This zucchini casserole is an easy side dish that pairs perfectly with any keto meal. Naturally grain-free and low in carbohydrates, it features fresh zucchini, cheddar, and parmesan, with a crispy topping. It’s a hit with the whole family and a great way to use up that bounty of summer squash.
This zucchini bake recipe was born of absolute necessity: the necessity of having too much zucchini and not enough ideas what to do with it! I have so many delicious keto zucchini recipes and yet I find myself needing more every year.
If you grow your own zucchini, you know exactly what I am talking about. Every year, I have at least one monster plant that produces and produces and produces. I make everything I can thing of: Zucchini Lasagna, Keto Zucchini Bread, and even Chocolate Zucchini Cake.
And I still have too much. I pick so many of the delicious green summer squash, I end up passing them out to strangers on the street.
I am not kidding.
Why you must try this recipe
Zucchini Casserole is an absolutely brilliant way to put all that summer squash to good use. It’s rich and cheesy, with a deliciously crispy topping. Even my kids devoured it!
This keto side dish uses easily accessible ingredients that almost everyone has at home. It’s simple to make and has only 10 minutes of prep time. And you can turn it into a full meal by adding cooked chicken or sausage!
I honestly can’t believe how good this is. When this zucchini casserole was baking, my mouth was watering from the delicious smells emanating from my kitchen. It was hard to wait until the rest of the family was home to dig in.
To be honest, I didn’t wait. I snuck a few bites as I was getting photos. It is melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
TESTIMONIAL “Had to run to come thank you, my husband does not eat veggies , quiche or anything that is green in color ???? but he ate almost quarter if the bowl before supper was ready as I removed it from the oven to cool down.” — Estelle
Ingredients you need
- Zucchini: Two medium zucchini is about 400 grams or 14 ounces. You can also use yellow squash for this casserole, or a mix of both.
- Butter: Dollops of butter add flavor and make this keto side dish extra luscious.
- Eggs: Large eggs help bind all the ingredients together and gives the casserole some cohesiveness.
- Heavy cream: Add cream into the eggs for richness.
- Onion: Only use a little onion because they add to the carb count. One quarter cup is just enough to add flavor. You can also use some green onion instead.
- Cheddar: Use your favorite cheddar cheese for this zucchini casserole. It can be mild, medium or sharp. You could also try smoked gouda, pepper jack or mozzarella.
- Parmesan: Finely grated Parmesan helps give the crust flavor and a bit of added crunch.
- Pork rinds: This is my secret ingredient for a keto-friendly crispy topping. But you can also use crumbled parmesan crisps.
Step by Step Directions
1. Chop and blanch the zucchini: Cut the zucchini lengthwise into quarters, and then into 1/2 inch chunks. Boil for a few minutes in lightly salted water to release excess moisture so your casserole isn’t soupy. This also helps pre-cook the zucchini a bit so the casserole is tender. Drain it well.
2. Layer the zucchini: Spread it out in a greased baking pan and dot with pieces of butter.
3. Add the egg mixture: Whisk together the eggs, cream, onion, and half of the cheese, then pour this mixture evenly over the zucchini.
4. Sprinkle on the topping: Top with more cheese and crushed pork rinds or parmesan crisps for a delicious cheesy crust. Bake until bubbly and golden.
Expert Tips and FAQ
Turn this delicious zucchini bake into a full meal by adding cooked chicken, sausage, or ground beef. Simply add it along with the zucchini before pouring the egg mixture overtop. One reader even added fajita spice for a Mexican flair!
I have not tried freeing zucchini casserole, but several readers have mentioned that they have done so successfully. Make sure you let it cool completely and the wrap it up tightly so it doesn’t get any freezer burn.
If you are cooking for a larger crowd, you can easily double this recipe and bake it in a 9×13-inch dish. It may take slightly longer to bake so keep your eye on it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Crushed pork rinds are a great way to add that crispy bread topping we miss on the keto diet. You can also use crushed parmesan crisps or low carb crackers.
It sounds counterintuitive, but by blanching vegetables in boiling water first, you force them to release more moisture. Be sure to drain the zucchini well before adding it to your casserole dish. This method keeps your zucchini casserole from getting soupy and watery.
It’s great for up to 4 days in the fridge and can be easily rewarmed in the oven or the microwave.
More delicious keto casseroles
- Keto Chicken Broccoli Casserole is a fan favorite! It features a rich, creamy alfredo sauce poured over the meat and veggies and baked to perfection.
- Use your slow cooker to make Keto Meatball Casserole. It’s easy, delicious, and you have fewer dishes to wash.
- Got leftover holiday ham? Then this Ham and Cauliflower Casserole is calling your name!
- This Keto Breakfast Casserole has eggs, sausage, cheese, and shredded zucchini. It’s a wonderful make-ahead brunch recipe.
