Zucchini Feta Bake with Thyme
Zucchini Feta Bake with Thyme is an amazing side dish that uses zucchini, yellow squash, eggs, Feta, sour cream, Parmesan, and thyme! And don’t you think that zucchini with Feta and thyme is such a perfect combination of flavors?
PIN Zucchini Feta Bake to try it later!
This low-carb Zucchini Feta Bake with Thyme is a recipe I came up with when I had a big surplus of zucchini from the garden, but the good news is that this recipe can easily be made with zucchini and yellow squash from the store or farmers market too.
And when you still have zucchini but the weather is getting colder, it’s time for baked zucchini recipes, right? So I am featuring this for Friday Favorites today to entice you to try it!
I consider this to be a vegetable side dish, but with the protein from a couple of eggs and the feta cheese, it could easily be a meatless main dish too. And a few years ago I realized this is one of the Top Ten Low-Carb Zucchini Recipes on Kalyn’s Kitchen!
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- yellow or green summer squash
- olive oil
- Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
- fresh thyme leaves or Dried Thyme (affiliate link)
- eggs
- sour cream
- crumbled Feta
- grated Parmesan cheese
- fresh lemon juice, I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
What other cheese can you use for the Zucchini Feta Bake?
If you’re not a fan of Feta you can make this dish with most any creamy white cheese like goat cheese, Cotija, Queso Blanco, or ricotta. Firmer white cheese that melt well will also work like Mozzarella, Monterey Jack, or Gruyere.
Can you use other herbs for the Zucchini Feta Bake?
If you don’t have thyme or aren’t a fan, I think other herbs would work fine in this recipe, especially basil or parsley.
What Size Baking Dish Did I Use?
I originally made this Zucchini Feta Bake in a deep two-quart casserole dish, but I liked it a bit better in the 2-Quart glass rectangular casserole dish (affiliate link) I used in these photos. Having a dish with a little more surface area let more of the zucchini and yellow squash peek out, and I liked the way it browned on the top a little better.
Want more low-carb zucchini recipes?
You can check out the Top Ten Low-Carb Zucchini Recipes for the ideas with zucchini that have been most popular on my blog!
How to make Zucchini Feta Bake with Thyme:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Trim the squash, cut in half lengthwise, then make half-moon slices about 1/4 inch thick. I used a Mandoline Slicer (affiliate link) with the 7mm blade, but you can easily cut it with a knife.
- Heat olive oil, add the Minced Garlic (affiliate link) and fresh or Dried Thyme (affiliate link) and cook about 45 seconds.
- Then add the squash and cook about 4 minutes, turning a few times.
- Put half of the partly-cooked squash into the casserole dish that you sprayed with non-stick spray and season with fresh-ground black pepper and a little salt.
- While squash cooks, break eggs into a bowl or a large measuring cup and beat until the yolks and whites are well combined. Stir in sour cream, Feta, Parmesan, and lemon juice.
- Spread half that mixture over the squash in the casserole dish, add the rest of the squash, season the second layer, and cover with the rest of the Feta mixture.
- Add optional crumbled Feta on top if using.
- Bake in a preheated 375F/ oven for 40-45 minutes, until the mixture is bubbling and slightly browned on top.
- Serve hot and enjoy! This will keep in the fridge for a few days, but like everything with zucchini it’s probably best freshly made.
Make it a Meal:
This Zucchini Feta Bake would taste great with something like Grilled Fusion Chicken, Chicken Cutlets with Mustard Sauce, Maple Glazed Salmon, or Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks for a low-carb meal.
More Ideas for Using Zucchini:
- 50 Amazing Zucchini Recipes
- Slow Cooker Zucchini Recipes ~ Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker
- Low-Carb and Keto Grilled Zucchini Recipes
- Instant Pot Zucchini Recipes ~ Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker
- Recipes for Extra Large Zucchini
Weekend Food Prep:
This recipe has been added to a new category called Weekend Food Prep to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Zucchini Feta Bake with Thyme
This low-carb Zucchini Feta Bake with Thyme is a delicious side dish any time; but especially when you have a surplus of zucchini from the garden.
Ingredients
- 4 medium-sized yellow or green summer squash (see notes)
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 T minced garlic
- 2 T fresh thyme leaves or 1 T dried thyme (or less if youโre not that fond of thyme)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 cup crumbled Feta, plus a few tablespoon more for the top if desired
- 2 T grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 T lemon juice
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Spray a 2-Quart glass rectangular casserole dish (affiliate link) or any 2 quart casserole dish with non-stick spray or olive oil.
