Zucchini casserole with cheese is the recipe that turns extra garden zucchini into a dish that gets scraped clean at the table. It’s built on a creamy base of heavy whipping cream and egg, seasoned with oregano, thyme, and basil, and loaded with melty pepper jack cheese. A crunchy panko topping goes on right before it bakes, so you get that soft, herby middle and a golden, crispy top in every bite. It’s a 45-minute recipe from start to finish, feeds a crowd of 10, and holds up well whether you’re serving it at home or carrying it somewhere else.
Every single year, my zucchini plants produce more than my family could ever eat, and I’ve learned to just plan for it instead of fighting it. My family loves casseroles, so I built this zucchini casserole recipe specifically to use up the overflow. It’s become one of my go-to recipes to make for a new mom or to carry into a potluck, and if there’s still zucchini left after that, it usually ends up in a loaf of zucchini bread too.
Main Ingredients Needed For Zucchini Casserole with Cheese
Here’s a quick overview of the key ingredients for this recipe. For the full list of ingredients and exact measurements, jump to the recipe card.
- Zucchini: The whole point of this recipe. You’ll need about five medium zucchini, and you don’t even need to peel them. The skin softens right up in the oven.
- Heavy whipping cream: This is what keeps the zucchini from turning watery and grainy once it bakes down. I tried a lighter cream here once, and it never set up the same way. Heavy whipping cream is worth keeping on hand for this recipe.
- Egg: Binds everything together so the casserole holds its shape when you slice it.
- Onion and garlic: The flavor base for the whole dish. Yellow or white onion both work fine.
- Oregano, thyme, and basil: This herb blend is what gives the casserole its warm, savory flavor. If you’re not big on this combination, rosemary is a good stand-in.
- Pepper jack cheese: Melts beautifully and gives the casserole its gooey texture. I always shred it myself off the block for this one. I learned the hard way that pre-shredded cheese won’t melt the same; that starchy coating just doesn’t cooperate.
- Panko breadcrumbs: These are lighter and crispier than regular breadcrumbs, and they’re what give you that crunchy top.
How To Make Zucchini Casserole with Cheese
Here’s exactly how this baked zucchini casserole comes together, step by step.
Tip: Blot the zucchini with paper towels before mixing it with the other ingredients. That’s a lesson from my first batch, which turned out soupy instead of set. Zucchini holds a lot of water, and skipping this step is what causes it.
Cheese and Zucchini Variations
- If you want a little more heat, swap the pepper jack for a true hot pepper cheese. I’ve made it this way, and it’s actually my favorite version when I want more kick. It melts just as well and gives the casserole real heat instead of just a mild warmth.
- Whatever cheese you choose for this zucchini casserole with cheese, shred it fresh off the block rather than reaching for the bag of pre-shredded. The anti-caking coating on bagged cheese keeps it from melting smoothly.
- This is really a zucchini casserole with bread crumbs at its core, so if you want extra crunch, double the panko before baking.
- If you want to stretch your zucchini even further, I do a half zucchini, half yellow squash swap most summers when the garden gets ahead of me. It holds up the same way in the oven, and nobody notices the difference once it’s baked.
- If you’re always looking for another way to use up extra zucchini, pan-fried zucchini is one of my other go-to sides. And if you still have zucchini left after all that, it’s a good excuse to make a loaf of savory zucchini bread too.
Make Ahead Tips
You can assemble the casserole a day ahead, cover the baking dish, and refrigerate it unbaked until you’re ready to cook. However, wait to add the panko topping until just before it goes in the oven so it stays crisp and golden instead of becoming soft in the refrigerator.
Questions When Making Zucchini Casserole with Cheese
Blot the zucchini dry with paper towels before you mix it with everything else. Zucchini holds a lot of water naturally, and skipping this step is the most common reason a casserole like this turns out soggy.
Yes, you can swap up to half of the zucchini for yellow squash, and it bakes up the same way. I wouldn’t go past a half-and-half blend since the recipe is built around zucchini’s texture.
Zucchini Casserole with Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 cups zucchini, (about 5 medium, cubed)
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 egg, large
- 1/2 cup onion, (yellow or white, chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano, dried
- 1 teaspoon thyme, dried
- 1 teaspoon basil, dried
- 3/4 cup pepper jack, shredded
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs, (divided in half)
Instructions
Prepare Zucchini
- Wash and pat the zucchini dry. Slice into rounds, then cut into cubes, until you have about 8 cups. Place in a large bowl.8 cups zucchini
Prep the Dish
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Mix the Filling
- Whisk the egg in a medium bowl.1 egg
- Add the heavy whipping cream, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, basil, pepper jack cheese, and half of the breadcrumbs. Stir to combine.1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, 1/2 cup onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon basil, 3/4 cup pepper jack, 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- Pour the mixture over the zucchini and toss until the zucchini is well coated.
Assemble and Bake
- Spread the zucchini mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining breadcrumbs on top.
- Cover loosely with foil and bake for 25 minutes, until the zucchini is soft.
- Uncover and bake for 5 more minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden and crisp.
Gina’s Notes and Tips
- Make Ahead: This can be assembled ahead of time and refrigerated unbaked. Add the panko breadcrumbs just before baking rather than ahead of time, so they stay crisp instead of going soft in the fridge.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
- Reheating: Place leftovers in a baking dish, cover with foil, and warm in a 350-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until heated through.
- Freezing: This casserole does not freeze well.
- Substitutions: Swap the pepper jack for a true hot pepper cheese for more heat. Shred cheese fresh off the block rather than using pre-shredded, which is coated with a starch that keeps it from melting as smoothly.
- Variations: Swap up to half of the zucchini for yellow squash.
Tried this recipe?
Please consider Leaving a Review!Showing Hospitality with Zucchini Casserole with Cheese
Try building your next gathering around a Farm to Table Fall Night. It’s an easy theme to pull off, and this casserole makes the perfect centerpiece side. If you’ve ever ended up with more zucchini than you know what to do with, you already have exactly what you need for it; just add whatever else is coming out of the garden right now, like a pot of crock-pot corn on the cob, and let the meal reflect what’s actually in season instead of something styled to look that way. A simple setup tip: skip the fancy serving dishes and bring the casserole to the table in the pan it baked in, alongside something like slow-cooker lemonade chicken, with a basket of bread and a bowl of tomatoes still warm from the vine. There’s something honest about a table built from what’s actually growing around you, and I think that’s a small picture of how God provides more than enough, right when we need it. Invite a neighbor over, share the extra zucchini while you’re at it, and let a simple meal do the work of making someone feel welcome.