Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake (Video)

You’ll love this Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake that’s a tasty zucchini side dish that has been mega-popular for years! In fact this is the most popular recipe of all the Top Ten Low-Carb Zucchini Recipes on my blog!

PIN Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake to try it later!

If you’re a food blogger with a mega-popular recipe like this Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake (seen by millions and millions of people on Pinterest), you’ll probably wonder every summer if the recipe will still be popular! But this year I noticed people are starting to visit the recipe again! Have you tried this recipe that’s the most popular zucchini recipe on my blog?

It was my sister Pam who originally found this recipe in Penzeys Back to School Catalog (in 2011!) Pam changed the recipe a bit when she made it, and then I changed it a tiny bit more when I tried it. Pam and I were both so impressed with how this very basic idea of tossing zucchini with a few fresh and dried herbs and cheese and then baking it can produce a cheesy zucchini bake that’s so delicious.

I’ll be honest, I did probably make it a little cheesier than the original recipe, and Jake and I also used a very generous amount of sliced basil. The other change I made was to switch from an 8-inch square casserole dish to one that was 8 inches x 11 inches. I really did like the way this larger dish let the zucchini spread out more so each piece was covered with cheese, but take your choice on that!

And zucchini season is here or neatly here for many of you, so when you get zucchini from your garden or the farmers market, you must try this, or make it again if you’re already a fan!

What ingredients do you need?

• zucchini, cut in slices or half-moon slices
• yellow squash, cut in slices or half-moon slices
• chopped fresh basil (more or less, depending on how much you like the flavor of basil)
• thinly sliced green onion
• Dried Thyme (affiliate link)
• Garlic Powder (affiliate link)
• grated mozzarella cheese
• coarsely grated Parmesan, plus a little more for the top if desired
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Can you use other types of cheese?

Personally I think the grated Mozzarella and coarsely-grated Parmesan used in this cheesy zucchini recipe is perfect to go with the flavor of basil and fresh zucchini. But if you’d prefer another cheese you can use any white cheese that melts well.

Want more cheesy zucchini recipes?

The popularity of this recipe shows how many people are fans of the combination of zucchini with cheese! If you’d like more recipes like that consider trying Zucchini Frittata, Parmesan Encrusted Zucchini, or Zucchini Bake with Feta and Thyme.

Steps for Making Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake:

(Scroll down for complete printable recipe with nutritional information.)

1. Wash zucchini, trim ends, and cut into slices or half-moon slices for larger zucchini.
2. Wash and dry basil (I used a mini salad spinner; affiliate link) and then chop or slice the basil (I used Herb Scissors (affiliate link) to get nice thin slices of basil.)
3. Chop green onions, then toss together the sliced zucchini, sliced or chopped basil, sliced green onions, Dried Thyme (affiliate link), Garlic Powder (affiliate link), and 1/2 cup (or more) of each type of cheese.
4. Season with salt and fresh-ground pepper and spread out in the baking dish.
5. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or slightly longer. (Until the zucchini is getting tender when you stick a fork into it.)
6. Then sprinkle the remaining grated mozzarella or pizza cheese (and a little more Parmesan if desired) and bake 10-15 minutes longer, or until the cheese is nicely melted and slightly browned.
7. Serve hot and enjoy.

Make it a Low-Carb Meal:

Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake would taste great with summer favorites like Grilled Sausage and Peppers, Rosemary-Mustard Grilled Chicken, Grilled Ginger-Soy Pork Chops, Very Greek Grilled Chicken, or Marinated Beef Kabobs for a low-carb meal.

Zucchini Recipes to Help You Use That Zucchini:

50 Amazing Zucchini Recipes

The Top Ten Low-Carb Zucchini Recipes

Low-Carb and Keto Grilled Zucchini Recipes

Amazing Salads with Zucchini

Recipes for Extra Large Zucchini

Weekend Food Prep:

This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

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Yield: 6 servings

Low-Carb Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

You'll love this low-carb Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake which is most popular zucchini recipe of the Top Ten Low-Carb Zucchini Recipes on Kalyn's Kitchen!

Ingredients

• 2 medium zucchini, cut in slices or half-moon slices
• 2 medium yellow squash, cut in slices or half-moon slices
• 4 T chopped fresh basil (more or less, depending on how much you like the flavor of basil)
• 2 T thinly sliced green onion
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 3/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese (see notes)
• 1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan, plus a little more for the top if desired
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F/180C.  Spray an 8" x 8" or 8" x 11" baking dish with olive oil or non-stick spray.  (I originally used the small size, but now I prefer a slightly bigger dish.)
2. Wash the squash and cut in slices or half-moon slices.
3. Wash basil, spin dry or dry with paper towels and finely chop or slice. (I used a mini salad spinner (affiliate link) to dry the basil and Herb Scissors (affiliate link) to cut into thin slices.)
4. Slice green onions.
5. Combine the sliced squash, chopped or sliced basil, sliced green onions, dried thyme, garlic powder, 1/2 grated mozzarella and 1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan and stir together until the veggies are coated with cheese and the herbs are well-distributed.  Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
6. Put the mixture in the baking dish and bake uncovered for about 25-30 minutes, or slightly longer. (Pierce a piece of zucchini with a fork to be sure it's mostly tender.)
7. When the zucchini is nearly cooked through, take the casserole dish out of the oven and sprinkle over the remaining 1/2 cup of grated mozzarella, plus a little more Parmesan if desired.
8. Put the dish back in the oven and bake 10-15 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted and nicely browned and zucchini is fully cooked.  Serve hot.
9. This kept well in the fridge overnight, but mine was gone the next day so I don't know if it would last longer than that!

Notes

You can use more cheese or use other white cheese if you prefer but that will increase the amount of carbs in this recipe.

This Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake recipe adapted from a recipe by Karen Niessing in Penzeys Back to School 2011 Catalog, with suggestions from my sister Pam and a few more adaptations by Kalyn.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 207Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 535mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 14g

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. (The carbs calculated for this recipe seems a bit high to me!)

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This zucchini bake recipe is perfect for low-carb, Keto, or low-glycemic eating plans. For the original South Beach Diet you will need to use low-fat cheese.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use the Zucchini Index or Side Dishes to find more recipes like this one.Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was first posted in 2011, after my sister Pam discovered it and we both adapted it a bit. For many years now it’s been the most popular zucchini recipe on my site! The recipe was last updated with more information in 2022.

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