Zucchini casserole recipe: Are you looking for the perfect way to take simple ingredients and make incredible comfort food? Than look no further than our zucchini bake recipe. We're always looking for a way to put that extra zucchini to good use, so this easy side dish does that quite impressively!
This "zucchini lasagna" is a perfect low carb side dish. A delicious cheesy zucchini casserole is a great recipe for any time of year, but it's especially one of our favorite ways to utilize fresh zucchini during the summer months when they are so plentiful.
Zucchini is one of our favorite vegetables since it is so versatile. So, if you're looking for zucchini recipes, we've got them! How about peach zucchini bread, (one of our most popular recipes), apple zucchini bread, zucchini brownies, and even savory zucchini fritters. Come back often, since we are always making new recipes!
One Pan Cooking
Cooking in a large skillet that can then go straight into a hot oven is a great way to cook. Cooking in a single pan not only reduces the amount of washing up, but it's elegant and simple in the way that all of the flavors are just right there. If you don't own a cast iron pan or a skillet with a handle that can withstand a high temperature, easy recipes like this one can be done by transferring to a baking dish. Zucchini naturally has so much water, that maintaining a high temperature really helps to keep this amazing side dish from coming out too watery. Make sure that your casserole dish has a little time in the oven before layering the zucchini slices and the other ingredients, and this should help with this.
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Ingredients
We love how this recipe uses such simple pantry ingredients!
- Zucchini - sliced in full rounds, we've found that medium zucchini or even small ones are superior in flavor to large ones that have a lot of excess water.
- Onion - we thin sliced yellow onion for this recipe, as they get nice and golden brown so easily.
- White cheddar - shredded cheese melts more evenly.
- Applewood Smoked Bacon - cut the bacon into strips.
- Worcestershire sauce -adds the perfect zip and umami to this cheesy zucchini gratin.
- Salt
- Black Pepper - we always use freshly ground.
See recipe card for quantities.
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Instructions
Step One - Render and Crisp Bacon
Heat a medium sized cast iron pan or a heavy bottom pan that's oven safe over medium high heat, then add the bacon.
Turn down to medium-low heat, and cook the bacon until evenly crispy and brown.
Remove the bacon and drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
Reserve the bacon fat in the pan.
Step Two - Caramelize onions
Return the pan to medium heat and add the sliced onions.
Cook the onions for a few minutes over medium heat, then add the Worcestershire sauce and stir to coat.
Continue to cook the onions on medium to low heat until they are evenly brown.
Remove the onions from the pan and set them aside on a plate.
Step Three - Layer and Finish the Dish
Layer the zucchini rounds into the pan over medium-low heat, then season with salt and black pepper.
Add a little bit of the cooked bacon.
Add the cooked onions and turn the heat to low.
Add a layer of shredded cheese, reserving some for the top layer.
Layer the rest of the zucchini slices and season with salt and black pepper.
Top off the zucchini with the remaining shredded cheddar cheese and cooked bacon. Place into a preheated 400-degree F oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling!
Helpful Hint
Don't add salt to the pan when cooking the onions. The salt will release the water in the onions preventing them from browning properly.
Substitutions
- Dairy free - use your favorite dairy free cheese substitute.
- Vegetarian - the Worcestershire sauce can be replaced with a plant-based Worcestershire sauce.
Variations
- Cheese - you can use gruyere cheese, parmesan cheese, or any favorite melty cheese will work in place of the white cheddar.
- Squash - we used zucchini; however, yellow squash or any variety of summer squash will work.
- Bacon - if you can't find apple wood smoked bacon any bacon will work!
Storage
This zucchini bake is best served hot from the oven. But it can be cooled down and placed in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To re-heat, place it into a preheated oven set for 350 degrees F for 25 minutes or until heated through the center.
Chef Tip
Whether you are using zucchini or another type of summer squash, make sure the slices are evenly sliced. This will ensure that the slices will cook evenly.
FAQ
Absolutely! You can add another cheese to the mix. We would recommend adding a hard cheese like Asiago.
More Inspiration
Garden To Table
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe
Cheesy Zucchini Bake
Equipment
- 1 Kitchen Scale
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Chef Knife
- 1 tongs
- 1 Dinner plate with paper towels for draining the bacon and for placing the onions after browning
- 1 cast iron skillet or any oven safe skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb. sliced zucchini rounds
- 8 oz. sliced onions
- 6 oz. applewood smoked bacon
- 6 oz. shredded white cheddar cheese
- 1 tbsps. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 4000℉
- Measure and slice the zucchini, onion, and the bacon.
- Heat the cast iron skillet on high heat. Add the sliced bacon pieces and reduce the heat to medium high.
- Cook the bacon until crispy and golden. Remove the bacon from the pan and place it on a plate with paper towels to drain the fat.
- Carefully swirl the bacon fat around the skillet coating the sides.
- Return the pan to medium heat and add the onions. Cook the onions for a few minutes, then add the Worcestershire sauce and using the tongs stir to coat.
- Cook the onions until golden brown, then remove them from the pan placing them on the plate with the bacon.
- Return the pan to low heat and place ½ of the zucchini rounds evenly in the bottom of the pan. Season them with ½ of the salt and pepper.
- Layer ½ of the cooked bacon on the top of the zucchini. Then layer the cooked onions, followed by the shredded white cheddar. Turn off the heat.
- Continue layering the remaining zucchini season them with salt and pepper. Then top it off with the remaining white cheddar and bacon pieces.
- Place the skillet into the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown and melted. Allow to rest for a few minutes and enjoy!
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