If you’re searching for an easy and flavorful dish to use up your zucchini, look no further than this garlic herb and feta cheese infused zucchini casserole. Bursting with oregano, thyme, basil, and garlic, this simple vegetable side dish bakes in 30 minutes and doesn’t require any pre-cooking.
One reader, Kathryn, commented: “Aside from zucchini bread, this is THE BEST way I have ever eaten zucchini. Loved every bite. ★★★★★“
Another reader, Abby, commented: “This is the most amazing side dish, and frankly I could make a meal out of it—it’s that good and filling! I may have added a tiny bit more parmesan, but other than tossing in yellow squash as well, I followed to a T. I will be making this every summer. My new fave squash recipe! ★★★★★“
Between all the zucchini bread, chocolate zucchini bread, zucchini muffins, and zucchini cookies, it’s only a matter of time before our zucchini begins begging us for savory herbs and cheese. LOL. Which it gets in today’s recipe (and these savory zucchini biscuits, by the way).
I figured you would appreciate a vegetable-packed side dish in between all the sweet options. My entire family loved this side dish, children included. Let me show you how it comes together.
Tell Me About This Feta Zucchini Casserole
- Texture: Each bite of this casserole is packed with crisp bread crumbs and zucchini that’s baked just until tender, before it reaches a soggy, over-baked texture. A little heavy cream and an egg hold the zucchini together so the dish is like (but not as heavy as) a cheesy casserole.
- Flavor: Herby, salty, and tangy with a little bit of kick from the optional red pepper flakes. If you love fresh and garlicky herb flavors, you’ll love this one! I use basil, thyme, and oregano, but feel free to swap in some parsley and/or rosemary.
- Ease: All you’re doing is mixing most of the ingredients together and spreading them into a casserole dish. There’s no pre-cooking required, but the zucchini benefits from a quick 10 minute blot/drain to rid some moisture.
Lots of texture, lots of flavor, little prepwork!
Grab These Ingredients for Your Zucchini Casserole:
Each ingredient has a specific job, so I don’t recommend leaving any out. However, feel free to substitute with my suggestions. Here’s a brief rundown so you understand the importance of each:
- Feta Cheese: Tangy crumbled feta cheese is my recommended choice for this dish, but shredded white cheddar, smoked gouda, Gruyère, or pepper jack for a little kick would be great alternatives.
- Basil, Oregano, & Thyme: Flavor! I use a mix of fresh and dried herbs. See recipe Note below.
- Salt & Pepper: More flavor. Also, a little salt helps draw out some zucchini moisture in step 1.
- Garlic & Onion: Both add even more flavor.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: Panko breadcrumbs help give the dish some substance. Mix some in with the zucchini and other ingredients and then top the dish with more breadcrumbs before baking. You can purchase Panko at the store—they’re wonderfully crunchy and perfect as a topping on casseroles.
- Egg & Heavy Cream: You need some thick liquid in the mixture to help hold the zucchini and cheese together. 1 egg and a little heavy cream turned this into a tasty, hearty casserole. I don’t recommend any substitutes for the egg, but half-and-half works inside of the heavy cream. Milk or anything lower fat wouldn’t be ideal.
- Zucchini: Zucchini varies greatly in size. You need 1.5 lbs, which is about 3-4 medium zucchini. After slicing and quartering, you’ll have about 6 cups or about 680g. No need to peel the zucchini. If you find yourself with an abundance of zucchini, try my zucchini cake, peanut butter chocolate chip zucchini bread, or any of my favorite zucchini recipes next!
- (Optional) Shredded Parmesan & Red Pepper Flakes: To finish off the dish, add some parmesan (or more feta cheese) on top near the end of bake time. Before serving, feel free to add a sprinkle of herbs and/or red pepper flakes for a bit of heat.
Success Tips: Avoid a Watery Casserole
Zucchini is a very wet ingredient which is why it’s so lovely in baked goods… moisture! In main dishes and sides like this feta zucchini bake, however, all of this moisture can give you a very soggy dish. To combat this:
- Cut the zucchini thick: Slice zucchini into 1/2 inch thick slices and quarter them.
- Blot/drain for 10 minutes: Lightly sprinkle the zucchini pieces with salt, place into a towel-lined colander, cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Blot lightly, and then use in the recipe.
You also want to avoid over-baking, so follow the baking directions below. If baked too long, the zucchini becomes overly soft to the point of tasting mushy. You want to retain *some* texture.
Mix most of the ingredients together in 1 bowl and then spread into a greased baking dish:
Want some color? Chop up a red bell pepper and add it right into the bowl with everything else.
