A golden cheesy crust seals in the fluffy, moist and creamy center of this zucchini casserole. An easy and irresistibly delicious zucchini casserole recipe | natashaskitchen.com

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A golden cheesy crust seals in the fluffy, moist and creamy center of this zucchini casserole. This zucchini bake recipe is easy, irresistibly delicious and a great way to use up extra garden vegetables since it is loaded with 3 pounds of zucchini!

This recipe has simple ingredients and comes together quickly, making it ideal for busy weeknights. This is the best kind of comfort food – so satisfying but light being mostly vegetables, well technically fruit because zucchini is a fruit – seriously!

Every year, Mom grows enough zucchini in her yard to feed a small army so we are always on the lookout for new zucchini recipes! My Mother-in-law shared this recipe with my husband and it quickly became a new favorite. P.S. Have you tried our all-time favorite zucchini recipe

A golden cheesy crust seals in the fluffy, moist and creamy center of this zucchini casserole. An easy and irresistibly delicious zucchini casserole recipe | natashaskitchen.com

Ingredients for Zucchini Casserole:

The ingredients in this zucchini rice casserole are so simple and basic but they are a winning combination of flavor and texture.

A golden cheesy crust seals in the fluffy, moist and creamy center of this zucchini casserole. An easy and irresistibly delicious zucchini casserole recipe | natashaskitchen.com

*To cook rice for this recipe, you will need 1 cup of uncooked rice. Here is an easy tutorial from Olga’s Flavor Factory on how to cook white rice.

How to Make Zucchini Casserole Recipe:

Prep: Preheat oven to 400˚F and butter a 9×13 baking casserole dish.

1. Grate zucchini on the large holes (the grating attachment on a food processor makes it so easy!). You should get 7 to 8 cups before squeezing dry. Transfer grated zucchini to a colander over the sink and stir in 1 tsp salt. Let stand for 10 min, stirring a couple of times then squeeze out the excess moisture with your hands. Transfer drained zucchini to a large mixing bowl.

Two photos of zucchini spirals in a bowl one being salted and one squeezed by a hand

2. Mix 2/3 cup of sour cream with 1/2 tsp baking powder and let it stand while zucchini drains (8-10 min).

Two photos of a mixture for cheesy zucchini casserole

3. Into the mixing bowl with drained zucchini, stir in 4 eggs and sour cream mixture.

Two photos of zucchini being prepared for a cheesy zucchini casserole

4. Add cooked rice and 2 cups shredded cheese. Stir in 1/2 cup chives, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp Mrs. Dash seasoning.

A golden cheesy crust seals in the fluffy, moist and creamy center of this zucchini casserole. An easy and irresistibly delicious zucchini casserole recipe | natashaskitchen.com

5. Pour mixture into buttered casserole dish and lightly spread 1/3 cup sour cream over the top. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of cheese over the surface and bake uncovered in the center of your oven at 400˚ for 40 min. Let it stand for 10 min before serving.

A golden cheesy crust seals in the fluffy, moist and creamy center of this zucchini casserole. An easy and irresistibly delicious zucchini casserole recipe | natashaskitchen.com

A golden cheesy crust seals in the fluffy, moist and creamy center of this zucchini casserole. An easy and irresistibly delicious zucchini casserole recipe | natashaskitchen.com

This zucchini bake was on the menu twice last week and it disappeared fast! It tastes like comfort food but in a light and feel good way. I love the light sweetness of the zucchini, the salty crust and moist creamy center. I find this dish completely irresistible and I hope you love it as much as we do!

Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Cheesy Zucchini Casserole

4.96 from 128 votes
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
A golden cheesy crust seals in the fluffy, moist and creamy center of this zucchini casserole. An easy and irresistibly delicious zucchini casserole recipe | natashaskitchen.com
A golden cheesy crust seals in the fluffy, moist and creamy center of this zucchini casserole. This zucchini casserole recipe is easy, irresistibly delicious and a great way to use up extra garden vegetables!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients 

Servings: 8 people a side dish
  • 3 lbs green zucchini (6 medium)
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt, divided (1 tsp for sprinkling and 1/2 tsp for casserole)
  • 2 cups cooked white rice*
  • 1 cup sour cream, (divided into 2/3 and 1/3)
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 4 eggs (large)
  • 1/2 tsp Mrs Dash seasoning, or your favorite salt-free seasoning
  • 8 oz Colby jack cheese, 3 cups shredded (or use Mexican cheese)
  • 1/2 cup chives, chopped, plus more for garnish

Instructions

Prep: Preheat oven to 400˚F and butter a 9x13 casserole dish.

