂
I use Gluten Free Panko breadcrumbs. I also pre-cook it in the microwave instead of boiling it so I don’t have so much liquid to drain out of it.
I’ve shared it with several friends. One of them makes it with yellow squash, or zucchini and yellow squash.
Anyway, just wanted to say how much I have enjoyed it.
Thanks!!!!
Renaming to “Crack Casserole” now… haha!
The best casserole I’ve made in a while. My picky eater even loved this one.
Love hearing this!
Can I use regular bread crumbs instead of panko?
Yes ma’am!
I sauté d the zucchini instead of par boiling. Also added para cheese. So delicious!, thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for the review Sue!
I’m excited to try this recipe this week! Any suggestions on baking it with rice?
Most people I believe add in already cooked rice.
I loved this recipe! I made it with modifications based on some of the suggestions in the comments that appealed to me, I did not parboil the zucchini but increased the baking time by ten minutes. I also reduced the mayo by half, and it was plenty. I am going to try using a combo of mayo and Greek yogurt next time to get more protein and less sodium. I added 1/2 of a medium onion, chopped and sautéd in butter, to make sure it was soft in the final product. I also doubled the breadcrumbs, using a 50:50 combination of Panko breadcrumbs and seasoned, no salt, Progresso breadcrumbs to lower the sodium. Finally, I added cherry tomatoes, halved and fresh from the vine. They were the best! Be liberal with them if you love baked tomatoes like I do! Thank you, Chandra, for sharing this delightful recipe and giving us a brand new way to make good use of the abundance of zucchini that comes our way each summer!
Anything to use up the onslaught of zucchini right? 😉
Delicious recipe! Have you ever made this, baked it & then froze it? I’m curious how it might turn out! Just heat it in the microwave after it’s defrosted? Cindy
I have not bake and froze- I don’t think the mayo combo would hold up very well on the defrost. I have however frozen the zucchini in bags ready to defrost and make into the casserole at a later time.
Awesome casserole! Thanks for posting , I am always looking for new zucchini recipes since we have about a million of them in the garden. They grow like weeds here
Thanks for the review!
This was amazing. We loved it.
So happy it was a win Patricia!