The Best Zucchini Casserole Recipe
This is the BEST zucchini casserole recipe you’ll ever try! Full of buttery and creamy deliciousness, it’s the perfect comfort food side dish.
Zucchini Casserole Recipe
I bet you didn’t know you needed a zucchini casserole recipe in your life but I’m here to tell you, YOU DO! The first time I had this zucchini casserole was at Thanksgiving dinner a couple months before the hubs and I got married. It’s a dish his family makes every year and it was my favorite side dish that year.
I made sure to get the recipe and I’ve been making it for Thanksgiving every year since. While I’ve got a pretty great line up of favorite Thanksgiving dishes, including sautéed green beans with bacon and almonds and homemade cranberry sauce, this zucchini casserole is still number one. It’s become a favorite side dish of my pretty much everyone in my family and some of the in-laws families as well.
Now, I know I’ve only mentioned Thanksgiving so far but this courgette casserole can be made year round. It’s a fantastic side dish that goes well with tons of dinner options. You can even make it a whole meal by throwing some rotisserie chicken in. While I don’t love to use the oven much in the summer, this recipe is great for all that zucchini you grow if you have a garden.
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Ingredients Needed
- 4 medium zucchinis – chopped
- 3/4 cups carrots – shredded (about 1-1 1/2 large carrots)
- 1/2 cup onion – chopped
- 2 1/4 cup seasoned croutons
- 1 can cream of chicken soup (10.5 oz)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 6 Tbsp butter
How to Make Zucchini Casserole
To make taste amazing, you really need to follow the steps and tips I give you. This is an easy dish but it does take a bit of time to make it right. I promise, it’s worth it!
It’s always smart to cut all your veggies before you start cooking things. I find that when I try to cut one thing while cooking another, I tend to burn something or over cook it. Chop everything first so you won’t be distracted.
You’ll be chopping onions and zucchini for this recipe. You also need to shred some carrots.
Step 1. Cut 4 medium sized zucchinis into medium sized pieces. I like to cut each zucchini length wise into fourths. Then, I chop them into even chunks.
Step 2. Boil zucchini chunks in salted water for 4 mins. Drain really well and set to the side.
Step 3. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a pan. Then sauté the onions and shredded carrots until soft.
Step 4. Once the onions and carrots are soft, remove from heat and stir in 1 1/4 cup of croutons.
Step 5. Stir in cream of chicken soup and sour cream until combined.
Step 6. Gently fold in the zucchini. (Gently, stir it into the mix so it doesn’t get mushed up.)
Step 7. Pour everything into a large casserole dish.
Step 8. Melt the last tablespoons of butter and add the rest of the croutons to the butter. The original recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of butter and one cup of croutons. I always double this, at least. The butter croutons go on top of the casserole and bake up to crunchy deliciousness, so why not have more!
Step 9. Bake the zucchini casserole in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. You want everything heated through and the croutons nice and crispy but not burned.
Tips for Making the Best Zucchini Casserole
Like I said before, there are a couple things you should do to make the best version of this casserole you can. I’ve had this exact recipe when it’s been made by another person and it wasn’t as good so make sure you follow these tips.
Tip 1. Don’t cut zucchini pieces too big. It can take a little while to cut all that zucchini so you might be tempted to cut large pieces. If zucchini pieces are too large they won’t cook as fast and the ratio of zucchini to sauce in each bite won’t work.
Tip 2. Shred the carrots yourself. I know this is extra work but they cook up in the butter so much better than store bought shreds. I’ve shredded carrots by hand and with a food processor before. The food processor definitely goes faster but you have more to get out, clean, and put away so I often do things by hand.
Tip 3. Drain ALL the water from the zucchini after boiling. I like to poor the zucchini into a colander and let it sit and drain while the onions and carrots cook. If you don’t get all the water drained, it thins out the soup and can make the whole dish a bit watery.
Tip 4. You can use stuffing mix instead of croutons but I find croutons to be cheaper. I do like the size of stuffing mix better though so if your croutons are big, break them up a bit.
Tip 5. Don’t cover the zucchini casserole with foil. It might make the casserole cook faster but the croutons won’t crisp up as well. And trust me, you want them crispy.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge and then popped in the microwave to reheat. Leftovers aren’t as amazing as they are on day one but they are still really good. I always hope there are leftovers for the next day.
Sadly, there aren’t always leftover but that just means everyone enjoyed them!
I hope you give this recipe a try. Let me know how this zucchini casserole turned out for you by leaving a comment below.
Zucchini Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchinis chopped
- 3/4 cups carrots shredded
- 1/2 cup yellow onion chopped
- 2 1/4 cups croutons broken up a bit
- 1 10.5 oz can cream of chicken soup
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 6 tbsp butter non-salted
Instructions
- Cut 4 medium sized zucchinis into medium sized pieces. I like to cut each zucchini length wise into fourths. Then, I chop them into even chunks.
- Boil zucchini chunks in salted water for 4 mins. Drain really well and set to the side.
- Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a pan. Then sauté the onions and shredded carrots until soft.
- Once the onions and carrots are soft, remove from heat and stir in 1 1/4 cup of croutons.
- Stir in cream of chicken soup and sour cream until combined.
- Gently fold in the zucchini. (Gently, stir it into the mix so it doesn’t get mushed up.)
- Poor everything into a large casserole dish.
- Melt the last tablespoons of butter and add the rest of the croutons to the butter. The original recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of butter and one cup of croutons. I always double this, at least. The butter croutons go on top of the casserole and bake up to crunchy deliciousness, so why not have more!
- Bake the zucchini casserole in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. You want everything heated through and the croutons nice and crispy but not burned.
