This zucchini bake casserole is almost like a pizza bake. The spices give it that Italian flavor; however, the vegetable taste comes through along with the hint of bacon. It is just a delicious way to use zucchini in a meal that your family will enjoy.
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Scrumptious way to use larger, overgrown zucchini from the garden.
Forgiving Zucchini Recipe
This zucchini recipe is very forgiving. While the recipe calls for 4 cups, if I cut up a whole zucchini and ended up with 6 cups, that is what I would use in this recipe.
This zucchini casserole is perfect for that garden fresh zucchini. Even the overgrown stuff that grew too fast. Just remove the seeds and take off the tough skin. Dice and mix with Cheese, Onions, Bacon, Tomatoes, and seasonings.
Developing the Zucchini Recipe
Years ago, when I cooked in a restaurant, I brought in some zucchini that a neighbor has generously given me. Between my co-worker and myself, we talked about what might taste good with the overgrown zucchini.
We had our tried and true recipes for deep fried chicken, broasted potatoes, and coleslaw; however, as cooks in a restaurant, we wanted to change up what we were eating.
Recipe Creation
This zucchini fresh from the garden was just perfect that day. I still remember us making up the recipe and testing it. That was over 30 years ago and I still have this once or twice a year. Still delicious. We included fresh ingredients of the zucchini, tomatoes, onions, and cheese. Of course, when we added bacon to this recipe, the recipe was complete.
It is hard to show a photo of how delicious this really is. Here are a few to try and convince you 🙂
The photo below shows the zucchini casserole ready to go into the oven. As you can see, I had plenty of this; I doubled the recipe. I only had about two servings to put away. This dish is delicious the next day too. Just rewarm and enjoy.
Simple Ingredients – Big Taste
It doesn’t matter if the cheese covers everything. When the zucchini is served, it all gets mixed together for delicious flavors.
Delicious Zucchini Bake Served
This can be served as a side dish or a main dish. The bacon gives it a main dish taste and feel. It tastes like a pizza and serving this with a side salad is a wonderful way to enjoy a light meal. Add a slice of crusty garlic bread to round out the meal.
Reheating Zucchini Casserole
This reheats very well, just pop it in the microwave a few minutes for reheating a serving. If you want to reheat a larger portion, I reheat it in the oven for 15-20 minutes until it hot and bubbly again.
Storing This Baked Zucchini
Store this casserole in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. However, I would not recommend freezing this as the zucchini will break down and get rather mushy.
Zucchini Bake
Kitchen Essentials
Ingredients
- 4 Cups Zucchini Peeled and diced
- 1 Small onion Diced
- 12 Slices bacon Partially cooked and cut-up into small pieces
- 14.5 Oz. Tomatoes I used a can of diced tomatoes. You can dice fresh tomatoes and put that in as well
- 1 Tsp. Dried Basil
- 1 Tsp. Dried Oregano
- 1 Tsp. Dried Parsley
- 1/2 Tsp. Salt or to taste
- 1/2 Tsp. Pepper or to taste
- 2-3 Cups Mozzarella Cheese or some other cheese that melts well that you enjoy
Instructions
- Dice the bacon and fry in a frying pan until half cooked. Drain on a paper towel and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients, including the cooked bacon pieces. Reserve 1 cup of the shredded cheese for the top. Mix the ingredients together.
- Prepare a 9 X 13 baking dish with oil and add the zucchini mixture. Add the rest of the shredded cheese to the top. Bake at 350 F. for 1 hour.
Your Own Private Notes
Nutrition
A few of my favorite things
The Power of Positivity
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I hope that you liked this recipe. If you are looking for more ideas on what to make, here are a few other recipes that you may enjoy.
You can find Victoria crocheting, quilting, and creating recipes. She has worked in restaurants for many years. Her many crochet patterns and quilt patterns are enjoyed by many. In her professional career, she has worked in management in a wide variety of businesses including higher education as a dean of a division. All the while attending college part-time to achieve her doctorate in higher education with an emphasis in e-learning.