Zucchini casserole is a decadent summer weeknight side dish. This vegetable dish is made rich with breadcrumbs and a creamy Parmesan sauce.


Zucchini Casserole Recipe: How to Make Zucchini Casserole 

Zucchini casserole is a Southern side dish made with chopped zucchini squash cooked into a creamy cheese sauce and baked until golden brown. Like [green bean casserole](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/classic-green-bean-casserole-recipe) or potatoes au gratin, zucchini casserole is a classic comfort food option for potlucks and barbecues. It is often made in the summer when fresh zucchini is in season. 

As far as health benefits go, [fresh zucchini](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/easy-baked-zucchini-recipe) are high in dietary fiber and potassium—useful in maintaining good blood pressure—and help achieve the recommended daily value of vitamin C and B6.
Follow these tips to make the best zucchini casserole:

1. __Salt or sauté the zucchini to remove excess water__. To avoid making a watery zucchini casserole, arrange the sliced zucchini on a sheet tray lined with paper towels, and sprinkle the slices with salt. Let the slices sit for thirty minutes, then squeeze out the remaining moisture to ensure they don’t get mushy. Alternatively, you can sauté the zucchini to cook off some water and reduce the cooking time.
2. __Add protein__. Make this a filling a one-pot meal by stirring in shredded cooked chicken breasts or shrimp before baking. This will turn the delicious side dish into a main. You can add other veggies like sliced bell peppers, tomatoes, or shredded yellow squash to add extra variety to the casserole. You can also experiment with different cheeses, like fontina and [gruyere](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/gruyere-cheese).
3. __Make it gluten-free__. To make your zucchini casserole without gluten, replace the all-purpose flour with an alternative gluten-free flour and use a gluten-free bread crumb for the topping.
4. __Make the dish ahead of time__. Cheesy zucchini casserole is a good make-ahead dish since you can cook the whole casserole a day in advance and simply [broil](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-broil-in-the-oven) it with the crumb topping before serving the next day. The dish reheats well, making it a good option for a weeknight meal or neighborhood potluck.

Zucchini casserole is a decadent summer weeknight side dish. This vegetable dish is made rich with breadcrumbs and a creamy Parmesan sauce.


Zucchini casserole is a Southern side dish made with chopped zucchini squash cooked into a creamy cheese sauce and baked until golden brown. Like <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/classic-green-bean-casserole-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/classic-green-bean-casserole-recipe","linkCopy":"green bean casserole","category":null}'>green bean casserole</a> or potatoes au gratin, zucchini casserole is a classic comfort food option for potlucks and barbecues. It is often made in the summer when fresh zucchini is in season. As far as health benefits go, <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/easy-baked-zucchini-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/easy-baked-zucchini-recipe","linkCopy":"fresh zucchini","category":null}'>fresh zucchini</a> are high in dietary fiber and potassium—useful in maintaining good blood pressure—and help achieve the recommended daily value of vitamin C and B6.

What Is Zucchini Casserole? 

Follow these tips to make the best zucchini casserole:<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Salt or sauté the zucchini to remove excess water. To avoid making a watery zucchini casserole, arrange the sliced zucchini on a sheet tray lined with paper towels, and sprinkle the slices with salt. Let the slices sit for thirty minutes, then squeeze out the remaining moisture to ensure they don’t get mushy. Alternatively, you can sauté the zucchini to cook off some water and reduce the cooking time. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Add protein. Make this a filling a one-pot meal by stirring in shredded cooked chicken breasts or shrimp before baking. This will turn the delicious side dish into a main. You can add other veggies like sliced bell peppers, tomatoes, or shredded yellow squash to add extra variety to the casserole. You can also experiment with different cheeses, like fontina and <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/gruyere-cheese' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/gruyere-cheese","linkCopy":"gruyere","category":null}'>gruyere</a>. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Make it gluten-free. To make your zucchini casserole without gluten, replace the all-purpose flour with an alternative gluten-free flour and use a gluten-free bread crumb for the topping. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 4. Make the dish ahead of time. Cheesy zucchini casserole is a good make-ahead dish since you can cook the whole casserole a day in advance and simply <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-broil-in-the-oven' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-broil-in-the-oven","linkCopy":"broil","category":null}'>broil</a> it with the crumb topping before serving the next day. The dish reheats well, making it a good option for a weeknight meal or neighborhood potluck. </li></ol>

4 Tips for Making Zucchini Casserole 

Zucchini Casserole Recipe 

Zucchini casserole is a decadent summer weeknight side dish. This vegetable dish is made rich with breadcrumbs and a creamy Parmesan sauce.