When I’m looking to add a vegetable side to a meal, I often turn to classic casseroles such as scalloped corn casserole, broccoli casserole, or this cheesy zucchini version. This is a great way to use up all the squash from your summer garden!
Zucchini Casserole Ingredients
To make creamy zucchini casserole you will need butter, flour, zucchini, onion, garlic, dried thyme, cream, milk, cheddar cheese, buttery crackers, parsley, salt and black pepper. This zucchini is a perfect side dish recipe for everyday meals like chicken francese, honey garlic salmon or a crock pot pork roast. You can also make this recipe for Thanksgiving. It goes well with some of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes like smoked turkey, pumpkin soup and bacon green bean bundles.
How Do You Make Zucchini Casserole?
Make zucchini casserole by first cooking sliced zucchini in butter with onions in a pan until the vegetables are tender. Place the cooked veggies in a bowl. Next, whip up the creamy sauce. Start the homemade sauce by whisking together melted butter and flour in a pan. Add milk, cook for a couple of minutes and then add cream and seasonings. Let the sauce thicken and pour it over the zucchini and stir in cheddar cheese. Pour everything into a baking dish. The finishing touch is a layer of buttered cracker crumbs and more shredded cheese. Bake it in the oven until the cheese is melted. Add a sprinkling of fresh parsley and you’ll be ready to eat.
Tips For The Perfect Casserole
Crumble crackers by placing them in a Ziploc bag and crushing them by hand or with a small cooking mallet. Skip the bags of pre-shredded cheese at the grocery store, and grate your own cheese instead. The prepared shredded cheese at the grocery store is often coated in preservatives and anti caking agents, and does not melt well. You can toss the cooked squash in the sauce and cheese, then cover and refrigerate the zucchini casserole for up to 6 hours. Add the cracker crumbs and final layer of cheese right before you put the casserole in the oven.
Flavor Variations
While I love this casserole as-is, you can absolutely add other ingredients to customize it to your tastes.
Protein: Make this a meal by adding cooked and crumbled sausage or bacon, or diced grilled chicken breast. Veggies: Feel free to add other vegetables to your casserole such as bell peppers, mushrooms, yellow squash or other varieties of summer squash. Cheese: Swap out the cheddar for Monterey Jack cheese, pepper jack cheese, sharp cheddar cheese or mozzarella cheese. Topping: Not a fan of crackers? Try panko breadcrumbs, French fried onions or even crushed potato chips. Herbs: I use parsley because I always have it on hand, but other great options include basil, chives or dill.
This zucchini casserole is great for summer entertaining, but is also a great addition in the cooler weather months. That combination of rich creamy zucchini and crunchy crackers just can’t be beat.
Zucchini Casserole Video
