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This creamy and delicious Cheesy Zucchini Casserole is a tasty way to turn your garden abundance and leftover rice into an easy side dish. Golden brown on top and packed with plenty of cheddar cheese, this gluten free zucchini bake will have everyone eating their veggies.
Still have more zucchini? Try Gluten Free Carrot Zucchini Muffins or Greek Chicken Zucchini Boats.
Zucchini Casserole Recipe – an easy side dish!
When late summer arrives, everyone is always trying to figure out what to do with all of their zucchini. Overflowing gardens and farmers’ markets inspire home cooks and recipe creators. Zucchini recipes are everywhere as people are doing everything they can to put that veggie to good use.
I don’t know about you, but I actually love zucchini all year long. It is always available in the grocery store. Plus it is delicious, easy to cook, and super versatile, showing up in everything from pasta to pancakes to zucchini oatmeal. Not to mention it is nutritious.
That is why I created this total hodgepodge of a recipe that has become a family favorite. I simply took some extra zucchini, leftover rice (yes, rice is gluten free, so it is a gluten free casserole), and basics that I keep in my pantry and fridge. I just tossed it together and was absolutely floored at how awesome it was. And now it is something we make regularly.
Because you can always use more zucchini recipes!
What are the benefits of eating zucchini?
Zucchini is extremely low in calories and carbohydrates and naturally gluten free, making it healthy for anyone to eat, regardless of their diet or nutritional needs.
In fact, 1 cup of raw zucchini has only about 60 calories and 14 grams of carbohydrates, of which 8 grams are from fiber. This is why zoodles have become so popular! SOURCE
It is high in A and B vitamins and minerals like iron and calcium. Zucchini is rich in antioxidants, and it’s high water and fiber content make it great for digestion, blood sugar control, and heart health. SOURCE
Ingredients
Here’s an overview of what you’ll need. Keep reading for additional tips and serving ideas, or scroll all the way to the recipe card for the full amounts and step-by-step instructions.
- Zucchini. You’ll need 2 medium zucchini. This recipe is flexible, so don’t worry about measuring an exact amount.
- Plain Greek yogurt. You can use nonfat, lowfat, or whole milk yogurt. Just be sure it isn’t flavored.
- Egg. Just one to bind it.
- Salt
- Dry mustard
- Paprika
- Pepper
- Cheddar cheese. Shredded sharp cheddar gives it great flavor. You can use white or yellow.
- Leftover cooked rice – you can follow one of the five methods to cook white rice or brown rice, or use leftovers that you cooked for another recipe. Or even the leftovers when you order takeout.
Is it OK to eat leftover rice?
There has been some concern about the risks of food poisoning associated with leftover rice. However, as long as it is stored properly, it is safe to eat for up to several days after it is cooked.
First, avoid leaving it at room temperature for an extended length of time. Try to cool it quickly by dividing it into shallow containers before placing it in the refrigerator. Then be sure to reheat it to a high temperature before eating the leftovers.
How to Make Zucchini Casserole
This easy casserole recipe comes together quickly. Just stir the ingredients together and toss it in the oven. Then you’ll have time to prepare the rest of the meal while it bakes. Start by preheating the oven to 400°F and grease an 8-inch square glass baking dish.
Drain the zucchini. Cut the ends off of the zucchini and shred it using a cheese grater. Place the shreds in an old kitchen towel, and squeeze tightly to remove the excess moisture.
Combine the ingredients. In a bowl. stir the yogurt, egg, and seasonings together. Add the zucchini, rice, and cheese, and stir until combined.
Bake the casserole. Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake at 400°F for 25-30 minutes, or until golden and set.
Slice and serve. Let cool slightly. Then cut into squares and serve.
Tips for Success
The most important thing is not to end up with a soggy, watery casserole.
Squeeze it Well. The key step is making sure you squeeze all of the moisture out of the zucchini. So wrap it in an old towel and keep squeezing until you see that there is almost no more liquid being released.
