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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I love this so much that I’ve made it twice in the last 30 days. Thank you for the recipe!
Thank you! My kitchen smells like healthy Mac n cheese! Really great recipe, thanks for Sharing it!
I’m not s fan of zucchini but this was out of this world delicious! I had to stop myself from eating the entire pan! You Carolyn are a freaking genius! Thank you so much for all you do! I have 3 of your cookbooks and love them!
I am so delighted to hear that!
I too was looking to rid myself of pesky zucchini when I found this recipe. I am NOT a zucchini fan. So I said to myself, Self-what would make you want to eat this? And the answer was….BACON!!! and its amazing. Thanks for the recipe!!
Bacon is a pretty great answer! 😉
Good but way too watery, roast or sautee zucchini instead of boiling!
Actually, no. By boiling the zucchini, you force it to release moisture. You can see from my photo that mine wasn’t very watery at all. I suspect you didn’t drain it enough.
After many years on a lo-carb diet, something different is great! We enjoyed this on a cold snowy night. Adding more water to the zucchini didn’t make sense to me. I simply air-fried it about 8 minutes to dry it out. I have a Breville Air which has an extremely large basket and all the zucchini fit in one batch. Proceeded with the recipe less one egg (to make it less quiche-like), subbed scallions and tossed in some basil. Really enjoyed the leftovers for lunch. Thanks!
Can you freeze leftovers?
I haven’t tried, to be honest.
Wow this is such a nice recipe and will be a keeper next time I will do it with brocolli and cauliflower so delicious, thanks so much ????
Delicious! I had some left over sausage which I added along with pepper jack cheese and some Italian seasoning! Thanks for the recipe! My hubby loved it!
Your recipes are always the best and this one is no exception. I made it just the way you wrote it and my VERY picky husband loved it. It will be a regular on our menu. Thank you!
This is so good and beautiful to look at! I waited a lot longer than I should have to try this! We made it for lunch, and I think next time I’ll double it and add the italian sausage from your Zucchini and Sausage Augratin for a new variation for dinner! Thank you for great recipes that are easy to follow! You’ve helped to make me a better cook! Appreciate all your hard work!
The recipe is good. However, it definitely calls for less eggs and more cream to get more of a sauce. 3 eggs is too much… The original recipe makes the dish turn out to be zucchini with scrambled eggs.
How long does this casserole keep? I’m alone in my Keto journey at home but this sounds great to have on hand for lunch during my week. Thanks!!
Should be good through most of the week if you keep it refrigerated.
I made this to take to Thanksgiving dinner. Wanted to be sure there was a side dish I could eat. Everyone liked it. I didn’t tell them it was keto. I used both zucchini and yellow squash, sliced thin. Boiled and drained like the recipe says. I even topped it with crushed pork rinds! Didn’t tell anyone about that either. Ha ha. I love the creamy texture of this dish. I feel it could use a bit more seasoning and some herbs though. Will definitely make this again!
Feel free to play with it and add your own touches!
Making this for Thanksgiving! I’m excited to bring a keto dish to our dinner.
This probably isn’t the best place to add this comment, but I don’t see a contact me area. Do you have any recipes that are keto and have no eggs, whey, gluten or almonds? I am having some difficulty finding great tasting recipes without these added. Especially the eggs! Thanks for any help you may be able to give me.
I have a whole contact page and form! 🙂 Are you looking for savory or sweet recipes?
I feel kind of stupid. But when I cooked it was like eating eggs and zucchini. Did I do something wrong? Tasted great, just was not what we expected. TY!
That’s what it’s supposed to be.
Thank you for this recipe, I made it last night and it was delish! I doubled the recipe and I also used summer squash and zucchini. I cut them in slices and then steamed them in steamer bags and drained them in a colander. It turned out perfect! This would also be a good breakfast casserole, just add sausage or bacon and it would be great. I was also thinking about adding chicken next time 🙂