    How to Make Zucchini Casserole:

    • Grate zucchini on the large holes (or the grating attachment on a food processor). Transfer grated zucchini to a colander over the sink and stir in 1 tsp salt. Let stand 10 min, stirring a couple of times then squeeze out the excess moisture with your hands. Transfer drained zucchini to a large mixing bowl.
    • Mix 2/3 cup sour cream with 1/2 tsp baking powder and let stand while zucchini drains (8-10 min).
    • Into the mixing bowl with drained zucchini, stir in 4 eggs and sour cream mixture.
    • Add cooked rice and 2 cups cheese. Stir in 1/2 cup chives, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp
    • Mrs Dash seasoning.
    • Pour mixture into buttered casserole dish and spread 1/3 cup sour cream over the top. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese over the surface and bake uncovered on the center rack at 400˚ for 40 min. Let stand for 10 min before serving.

    Notes

    *To cook rice for this recipe, you will need 1 cup of uncooked rice.

    Nutrition Per Serving

    279kcal Calories18g Carbs13g Protein17g Fat9g Saturated Fat123mg Cholesterol675mg Sodium603mg Potassium1g Fiber5g Sugar1030IU Vitamin A32.2mg Vitamin C285mg Calcium1.4mg Iron
    Nutrition Facts
    Cheesy Zucchini Casserole
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    279
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    17
    g
    26
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    9
    g
    56
    %
    Cholesterol
     
    123
    mg
    41
    %
    Sodium
     
    675
    mg
    29
    %
    Potassium
     
    603
    mg
    17
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    18
    g
    6
    %
    Fiber
     
    1
    g
    4
    %
    Sugar
     
    5
    g
    6
    %
    Protein
     
    13
    g
    26
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    1030
    IU
    21
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    32.2
    mg
    39
    %
    Calcium
     
    285
    mg
    29
    %
    Iron
     
    1.4
    mg
    8
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Zucchini Casserole
    Skill Level: Easy
    Cost to Make: $
    Calories: 279

    If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen

    A golden cheesy crust seals in the fluffy, moist and creamy center of this zucchini casserole. An easy and irresistibly delicious zucchini casserole recipe | natashaskitchen.com

    This zucchini casserole is the perfect way to use sweet summer zucchini and a great way to re-purpose leftover white rice.

    Q: Do you have a go-to recipe for summer zucchini?

    A golden cheesy crust seals in the fluffy, moist and creamy center of this zucchini casserole. An easy and irresistibly delicious zucchini casserole recipe | natashaskitchen.com

    Natasha Kravchuk

    Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

    Read more posts by Natasha

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    Recipe Rating




    Comments

    • Jill
      August 25, 2023

      Made your cheesy zucchini bake. So good. Going to make your zucchini muffins.

      Reply

      • NatashasKitchen.com
        August 25, 2023

        Hi Jill! So glad you loved it. I hope you love the muffins too.

        Reply

    • Laura
      August 9, 2023

      You should add variations and mention that it’s a vegetarian dish. I eat low carb/keto so I emitted the rice, added more eggs and cooked breakfast sausage meat. My family liked it including my small children.

      Reply

      • NatashasKitchen.com
        August 9, 2023

        Hi Laura! Thank you for sharing your experimentation with the recipe!

        Reply

    • Janice
      August 8, 2023

      This recipe is in my oven right now! I know it will be great! I turn to you when I’m looking for recipes because I have made so many delicious recipes from your website! Next step is to buy your book. A big congratulations! I feel like I know you I spend so much time watching your videos.

      Reply

      • Natasha's Kitchen
        August 8, 2023

        Thank you so much, Janice. I hope you’ll love it and all the other recipes that you will try,. Thanks for your interest in my cookbook too!

        Reply

    • marnie keating
      August 5, 2023

      Excellent recipe thank you, made today. Used sea salt and added some melted butter to sour cream and was divine!

      Reply

      • NatashasKitchen.com
        August 5, 2023

        Sounds wonderful, Marnie!

        Reply

    • Lori
      August 5, 2023

      Hi Natasha,
      My question, can I substitute plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream?

      Reply

      • NatashasKitchen.com
        August 5, 2023

        Hi Lori! That would be fine.

        Reply

    • Susan
      July 4, 2023

      Do you think this could be made the day before? Either make and bake the next day or heat up the next day?

      Reply

      • NatashasKitchen.com
        July 4, 2023

        Hi Susan! I have not tested that. They start to juicy if not baked right away so I’m not sure what the end result would be like.

        Reply

    • Anna M
      September 6, 2022

      This was a great recipe! I made a few changes, but I don’t think they altered the integrity of the recipe. I used riced cauliflower in place of the rice. I was short on sour cream and used regular plain yogurt (not Greek) to make up the difference. I used a mix of cheddar and jalapeno jack cheeses because that’s what I had on hand. I skipped the extra cheese and sour cream that were to go on top to make it slightly healthier, and honestly, I didn’t think it was necessary. But I do appreciate that the cheese on top makes a nicer presentation if you are serving company 🙂 I also think that the addition of some sage sausage would make it a great breakfast casserole. A dual-purpose recipe is a win-win in my book!!

      Reply

      • Natashas Kitchen
        September 7, 2022

        Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Anna!

