Skip to main content

Zucchini Gratin Casserole

Summer's bountiful harvest brings an abundance of fresh produce, including one vegetable that often multiplies faster than we can keep up with – zucchini. When your garden or local market overflows with these green gems, turn to our Zucchini Gratin Casserole for a versatile and delightful vegetable side dish. 

I look forward to the abundant supply of fresh produce that summer brings.  I also plant a small vegetable garden to ensure I will have plenty of my favorites like peas, beets, string beans, tomatoes, and zucchini.

Delicious Zucchini Gratin: A Summer Bounty Delight

A quick and easy summer squash casserole.

The trouble with zucchini is that there can be too much of a good thing.  What do you make when you have too much zucchini? That's when recipes like this Zucchini Gratin Casserole come in very handy.  You can use up a lot of zucchini with this recipe. 

Why You'll Fall in Love with This Recipe

Your Too Much Zucchini Solution: This gratin is the perfect way to put your surplus zucchini to good use. You can use up a substantial amount of zucchini with this delicious recipe, making it a go-to choice for gardeners and farmers' market enthusiasts.

Versatile and Easy: Zucchini Gratin is a versatile vegetable casserole that's incredibly easy to make. Plus, it's a dish that keeps on giving because the leftovers make a fantastic lunch the next day.

Creamy and Rich: The magic of this gratin lies in the luscious cream sauce. Heavy cream is cooked to perfection, thickening beautifully and infusing the dish with a rich and creamy texture that's simply irresistible.

Customizable Flavor: Zucchini's mild flavor serves as a canvas for your flavor creativity. Be generous with onion, garlic, salt, and pepper to elevate the taste to your liking. Feel free to adjust the recipe to suit your taste.

Tips for Success

1. Choose Medium-Sized Squash: For consistent results, opt for medium-sized zucchini. You can use all zucchini, all yellow squash, or a mix of both. Don't fret if you have oversized zucchini; just cut them into smaller pieces and remove large seeds if present.

2. Don't Skimp on Seasoning: Since zucchini is relatively mild in flavor, season generously with onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning (if desired). These elements are crucial to infusing the dish with a burst of savory goodness. Start with my recipe and adapt it to your taste.

How to Make Zucchini Gratin

Serves Four-Six


You Will Need:
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 4-6 medium zucchini, sliced into quarter-inch rounds
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, optional
  • 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat your over to 350 degrees F.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the zucchini and the onion, spread in a layer across the pan.  Season with the salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Let the vegetables cook a few minutes until you start to see a little browning.  Then stir the mixture to get even color.  Cook until a little browned and crisp-tender.

Add the minced garlic to the pan and stir to combine.  Cook for about one minute.  Add the cream to the mixture, stirring to combine.  Let the cream bubble and thicken a bit. 

Combine the panko bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle half of the cheese mixture over the vegetables and stir to combine.  Spoon the mixture into a baking dish.  Top with the remaining cheese mixture.

Bake the mixture until the topping is browned and crisp, approximately 10-15 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use other types of squash in this recipe?
Absolutely! You can experiment with different types of summer squash or even include other seasonal vegetables for variety.

Is there a dairy-free alternative to heavy cream?
Yes, you can use a dairy-free cream substitute like coconut cream or almond milk, which will add a unique flavor twist to the gratin.

Can I prepare this dish in advance?
Zucchini Gratin is best enjoyed fresh, but you can prep the components ahead of time. Cook the zucchini mixture, make the cream sauce, and store them separately. When ready to serve, combine the two, top with breadcrumbs and cheese, then bake until golden and bubbly.