Use Leftover Rice. When rice is at least a day old and has gotten cold in the refrigerator, it gets dried out a little. This helps it to absorb some of the moisture from the zucchini.
Don’t Worry About It. If you happen to end up with a zucchini casserole that doesn’t quite hold together in squares, just scoop it out of the pan with a spoon and enjoy. It’ll still taste delicious.
Make it a Meal
Wondering what to serve with cheesy zucchini casserole? I especially love it in the summer with Grilled Flat Iron Steak or Grilled Chicken Drumsticks. But it’s also great to enjoy year-round with some of our favorite family dinners like these:
- Winner Winner Chicken Dinner: While the dish is in the oven, you can easily make Baked BBQ Chicken Breasts alongside it or Honey Mustard Chicken Bites on the stove.
- Kid Favorites: Since anything cheesy is a great way to get the kids eating their veggies, serve it as a side with their favorites like Air Fryer or Baked Hot Dog Taquitos or BBQ Turkey Meatballs.
- Where’s the Beef: You also can’t go wrong by making Chili Lime Cube Steaks or Honey Balsamic Steak Bites to pair with it.
More zucchini side dishes
- Zucchini Tater Tots
- Air Fryer Zucchini
- Ratatouille
- Greek Zucchini Noodle Salad
- Caprese Air Fryer Zucchini Fritters
- Zucchini Chips from Kicking Carbs
Cheesy Zucchini Casserole with Rice
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini, shredded (about 2-2 1/2 cups)
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (about 4 oz.)
- 1 cup leftover cooked rice (white or brown rice)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Coat a 8×8-inch square glass baking dish with cooking spray or olive oil.
- Place your shredded zucchini in a kitchen towel and squeeze out the excess liquid. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt, egs, salt, dry mustard, paprika, and pepper until smooth.
- Stir in the squeezed zucchini, cheese, and rice.
- Spread into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until slightly set in the middle and lightly browned.
- Slice into 16 squares and serve.
Did you make this?
Leave a rating below and tag @cupcakesandkalechips on Instagram and hashtag it #cupcakesandkalechips
Hi! Our garden is exploding with zucchini and we can’t wait to try this recipe! We have a newborn and are always looking for easy recipes like these (and always a bonus when you can use up leftovers!)
One thing I was wondering.. are you able to make this casserole recipe and freeze to bake later? Thank you!!
Ah yes, the newborn days – best wishes to you! I haven’t frozen it – I’d be hesitant to freeze it before baking because I’d be concerned the zucchini and yogurt would release more moisture and the final result would be watery.
About how many cups of shredded zucchini is “2 medium” zucchini?
I’m gonna be honest, I made this recipe quite awhile ago and don’t know. I’ve made it several times since, but honestly, now I usually just eyeball it, so I don’t think the recipe is super-sensitive.
Love the recipe, love the name. Keep ’em coming!
Haha, thanks! 🙂
I made this about a week or so ago and it was a HUGE hit! I was panicking because I hadnt planned out our meals very well and only had two zucchini to work with! so happy I found your recipe..we loved it..thank you!
So glad to hear! Thanks for letting me know!
I love cheese and zucchini together. The rice adds a nice touch!
Yep, the rice makes it a bit more substantial of a side dish. And helps to hide the zucchini enough for The Big to eat it, since it is one of the few veggies he doesn’t like.
The Hodge Podge looks great! It’s almost a frittata, but you’d need a few more eggs for that 😉
Thanks Anne! Yes, I was thinking it was a little like a frittata, but I wanted the cheese and zucchini to stand out more, so I stuck with just one egg to bind it.
I love recipes using leftovers and I’m always looking for more. Hodge Podge is a great name for this dish and it looks delicious.
Whenever I can use up stuff in the fridge, I am happy. And the name credit totally goes to one of my Facebook followers.