- Wash and dry squash, then cut off stem and blossom end and discard.
- Cut squash lengthwise in half, then slice into half-moon slices about 1/4 inch thick. I used a Mandoline Slicer (affiliate link) with the 7mm blade to get nice even slices, but you can use a knife.)
- Heat olive oil in large non-stick frying pan, add garlic and thyme leaves and cook about 45 seconds over medium-high heat (just long enough to season the oil, don’t let the garlic brown.)
- Add squash slices and cook about 4 minutes, turning a few times. Squash should be barely starting to soften.
- While squash cooks, break eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup and beat until egg yolks and whites are combined.
- Stir in sour cream, Feta, Parmesan, and lemon juice.
- Layer half the squash in the dish, then season with salt and fresh ground black pepper. (Remember the Feta is salty, so it won’t need a lot of salt.)
- Pour over half the egg-feta mixture and use the back of a spoon or a rubber scraper to spread it over the squash.
- Repeat with another layer of squash, seasoning again and covering with the rest of the Feta-egg mixture.
- Sprinkle a few tablespoons of crumbled Feta over the top if desired.
- Bake at 375F/190C for 40-45 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbling, slightly set, and top if lightly browned.
- Serve hot.
Notes
You need about 8 cups of sliced summer squash or zucchini; use any mixture of colors you prefer.
This will keep in the fridge for a day or two, although itโs best freshly made. For best results, I recommend reheating in a toaster oven. Do not freeze.
This recipe created by Kalyn.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 159Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 93mgSodium 386mgCarbohydrates 6gFiber 1gSugar 3gProtein 7g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Zucchini Feta Bake with Thyme would be great low-carb or Keto eating plans. It’s also good for the original South Beach Diet, which would recommend low-fat dairy products. Low-carb diet plans would prefer full-fat dairy, so take your choice on that.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Zucchini Recipes or Side Dishes to find more recipes like this one.Use the Diet Type Index photo index pages to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalynโs Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes Iโm sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe?
This recipe was first posted in 2009, and I’ve made it many, many times since then. The recipe was last updated with more information in 2023.
115 Comments on “Zucchini Feta Bake with Thyme”
Made this tonight and it was outstanding! I laid some ground Turkey in between the layers of zucchini and cream mixture, and it was delicious! We are moving it into our rotation for our dinners, and my husband was delighted. Thank you!
That sounds like a great idea. So glad you enjoyed it!
I just made this and it is good. I made extra sauce. ย I think it needs something more, maybe sundried tomatoes or maybe red or green pepper. I would definitely make it again. Great recipe.ย
Glad you enjoyed it, and of course you can adapt any way you prefer.
horrible. Threw in garbage
I wish you had given me more information so I could tell what went wrong, because this recipe has been one of the top ten most popular zucchini recipes on my site for many years, and as you can see there are lots of good comments and reviews.
This was delicious. I didn’t have feta. Used what I had on hand. I used swiss cheese. I added a layer of tex mex sausage that I had made, It was delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it and I love hearing how creative you were about making it with what you had on hand!
I might have missed it somewhere but the ingredients list states 2T or 1T, is that Teaspoon OR Tablespoon?ย
In all my recipes T = tablespoon and tsp. = teaspoon. I see this recipe didn’t have anything in teaspoons, sorry that was confusing!
I have made this several times it is so good! I love feta cheese and parmesean. The first time I made it I tried ground lamb. I didnt care for it as much. Now I use ground turkey and it is so good. I also added basil and oregeno along with a little red onion. Tonight I did make it with greek yogurt insteas of sour cream. So we will see how it tastes. I also added spinach and mushrooms. Im a big vegetable fan. So we will see.
So glad you have been enjoying it!
Well I was all set to make this UNTIL I realized nowhere can I find on you post how much of the ingredients. How much of each ingredient are you supposed to use to make how much. Just stating the ingredients without measurements, what are we supposed to guess??
Copied directly from the recipe in the post:
4 medium-sized yellow or green summer squash (see notes)
1 T olive oil
1 T minced garlic
2 T fresh thyme leaves or 1 T dried thyme (or less if youโre not that fond of thyme)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
1 cup crumbled Feta, plus a few tablespoon more for the top if desired
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 T lemon juice
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Obviously you didn’t scroll down far enough to see the actual recipe. If you don’t like to scroll, use the button at the top that says JUMP TO RECIPE and it will take you right to the recipe.