The Zucchini Gratin Recipe

squash side dish, zucchini casserole
dinner
American
Yield: 6
Author: Donna Urso
Zucchini Gratin

Zucchini Gratin

An easy. delicious summer squash casserole, a perfect vegetable side dish.
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 40 Min

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat your over to 350 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the zucchini and the onion, spread in a layer across the pan. Season with the salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Let the vegetables cook a few minutes until you start to see a little browning. Then stir the mixture to get even color. Cook until a little browned and crisp-tender.
  3. Add the minced garlic to the pan and stir to combine. Cook for about one minute. Add the cream to the mixture, stirring to combine. Let the cream bubble and thicken a bit.
  4. Combine the panko bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle half of the cheese mixture over the vegetables and stir to combine. Spoon the mixture into a baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese mixture.
  5. Bake the mixture until the topping is browned and crisp, approximately 10-15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

180.41

Fat (grams)

12.62 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

5.18 g

Carbs (grams)

12.8 g

Fiber (grams)

2.39 g

Net carbs

10.4 g

Sugar (grams)

5.6 g

Protein (grams)

5.88 g

Sodium (milligrams)

587.92 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

22.19 mg

Nutritional information is approximate.


Enjoy!




Comments

More Popular Posts

How to Make a Perfect Bacon and Eggs Breakfast

In my opinion, the best breakfast consists of two perfectly fried eggs, crispy bacon, and toast made with hearty bread. This bacon and eggs recipe delivers. Bacon and eggs or eggs and bacon? No matter, it is definitely the breakfast you want on those lazy mornings when you have time to relax around the kitchen table, drinking a cup of coffee or two. The Best Bacon and Eggs Breakfast (This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience.  When you make a purchase using these links you help support this blog.) How to Cook Bacon and Eggs My technique was learned from my mom, by watching her make our family's breakfast over and over again, year after year.  This is a basted egg recipe which means the eggs are cooked in bacon grease. Cooking eggs in bacon fat is easy and takes just a little practice to perfect. All you really need for a great bacon and eggs breakfast is a good nonstick skillet and a good toaster . If you want to make your own bread fo

Crunchy, Spicy Gingersnap Cookies

Crunchy, spicy, and yummy are all words used to describe a good gingersnap cookie.   While my hands-down, favorite cookie is a gooey chocolate chip cookie I occasionally crave a spicy ginger snaps cookie or  this molasses cookie .  This old-fashioned gingersnap cookie is a winner.  It's easy to make and will be a favorite in your recipe rotation. Traditional Ginger Snaps Cookie Recipe ( This post contains affiliate links.  I will be compensated when you make a purchase with these links.) Gingersnaps Cookies In the U.S., gingersnaps are usually drop cookies with lots of cracks on the surface.  That's exactly how I like them.  Those found in other countries may be thinner and sliced.  The Lebkuchen, a traditional German cookie, and the pepparkakor, from Sweden, are often cut into festive shapes.  My gingersnaps are round. Reasons You'll Love These Gingersnap Cookies These gingersnaps are tasty cookies at any time of the year.   Their spiciness is perfect as a holid

Grandma's Soft and Chewy Date-Filled Cookies

One of the things I can count on as the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons arrive each year is a feeling of nostalgia. The traditional foods we serve at our family's holiday tables can sure bring out all the feels. Now that it is officially cookie season, we should kick it off with an old-fashioned homemade date-filled cookie recipe. This is a soft, tender cookie with dates that is a special, nostalgic, family recipe.   An Old-Fashioned Date Cookies Recipe This old-fashioned, date-filled cookie was my dad's favorite cookie from his childhood. My dad was born in 1932 so this recipe has been around for quite a while. 

The Best Asian Dipping Sauce You'll Ever Taste

If you're looking for a versatile, easy-to-make Asian dipping sauce perfect for sushi and dumplings, then you've come to the right place. This recipe for the best Asian dipping sauce is perfect for any time you want a  kick of delicious Asian flavor. An Asian Dipping Sauce for Sushi and Dumplings Try this if you are looking for a dipping sauce that is a little more flavorful than you typically get with your takeout order. You'll love it with dumplings, too!