The throw bits and bobs together recipes usually turn out to be fabulous and my favorites. How can you go wrong with rice, zucchini, and cheese?
Cheese makes everything better! 🙂
I don’t get Facebook at all. It just makes my head spin, but I totally get this awesome zucchini dish! Looks great!
Thanks! It was yummy!
I know what you mean, Brianne. I have over 900 fans on my FB page but the most who have seen my posts are about 300 people. Usually it’s under 100. What’s up with that?! Rant away, lady. And I love this cheesy zucchini hodge podge. It’s always the simple, random recipes that end up tasting the best!
Ugh, Facebook is so annoying and I am having such a hard time getting into Google+.
Call it whatever you like, it looks delicious
Haha, thanks!
Wow, that looks delicious! I love how creamy and cheesy it sounds!
Creamy and cheesy without being overly rich! We loved it.
I love this hodge podge idea. But more than that, I love how you handled explaining the FB thing to your readers. I’m going to do the same thing soon. I might even quote you! You said it perfectly and kindly and in a way that explained the problem. Well done!
Thanks, it has been frustrating me because I miss the interaction I used to have.
Leftovers are perfect for a fast meal, It can be a blessing sometimes.
The other night when the hubby wasn’t home, the Bug and I ate little bits of everything (including the last of this dish) and called it dinner. It was perfect, and kept me from throwing stuff away.
I love a good hodge podge recipe! Yeah, FB has such a wonky algorithm going on that I stopped trying to figure it out a while ago!
Sometimes the random stuff you throw together is the best.
I’ve eaten almost all of those ingredients together but never as a “bake”! Good idea
Thanks – I am so glad it worked, but I had a feeling those ingredients would bake together well.
Can you use Minute rice? I don’t have leftover rice.
Since it doesn’t have liquid in the recipe, you do need to cook the rice first. But you can use Minute rice once you’ve cooked it.
Oh my. This is exactly what I want for dinner. And I have all the ingredients !!
It definitely is hearty enough to be dinner!
I’m just waiting for the rice to finish cooking. I added some onion and herbs because I had them around and wanting to be used. Can’t wait to eat it!
I wanted to let you know that I made it and just LOVED it. It was so, so good. My husband loved it too. We finished it off at breakfast 🙂 Definitely making again.
Oh I am so glad! Love your addition of herbs and onion. I only had enough time to toss it together and throw it in the oven, so I didn’t know if the onion would cook enough without sautéeing it first. But I bet it made it taste even better.
Oh my… I love zucchini and this is sure to be a favorite yummy in my tummy delish dish…
I love zucchini too, and cheese makes everything better!
You are SO creative. None of my hodgepodge recipes turn out this beautiful and yummy!!
Thanks Liz! I am pretty lucky when I throw things together.
This is the type of think my mom would make for us growing up. So simple and tasteful! The name is great, but don´t get me started on fb… not my favorite social media place, at all
I am trying to like G+, but I am just so comfortable on Facebook.
You call it hodge podge, I call it lunch please!
I know! I’m kinda wishing I had some left for lunch today.
Oh man, the Facebook thing is SO FRUSTRATING. I feel you! We’re all in this together. 🙂
On another note, I need as many zucchini recipes I can get. My zucchinis are coming in way faster than I can eat them. Thanks for sharing!
I know! It is such a pain. My reach had been increasing, then I had the baby and put things on hold.
Oh, and here are lots of zucchini recipes for you – http://www.crazyforcrust.com/2013/07/sweet-and-savory-zucchini-ideas/
I love this roundup from Dorothy at Crazy for Crust.
What a great idea! It’s so creative, I love it!!
Thanks! I was so excited when it turned out so well!
I love seeing recipes that use up what’s on hand in the fridge and pantry. Hodge Podge is a great name for it!
I always try to use up everything! My poor three year old is alway eating bits and pieces 🙂
I love using leftovers to make something amazing! Happy Sunday!
Me too! I hate throwing anything away! Thanks for hosting!