Sounds delicious! Can Greek yogurt be used instead of sour cream?
I wish I knew, but I haven’t tried making it with Greek yogurt. I am guessing it can, but I just can’t say for sure.
I made it with plain Greek yogurt and it was wonderful!
SO glad to hear that! Thanks for taking time to tell me, and it may be helpful for other people too.
Do you really need to pre-cook the zucchini? I think baking it for 40 minutes will cook it. It sounds really good I’m going to try it.
I did pre-cook the zucchini. That releases some of the water, which evaporates. I’m not sure if the dish will be watery if you just bake the zucchini, but I’d love to hear how it works if you try it.
Great dish. I added shredded rotisserie chicken, so a “one pot meal”. Probably could of used a bit more of the egg/feta mixture, next time I will try that.
Fun idea to add some chicken; glad you enjoyed it!
Do you think this would work if I add browned ground turkey?
I like the sound of that and can’t think of any reason why it wouldn’t work! I’d love to hear what you think after you try it!
Iโve been making this recipe for years- I add sliced carrots and diced (precooked) chicken & serve it as a meal vs side! Delish!
Very creative; so glad you have enjoyed it!
Oh that does sound challenging. I wish I could help but I’m afraid I know absolutely nothing about that type of diet. I do know that are bloggers who specialize in it though; I would try googling Low-fodmap diet blog and when you find one that seems well-done I bet they can answer your questions. Good luck!
I don’t have any experience with using a product to substitute for eggs, but I think it would be worth a try to see how it works. The egg is mostly just to hold it together.
This dish Zucchini Bake with Feta and Thyme sounds crazy.I am glad to find this dish in low carb dishes.
In this Zucchini with Feta and Thyme, can a different kind of cheese other than feta be used?
I haven’t tried it that way but I’m guessing you could use the same amount of any type of grated cheese that you prefer.
Made this for supper tonight along with IBIH's Belizian Chicken Stew. Delicious and a lovely complement to the chicken flavors. Had to have seconds! Thank you.
So glad you enjoyed it! And that chicken stew recipe looks amazing; I must try it!
Love this dish. I wouldn't change a thing!! I cut the recipe in half because there are only two of us. I will make this again in a heartbeat. So easy to make.
Thank you, so glad you liked it so much!
Carolina, my Costco doesn't have it, but maybe Trader Joe's will be a good source!
If you have one in your area, both Trader Joe's and Costco sell sheep feta!
Hi Kalyn, I just wanted to let you know I featured this recipe in my Low Carb Gluten-free Zucchini Recipes roundup. I hope you'll get some visits coming your way!
Thanks Maya; always appreciated!
Just made this and substitute egg whites and used Olive oil spray to cut down on fat and added Sriracha. ๏ฟฝ๏ฟฝ
How did you like it with those changes?
Tracy glad that worked for you!
For those who wanted to know if you could do this the day before… Yes. I threw it together the night before, I did not even precook the squash. I had to cook longer. It was yummy good, bit I would add extra parm on top For the last bit if I wanted it to look good for company (if looks mattered). Yummy good, though I never made it the original way, but I can't imagine the taste would be any better. I think the yoks settled to the bottom and it was white, not yellowish. Again, did not affect taste.
This was amazing! I didn't layer it — just mixed it all up (because I'm lazy that way), and sprinkled more Parmesan over it, giving it a nicely browned top. A real keeper!
So glad you enjoyed it! And you're cooking for yourself, not lazy at all!
Maybe it's a matter of opinion, but I feel that zucchini, dairy products, and eggs all don't freeze well. (They either get too soft or get watery.) You could try freezing a serving or two and see what you think.
Can this recipe be made a day in advance?
If you mean mix it up, store in the fridge, and cook later, I have never done it that way so I'm not sure how it would work. I've certainly eaten leftovers after they've been in the fridge though, and that worked just fine.
Thanks for your quick reply. I've made this several times and it is FABULOUS! I have a huge meal planned for tomorrow and thought perhaps an early prep would ease the load. No worries – I'll give early prep a try when company is not in the mix ๐
Glad you have enjoyed it! And if you do try it that way sometimes, I'd love to hear how it works.
Helen, so glad you enjoyed it!