Bake, covered, for 25 minutes and then top with parmesan or more feta cheese. Return to the oven uncovered for 5 more minutes. Garnish with red pepper flakes and/or more herbs for serving.
Can I Freeze Zucchini Casserole?
Yes, you can freeze this zucchini casserole before or after baking. Assemble the entire dish, but instead of baking, cover it tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then bake as directed. You can also freeze the baked and cooled casserole. Cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then cover with aluminum foil and reheat in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 20 minutes.
Can I Use Yellow Squash Instead?
Yes, absolutely. Simply replace the zucchini with the same amount of yellow squash.
Is This Gluten Free?
Because of the breadcrumbs on top, this vegetable side dish is not gluten free. However, you can purchase gluten free breadcrumbs or make your own with gluten free bread.
If you love this dish you’ll also love these zucchini fritters. And for even more inspiration, see this round up of 15+ summer dinner ideas and 20+ zucchini recipes!
Serve With These Dinner Favorites
Today’s feta zucchini casserole would pair wonderfully with the following:
- Black Bean Burgers
- Jalapeño Pepper Jack Turkey Burgers
- Crab Cakes
- Chicken Meatballs
- Honey Garlic Shrimp
- Caprese Pesto Chicken Burgers
- Baked Lemon Garlic Salmon
Zucchini Casserole Side Dish
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: serves 8
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Bursting with oregano, thyme, basil, and garlic, this simple vegetable side dish bakes in 30 minutes and doesn’t require any pre-cooking. To avoid a soggy dish, draining/blotting the zucchini in step 1 is crucial.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs. (about 680g) zucchini (about 3–4 medium)
- 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup (60g) chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for step 1
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano (or 2 teaspoons fresh)
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil (or 1 and 1/2 teaspoons dried)
- 3/4 cup (100g) crumbled feta cheese
- 1/3 cup (35g) Panko breadcrumbs, divided
- optional: 2 Tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese or crumbled feta cheese
- optional for serving: red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Slice zucchini into 1/2-inch thick slices and then quarter each slice. You should have a little over 6 cups or 600–700g of quartered/chopped zucchini. Sprinkle lightly with salt (reserve the 1/4 teaspoon of salt for step 3… this is just a light sprinkle). Line a colander with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Place zucchini in lined colander. Let sit for just 10 minutes. Blot dry as best you can.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Grease a 2.5-quart baking dish. (See Note below for recommendations on best pans to use.)
- In a large bowl, whisk the heavy cream and egg together. Stir in the the onion, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, basil, feta cheese, and 3 Tablespoons (21g) breadcrumbs. Stir in the zucchini. Spread mixture into prepared baking dish. Top evenly with remaining breadcrumbs.
- Bake, covered lightly with aluminum foil, for 25 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with 2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese or crumbled feta cheese. Return to the oven, uncovered, and bake for 5 more minutes or until zucchini is tender. For a crispier/browner top, switch the oven to broil and broil for the last 30 seconds. (If skipping the cheese topping, you still want to bake the dish for 5 minutes uncovered.)
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle lightly with red pepper flakes, if desired. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat as desired.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: To freeze the unbaked casserole, assemble it then cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then bake as directed. You can also freeze the baked and cooled casserole. Cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then cover with aluminum foil and reheat in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 20 minutes.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Colander | 2.5-Quart Baking Dish such as a 9-inch Square Baking Dish, 9-inch Springform Pan, 10-inch Springform Pan, 11×17-inch Pan, or the pictured 8×12-inch Baking Dish | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk
- Heavy Cream: You can use half-and-half instead, but I strongly recommend heavy cream. Do not use milk.
- Herbs: Feel free to substitute other herbs such as rosemary or parsley.
- Cheese: Tangy crumbled feta cheese is my recommended choice for this dish, but shredded white cheddar, smoked gouda, Gruyère, or pepper jack for a little kick would be great alternatives.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: Panko breadcrumbs help give the dish some substance. You can purchase Panko at most grocery stores—they’re wonderfully crunchy and perfect as a topping on casseroles. You could also make your own breadcrumbs by spreading crumbled bread pieces on a baking sheet and toasting in a 300°F (149°C) oven for 5–10 minutes or until browned and crisp.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Hi, if I double the recipe, what would be the cooking time?
Hi Mehrdad, that would depend on the size pan you use, so we are unsure of an exact bake time. It wouldn’t be double the time, though. Keep an eye on it and bake until the zucchini is tender.
Has anyone doubled this recipe before?
Hi Shawna, we haven’t but that shouldn’t be a problem if using a proportionally larger dish. (You don’t want the mixture to be much higher/thicker in the pan, or it may not bake through well enough.) Bake time will likely be a bit longer. Or, you can make two separate pans if that’s easier. Enjoy!