How to Doctor Up Store-Bought Potato Salad

Here's a potato salad time-saver for you just in time for summer cookouts. You'll love how you can transform grocery store potato salad so easily no matter whether you are hosting a BBQ or bringing a side dish for a summer barbecue. There's no judgment here. We don't always have the time to make a potato salad from scratch. Sometimes it is just easier to stop by your local grocery store to pick up a container of store-made potato salad. It's good. It's predictable.  It will do.  All it needs is a little doctoring. How to Make Store-Bought Potato Salad Better When you need a quick potato salad, and have no time to make one from scratch, that ordinary store-bought potato salad you have in your refrigerator can go from blah to amazing in just a few minutes with just a few ingredients. Yes, you can improve store-bought potato salad. How to Doctor Up Potato Salad to have a little more flavor? You're going to a potluck picnic or you are having

Traditional New England Whoopie Pies

Are you looking for the best whoopie pie recipe?  Whoopie pies are a quintessential New England dessert and a memorable treat from my childhood.   My mom would make them for us every once in a while.  Oh, what a treat to come home from school to a platter of chocolate whoopie pies!  Yum! Today I'm sharing my recipe for the best-ever whoopie pies. The Best Whoopie Pies Recipe without Marshmallow Fluff Whoopie Pies Whoopie pies are soft round cookie-like cakes with a smooth cream filling sandwiched in the center. Debate rages about the whoopie pie's origin.  Some say these goodies originated in New England, others say they originated with the Amish.   There is also debate about what ingredients should be in the filling.  Many recipes include fillings made with Marshmallow Fluff or buttercream but neither is  traditional, in my opinion.  The whoopie pie of my childhood is a traditional Maine whoopie pie recipe, made with a cooked flour and milk mixture added to suga

How to Trap and Get Rid of Fruit Flies

Fruit flies can be a huge annoyance at certain times of the year. What can you do to kill fruit flies? We've all been there wondering how to get rid of fruit flies.  Fruit flies in the kitchen.  Fruit flies in the bathroom.  Fruit flies buzzing around everywhere in your home.   It's a frustrating problem that happens to everyone at one time or another.  If you are a fresh fruit and produce lover you certainly know what I mean. How to Kill Fruit Flies with Two Ingredients Those pesky little buggers can often be brought into your home on the vegetables and fruit you buy. You don't have to tolerate the annoyance.  This homemade fruit fly trap is one I have been using for many years and it works every time. 

Easy Chicken Parmesan-A Make Ahead Freezer Dinner

Chicken Parmesan is a favorite dinner in the Just One Donna house because it is a delicious dish that can satisfy your cravings for Italian food. It's also easy to make at home with simple ingredients you probably have in your pantry.  But what if you don't have time to cook on a busy weeknight? Don't worry, you can make Chicken Parmesan ahead of time and freeze it for later. I like to prepare Chicken Parmesan to have on hand in my freezer for those busy weeknights when we might be tempted to head to a restaurant instead of eating at home.  How to Make Freezer Chicken Parmesan for Busy Nights This post contains affiliate links.  I receive a small compensation when you shop using these links Easy Freezer Chicken Parmesan for Dinner Chicken Parmesan, also known as Chicken Pa

Forgotten Pork Chops-A Skillet Dinner

When I first made this pork chop skillet dinner several years ago I knew it was a winner but never predicted how wildly successful it would be with my readers. Perhaps it is the comfort food combination of pork chops with savory rice.  Or maybe it is the easy one-pan preparation.  Whatever it is, you're sure to love this updated, one-pan, comforting Forgotten Pork Chops dinner.  Pork Chops and Rice with Cream of Mushroom Soup (This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.  When you purchase through these links I receive a small compensation.)  So you might wonder why I updated the recipe. Like most recipes that are part of my menu rotation, a tweak here or there is customary. I encourage you to do the same.  A tweak here to there will make the recipe your own. 

Can You Make Better Bacon in Water?

What is the best way to cook crisp, tender bacon? Today, let's investigate a new method for cooking bacon on the stove that I'm seeing suggested as a technique that will change your life.  It's frying your bacon in a pan with a small amount of water.  Is cooking bacon with a bit of water in the pan a better way to make bacon? How to Cook Bacon in Water This is a simple, relatively fast way to make perfectly cooked bacon every time. Whether you are looking to impress your guests with a decadent breakfast or just want to enjoy a delicious bacon treat, this technique is the perfect solution.