This was delicious! I made it with milk because I didn't have any sour cream. Baked it until it set like a Quiche. Turned out great! Definitely a keeper.
MaryLou, adding a little half and half couldn't hurt if the mixture seemed too thick to you. And a bigger pan might also be good.
I love squash of all kinds and plant them yearly in my garden. I tried this recipe last night and, although tasty, the egg mixture had a thick, custard consistency. Perhaps I needed to put it in a flatter dish and spread out the mixture or maybe my eggs were too big. Would it have helped to add cream or 1/2 and 1/2 to the egg/cheese mix?
Hi, I tried this recipe with a few changes. I cut down the amounts by half , also I cooked the zucchini a little longer, so the baking time could be shorter. In the end they were nice and crispy. Since thime is not my favourite herb I substituted oregano.I added more grated parmesan cheese once on the plate, as I found it tasted a bit strong from the lemon and herbs. I love the stuff too. Great recipe!
Carmi, so glad you've been enjoying it. Love hearing how you have switched it up.
This is one of our favorite dinners now. I always double the sauce part sometime even a little more than double and I've also added ground sausage or ground beef and then top it with sliced cherry tomatoes. (I love a one-dish dinner) Very yummy and I always look forward to leftovers for lunch the next day!! Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for the recipe Kalyn! It is one of my favorites. I have featured this recipe over at Favorite Family Recipes (favfamilyrecipes.com) and linked over to you. Love the site & keep up the good work!
Saving this one for this summer for when I have more squash than I can figure out what to do with. Thanks for posting.
Made this last night & it is good!!
Karen, so glad you're enjoying it!
This is Great!!! I make more of the dressing..Doesn't seem to be enough..For me, anyway ๐
Made it 4 or 5 times already
Yum! I made this last night with patty pan squash and thyme from my garden, and loved it. And enjoying the leftovers again today. Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed it!
delicious, as i knew it would be! I had fresh dill which I wanted to use up, and it went well with the zucchini. Can't wait to eat the leftovers for breakfast tomorrow!
This was delicious! I am sure reheating in an oven would be best, but I really enjoyed leftovers reheated in the microwave for breakfast. I liked mine best with Sirachi sauce on top. Thank you for the recipe.
Thanks Nicole and Tracy! My zucchini is starting to go crazy!
I made this a couple days ago because I wasn't sure what to do with some squash I had in the fridge. It turned out great. It was so yummy! I'll definately make it again.
Kalyn: This looks delicious! Can't wait to try it with summer's best!
Thanks Karista! So glad you like it and I loved meeting you at BlogHerFood!
Kalyn I love this recipe! I like that it can be a side dish as well as main entree. Perfect timing too… Just brought home two pounds of zucchini from the farmers market. Have a lovely weekend.
Barbara, how I wish I was close enough to bake it for you and bring it over!
I would so enjoy a plate of this right now. It may be the first thing Imake when I get home from hospital.
Thanks Dara. I am just starting to get zucchini and yellow squash, yaay!
I talk about nutritional information (and why I don't provide it) after the recipe.
Thank goodness it's zucchini and squash time again! I remember seeing this on your blog when you first published it and I'm so glad you brought it back. It's definitely a keeper!
Broccoli sounds good in this!
I am making this tonight!! I only have two zucchinis in the fridge though, so I think i'll supplement with the broccoli I've been wondering what to do with. I'll also be using ash-aged goat cheese made by my organic dairy farmer friend instead of feta. Been looking for something creative to do with that, too! Can't wait to try it!
Looks delicious! This would make an excellent Meatless Monday dish. I'll be holding it in reserve.
Pinning it too. ๐
So glad you enjoyed it. Onion sounds like a good addition.
I had a giant zucchini that a colleague gave me and decided to try this recipe. Added more sour cream (1/2 cup) and one stir fried onion – it came out great! The feta/egg mixture tasted almost like a cheese souffle. Thanks for the recipe!
Ana
That *does* sound good!
Mmmmm…..zucchini + feta cheese? Yes, please! I used feta cheese with basil and tomato flavor.
Sunny, thanks for the nice feedback.
Hey, wonderful… saw your recipe on foodgawker…made it just now, added oregano from the garden and put ricotta in as well as fetta.. just cos we had some to use up.
I used to run a Greek restaurant, we always had feta, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with oregano.. mmm.