I made thus recipe but did a mix of yellow squash and Zucchini. It was awesome!
My new favorite vegetable dish! Followed instructions with no changes, especially the first time I make a new recipe. The only thing I would do differently is wait to add the Panko for the top at the end of the baking time. I stirred the dish while baking, and then all the Panko was mixed it. Still delicious. Next time I’ll toast the Panko for the topping and add at the very end, with the extra cheese. I still added the 3T to the mixture, and I used heavy whipping cream. I can see that using the heavy cream makes a big difference in the texture. I used zucchini that had been on the vine two days before.
Great recipe! Always, always have a lot of zucchini (and I’ve never grown any in my garden). I will pass this recipe on to those who supply me with said zucchini.
This looks delicious! I’m going to make an ad white beans and fresh cut up tomatoes is another reader
Loved the Zucchini casserole. Easy to make and delicious! I added fresh cut up tomatoes to the top. Yum!
This is the most amazing side dish, and frankly I could make a meal of it it’s that good and filling! I maaay have added a tiny bit more parm, but other than tossing in yellow squash as well, followed to a T. I will be making this every summer, my new fave squash recipe!
My husband I enjoyed this casserole very much. It was easy to prepare and came out delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe with us.
This sounds so yummy! Because of dietary restrictions could you omit the onion and substitute garlic infused olive oil for the minced garlic? Possibly use scallions or green onions for the onion?
Hi Tricia, that should be fine!
I really enjoyed this recipe! I think I may saute the onions and garlic beforehand next time, just to give them a little caramelized and softer.
Tried recipe but its really dry from bread crumbs. Should I add more cream or sour cream mix and bake?
Hi Sandy, was it over baked by chance? The breadcrumbs help give the dish some substance, but if you found it to be a bit too much, you can certainly try cutting back on the amount. We’d recommend that rather than adding more liquid—zucchini is already quite wet, and we don’t want a soggy dish.
Not a fan. I wanted to lime it but it just was not good. I used half and half.
Super tasty! My go-to side vegetable side dish has been broccoli casserole but this is a new favorite!
I will try any baked goods recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction and was so surprised to see this savory recipe when looking for something new to do with Zucchini. We absolutely loved this simple, yet elegant, that was not loaded down with cream of something soup! I followed all the directions but included a yellow squash because it also needed to be eaten. Superb dish that is great for family and company!!!
If I can’t read the directions without waiting for an advert to go away, I’ll just go elsewhere and be certain to never follow a link to your site again. Irritating as hell.
Hi Keith, Thank you for visiting our site. We do not allow pop ups on this website, and the ad placements we do allow should never be blocking any content. We wonder if there was a spammy ad campaign that somehow got through, so we will let our ad network know. Sorry for the trouble!
Keith, just click print recipe and problem with ads solved.
We loved this recipe and will make it again for sure. I used feta cheese inside and Parmesan on top.
This was really good! I added a bit more red pepper because it was a tiny bit bland to us, but the texture was perfect. We will be making this again this week for our dinner guests.
Perfect! I knew when i saw this was a ‘Sally’s’ recipe, I thought it was bound to be good, and it was. Definite Repeat. I used red onion, fresh minced garlic, driied herbs (skipped the thyme), added the red pepper flakes and parmesan to finish, as suggested in the recipe. Thank you!.
Am going to cube up some cooked chicken breast and add. Have some kale from the garden and will shred that in as well.
Fantastic recipe! Followed recipe exactly as written and it turned out great. Definitely a keeper!
Can I assemble the casserole the night before and bake the next day?
Hi Lynn, We recommend baking it immediately because the zucchini will start to release more moisture.
I really enjoyed this recipe. I added sliced (cooked) Italian chicken sausage to make it a main course and it was a great addition. My only issue was that it took much longer to bake, about twice as long as the recipe calls for.
Good & easy. Smelled wonderful while baking. Even hubby ate 2 helpings & he’s not a big fan of zucchini! Used feta cheese, bet it would be great with pepper jack or nearly any cheese…Thanks Sally for another great recipe!
For some reason I was thinking it would be more like a quiche, but it stayed more separated. It was absolutely delicious and everyone loved it. My only comment would be that the onions were still a little crunchy. I think I would probably sauté my onions a little first next time to bring out more flavor.
Thank you for the head’s up about the onions.
Can I add cooked sausage to this recipe?
Can’t see why not! Let us know if you give it a try.
Last week I made this for supper as a side dish and we loved it! I didn’t have feta so I used cheddar. The left-overs were delicious the next day.
I have made this recipe 3 times now. Excellent!!
This was delicious.