Zucchini Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 medium (392 g) zucchini, quartered and chopped, (about 4 cups)
- 2 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (59.5 g) heavy cream
- 1/4 cup (40 g) chopped onion
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) pepper
- 6 ounces (170.1 g) shredded cheddar, divided, (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1/4 cup (25 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup (28 g) finely crushed pork rinds, (or parmesan crisps)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the zucchini and cook until just tender, about 4 minutes. Drain well in a colander.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9-inch round or 8-inch square ceramic baking dish. Spread the zucchini in the pan and dot with pieces of butter.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and cream. Stir in the onions, salt, and pepper, and half of the cheddar cheese. Pour over the zucchini.
- Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheddar, the parmesan, and the pork rinds. Bake 35 minutes, until bubbly and the edges are nicely browned. Sprinkle with chopped basil, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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This is an awesome casserole! My son even ate it, the only other way I get him to eat zucchini is layered with sliced tomatoes and mozzarella cheese and sprinkled with Italian seasoning and parmesan (also a great use of zucchini or squash)
Super casserole – I’ve made it twice in a week. Good cold for breakfast!
I just made this tonight and the thing I added was garlic so we’ll see how it turns out ????
Can’t go wrong with garlic!
This was really delicious. I made it last week and everyone wanted seconds. The only change I made was adding a half teaspoon of dried thyme to the egg and cream mixture. So flavorful!
My grandmother has made this recipe for years, but she adds some Italian seasoning and it’s very good!
I made this for our Sunday night dinner. My husband and I ate the whole thing. It was so good. I have to say my favorite is still the carmelized onion and gruyere cheese, however this was a close second. SO easy and delicious. Yum… so enjoying making a lot of your recipes. I am a THM and I plan my menu for the week. You are always my first stop to see what I can make!
I’m just wondering if I did something wrong, but it tasted more like omlette eggs with zucchini, which is fine if that’s the intention. I did use milk mixed with butter instead of heavy cream, I’m wondering if that might be why.
Well, it does have eggs in it to bind it. Ours tasted mostly like zucchini and cheese.
Made this this weekend and it was the bomb.com! I used scallions instead of onions because that’s what I had on hand. It was enjoyed by the non-keto folks as well!
Made this for dinner with Pork Chops it was delicious thank you. Didnt bother with any pork rinds as couldn’t find any at the Supermarket but the topping browned beautifully
Good recipe to use up that bumper crop of zucchini. Hubby had seconds and he doesn’t care for zucchini. I used crushed cheddar crackers on top instead of pork rinds, but maybe next time I’ll just skip them. Overall good recipe.May try adding some spices too.
Thank you for this recipe! I am thinking I might add some cooked chicken to this for a complete meal. Looks really yummy and I happen to have a bunch of zucchini given to me by a friend.
Dont forget this dish already has chicken, in the form of eggs 🙂
I was thinking the same thing!!! Did you try it and if so, how did it turn out? Any suggestions?
I will be trying this. I just tried two other zucchini recipes of yours from your “Everyday Ketogenic Kitchen” cookbook – Zucchini Spice Sheet Cake and the Spaghetti sauce over zucchini noodles. They were both excellent. I was not expecting the zucchini cake to be so good since I have NEVER found one single keto cake recipe that turned out edible. In fact I have my own flour version of this cake that my entire family loves so you were up against a high standard. Even my husband was more than happy with this wonderful dessert. Can’t wait to try more recipes and will probably have to break down and purchase your other two cookbooks. Thanks for all the hard work and testing that goes into your projects!
So glad you liked the cake. I am happy to change your mind about keto cake!
Loved this recipe. I have to admit I made a small change in that I pre-roasted the zucchini versus boiling as I love the flavor that it bestows/find that also helps with the moisture issue, but otherwise I kept everything the same. This is getting added to the regular rotation!
Hi, How long did you pre-roast?
Thank you.
Hi Carolyn,
I live in Germany, we have the same “Zucchini problem” 🙂
Last weekend I had one real big Zucchini. I cut it in 12 even rings, scraped the seeds out with a spoon and filled them with oriental style ground meat and shredded feta cheese. So delicious.
You can fill anything you want in the rings, I tried chicken thigh meat as well as monkfish that was wrapped “saltimbocca style” with sage leafes and bacon strips. The rings on a baking tray in your oven are done pretty fast. Only filling the rings takes a little time.
And by the way: I really LOVE your recipes!
We don’t eat pork products, could you get a little crunchy topping by using almond flour and butter crumbled together with maybe a little Parm and sprinkled on top?? Sounds fabulous! I’m trying it tonight for supper!
It won’t be crunchy that way. I think you are better off sprinkling sliced almonds on top just as is.
Hi Denise. We don’t eat pork products either, so almonds are great, but I make a batch of chicken cracklings or crispy chicken skins and keep them on hand for keto recipes that call for pork rinds. They are so yummy and easy to make. There are many recipes out there, so just search for “chicken cracklings” or “crispy chicken skins recipe” and I am sure you will find one you like.
This looks so great! I can taste it already 🙂 I love zucchini almost as much as cauliflower!
I’m in Alaska, and we have the same type of explosive growth, here. The soil is rich, and the abundant sun makes for massive fruits and veggies that grow quickly. I mean MASSIVE. I love growing in my garden and greenhouse in the summer, and I keep hydroponic systems inside all year-round, as well.
Haha. I swear I turn my back on a small zucchini and the next day it’s exploded into a huge long thing!