Feta and spinach with that egg based component wrapped in filo..mmm
Also appreciate how you deliver the recipe. I'm intuitive but know a lot of people who need all kinds of detail.. well done..
sunny
nice cooking
Errin, you're welcome! (Thanks for noticing!)
Hi there, just found your website on tastespotting. This looks delicious and I wanted to thank you for making the effort to make it twice to get it just right for us.
This is a great way to use zucchini. I often put zucchini in pasta sauces, or saute them with other veggies for low-cal burritos. I always buy a ton of zucchinis at the farmer's market…so this will be great. Thank you!
I love zucchini. I don't have zucchini from the garden because I don't have a garden. But still I'm going to try this recipe.
That looks good! I have been been enjoying egg and zucchini bakes this summer. I like the sour cream in this one.
Anonymous, love your version, red pepper is a great addition! Glad you liked it.
We made it last night. Put in a bit of red bell pepper to the zucchini and then shrimp for the last minute, then poured into a 9×9 glass pan. After baking thirty minutes, I removed dish and sprinkled with shredded Jarlsberg cheese and a bit of Grana Padano cheese for the rest of the baking time. A winner!
Linda, it might cook fine without being pre-sauteed, but I did it for two reasons. One was to get more of the flavor of sauteed garlic into the zucchini. The other reason was because I was afraid that just baking the zucchini would make it the finished dish watery. I could be wrong about that; would love to know how it works if you try it without sauteing the zucchini first.
You know, I'm wondering…why is it necessary to pre-saute the zucchini? Wouldn't it cook well enough in the oven for 45 minutes? Just curious!
I don't have zucchini, but I am over run with yellow squash. This looks perfect.
so I agree with the last commenter…grin. I was looking for something to do with my zucchini too and this looks terrific! Love that feta!
Linda, so glad to hear you liked it. Sun dried tomatoes sound great in this.
Chris, I think Kevin is a great cook, and I think he likes feta as much as I do!
I came to this post immediately after reading Kevin of Closet Cooking's post on http://closetcooking.blogspot.com/2009/09/kolokythokeftedes-zucchini-and-feta.html .
Both of your dishes look great! I guess feta and zukes are the way to go this weekend:)
Nice job!
Hi Kalyn, made this as our main dish for dinner last night and it was excellent, "a keeper" said my hubby.
I initially thought the egg mixture didn't look like it would cover all the zucchini, but it worked out just fine as it baked.
Might try a little bit of sun-dried tomato in it the next time. I'm sure other cheeses would be great too.
Thanks again for yet another winner. Cheers!
Anonymous, any type of cheese that melts well and you like the flavor of would work here, since zucchini is a bland flavor that goes well with lots of other flavors. If you use a really mild cheese, I might add more herbs.
Sorry–I hate feta and goat cheese. What could I substitute in its place?
We are also feta-obsessed, and people keep giving us bags of zucchini from their gardens. This would make a great lunch with a piece of whole grain bread, or a really nice, filling side…might be a good brunch dish, too….. Thanks!
This looks delicious! What a great way to use up zucchini and I love the addition of feta cheese!
Oh, I sure want to try this one. It looks great. Thanks!
That looks lovely – I can't get enough of zucchini – it always finds its way to the kitchen even though I don't have it in the garden -but maybe will one day
This is exactly the kind of dish that i love. Feta is the best!
You have my understanding. I wish I were in the same boat, i.e., with a huge surplus of zucchini. As it is, I must rely on the farmers' market. Very nice recipe: I have some feta-like cheese I can use for it.
I might actually make this although I'd have to reduce the proportions a bit. (That's only because I'm cooking for one.)
Now this I have to try. Everything about this screams, "Eat me!" …in a good way of course. (Hope that came out sounding ok.) I too am feta obsessed and who doesn't like thyme?
This is a terrific recipe to ease into fall with…summery and fresh with the thyme and squash, yet warm and comforting with the cheese and sour cream.
Sounds yummy Kalyn. I love feta as well. Will give it a try!
This looks great! I just made a zucchini and swiss frittata after seeing some of your breakfast casserole recipes. This one is next on my list!
Another wonderful, easy meal. My feta-obsessed self thanks you.
this looks really good
I, too, am feta-obsessed. And thyme-obsessed (I have 5 thyme plants, plus 2 lemon thyme, in my herb garden). And the zucchini are starting to appear on my porch, from friends whose gardens are hit by the glut. Perfect timing for this recipe.