Cheesy Zucchini Casserole
Cheesy Zucchini Casserole is the perfect five ingredient meal! This easy keto casserole is loaded with fresh zucchini, meat, marinara and cheese for about 2 net carbs per serving!
Cheesy Zucchini Casserole
Zucchini is a wonder veggie! Not only is zucchini easy to grow, affordable and delicious it can be prepared a dozen different ways – all of them wonderful! Zucchini can be a great noodle substitute for things like Cacio e Pepe or Lasagna. It makes great crispy fries that are oven or air fryer friendly. You can use zucchini to make amazing cheesy bread, or stuff it with things like Buffalo Chicken or Chicken Alfredo! Seriously, is there anything zucchini can’t do?
How do you make Zucchini Casserole
This dish is so easy to make. It requires just zucchini, Italian sausage, marinara, mozzarella and a few seasonings. The only real prep work is preparing the zucchini to prevent the dish from being too watery. Don’t worry I have tips and a step by step guide below!
- Thinly slice the zucchini using a mandoline slicer (tips below). Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium heat and lightly spray the cooking surface with oil and grill the zucchini 1-2 minutes on each side until they have begun to brown and there is very little steam coming off the zucchini.
- Place the grilled zucchini in a greased 11×7 baking dish. Top the zucchini with cooked Italian sausage, marinara and sliced fresh mozzarella.
- Bake at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. Top the casserole with parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste.
How do you thinly slice zucchini?
It is possible to thinly slice zucchini with a good sharp knife and a steady hand. However, it is a lot easier to get thin, uniform cuts with a mandoline slicer. I use this mandoline, and use the second setting for my zucchini noodles. Carefully slice the zucchini lengthwise so you have long, thin zucchini noodles.
How do you keep zucchini from being watery?
- Using a mandoline slicer slice the zucchini about 1/8 inch thick. I use setting 2 on this slicer. Place the sliced zucchini on paper towels to absorb moisture as you work.
- Skillet method: Heat a large skillet, griddle or grill to medium heat. Lightly spray the cooking surface with oil and grill the zucchini 1-2 minutes on each side until they have begun to brown and there is very little steam coming off the zucchini. This helps to remove the moisture which will prevent the dish from being soggy. Place the cooked zucchini noodles on paper towels to absorb any extra moisture.
- Oven method: Place the zucchini slices on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees F for 10-15 minutes, flipping half way through while you prepare the rest of the lasagna. Remove the zucchini from the oven when they have browned slightly and very little steam is coming off the zucchini. Place the cooked zucchini noodles on paper towels to absorb any extra moisture.
Zucchini Recipes
Is your garden overflowing with Summer Zucchini? This is my favorite problem to have! You can try any of these 20+ Amazing Zucchini recipes! Some of my favorites include:
- Taco Zoodle Casserole
- Grilled Zucchini Mozzarella Wraps
- Keto Chicken Zucchini Stir Fry
- Tuna Zoodle Casserole
Keto Casserole Recipes
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Zucchini Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 large zucchini, 16-20 thin slices
- 1 pound Italian sausage, browned and greased drained
- 1 1/4 cup marinara, low carb if keto
- 1 8 ounce package fresh mozzarella, sliced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Grated parmesan, salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Thinly slice the zucchini using a mandoline slicer (tips in post)). Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium heat and lightly spray the cooking surface with oil and grill the zucchini 1-2 minutes on each side until they have begun to brown and there is very little steam coming off the zucchini.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place the grilled zucchini in a greased 11x7 baking dish. Top the zucchini with cooked Italian sausage, marinara and sliced fresh mozzarella.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. Top the casserole with parmesan, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste.
- Allow the casserole to sit 10 minutes before slicing to allow it to reabsorb some of the liquid.
WOW looks so great!! Thanks for sharing 🙂