        Reply

    • Jackie
      August 29, 2022

      Delicious way to use up garden zucchini. Really tasty recipe! Can’t wait to make it for the next family gathering!

      Reply

      • Natasha's Kitchen
        August 29, 2022

        Thank you for the great feedback, Jackie!

        Reply

    • Sandra
      August 14, 2022

      Follow up to my question about doing half the recipe, I used an 8″X8″ pan and my only sub was cheddar for Colby Jack (don’t have it here in this part of Canada) and 1 tsp. fresh dill instead of Mrs. Dash. I did bake it 40 minutes and it was excellent. It will do for 2 meals perfectly.

      Reply

      • Natasha's Kitchen
        August 14, 2022

        Very nice, Sandra and thanks a lot for sharing that with us. A lot of people have been asking about doing half the recipe.

        Reply

    • Sandra
      August 12, 2022

      If I wanted to only make a half recipe and used an 8″x8″ pan, would I cook it for less time because it won’t be as thick, maybe check at 30 minutes? There’s just 2 of us and it probably wouldn’t freeze well, so I’d like to make enough for 1 dinner and 1 leftover meal.

      Reply

      • NatashasKitchen.com
        August 13, 2022

        Hi Sandra! I have not tested it but most likely you’ll need to check it sooner and possibly bake it less. I would not recommend freezing this recipe.

        Reply

    • Anna
      July 15, 2022

      Has anyone tried freezing this? Uncooked or cooked? I’m swimming in zucchini right now and this would be awesome to pull out of the freezer on busy nights!

      Reply

      • Natashas Kitchen
        July 15, 2022

        Hi Anna, I haven’t tried freezing leftovers only because they didn’t last that long :). I would not suggest freezing and then cooking since after salting potatoes and zucchini, they start to get juicy if not baked right away. Maybe someone else has experimented with freezing? Let us know if you have any insights into this! Thanks in advance 😉

        Reply

    • Kirsten
      July 12, 2022

      Loved this recipe!!! Easy and makes a lot. Even so my teenage son ate almost half the pan.

      My only edit was to add some garlic scapes from my garden.

      Reply

      • Natashas Kitchen
        July 12, 2022

        That is the best when kids love what we moms make. That’s so great!

        Reply

    • jana
      April 30, 2022

      I made this exactly as written and it was DELICIOUS. I don’t know if adding the baking powder to the sour cream did something extra or what, but my 19 year old who only loves In-n-out burger finished it off when i was at work. Today i made it again, but used sauteed mushrooms and steamed broccoli instead of the zucchini and it was also amazing. Great framework for any casserole. Thank you Natasha!

      Reply

      • Natashas Kitchen
        April 30, 2022

        I’m so glad this was a hit, Jana!

        Reply

    • Faith
      April 19, 2022

      This was delicious. Did have to make some substitutions for some things I had on hand but turned out flavorful, moist (but not wet!) and filling too!

      Reply

      • Natashas Kitchen
        April 19, 2022

        Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Faith! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply

    • Kira
      October 17, 2021

      Has anyone tried making this without the eggs? We recently learned that a family member can’t eat eggs or potatoes, which are often used in egg replacer products.

      I’m thinking this should still be fine without the eggs or a replacement, but I’d love to hear from someone who has already tried it!

      Reply

      • Natasha's Kitchen
        October 17, 2021

        Hello Kira, I haven’t tried that yet to advise but maybe others can share if they have tried it and how it turned out?

        Reply

    • JoAnn
      September 27, 2021

      I made this recipe with Cauliflower rice instead of rice.
      It came out so Delicious!!

      Reply

      • Natasha's Kitchen
        September 27, 2021

        That’s a nice and healthier option. Thanks for sharing!

        Reply

    • Autumn
      September 23, 2021

      I get 2 cups shredded cheese out of an 8 oz. block of cheese, not 3.

      Reply

    • Vince C
      September 22, 2021

      Hello all, I had to try this recipe today. I have a lot of Zucchini in my garden this year. I basically stuck with Natasha’s recipe with only some minor changes. Wow this was great!! I really enjoyed it.
      Thank you much!

      Reply

      • Natashas Kitchen
        September 22, 2021

        I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Vince! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.

        Reply

    • Mandy
      September 14, 2021

      Hi Natasha, This looks amazing but how can I make it Keto friendly? Is there something I can replace the rice with? Maybe riced cauliflower?
      Thanks,
      Mandy

      Reply

      • Natashas Kitchen
        September 14, 2021

        Hi Mandy, one of my readers mentioned the following: “I made with cauliflower rice and it worked great.” I hope this helps!

        Reply

    • Suzette
      August 25, 2021

      This cheesy zucchini casserole is very yummy! I did exchange the white rice for brown and added an onion though.

      Reply

      • Natashas Kitchen
        August 25, 2021

        I’m so glad to hear that, Suzette! Thank you for your awesome review!

        Reply

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