Ground Beef Zucchini Casserole

It's that time of year when zucchini are plentiful, and days are getting busy. This recipe is a delicious way to use those summer squash while they are abundant. And get a tasty and nutritious meal on the table without spending a lot of time in the kitchen.

Casseroles are a classic family favorite for a reason, they're usually easy to put together, using everyday ingredients and minimal effort. If you need more casserole ideas, try this easy taco casserole, or this hearty ranch chicken and potato casserole. And I have a delicious sushi casserole that you need to try.

Why you'll love this recipe

• Simple ingredients. This delicious zucchini casserole recipe has just six simple ingredients (not including seasoning).
• Easy to make. This casserole is quick and easy to put together, making it a great recipe for busy weeknights.
• Meal prep friendly. Leftovers keep for days in the fridge and reheat beautifully for meal prepping.
• Budget friendly. Ground beef is an economical protein, and this recipe is perfect for when you have lots of zucchini.
• Nutritious. Kind of like a lightened up lasagna, this low carb casserole has plenty of veggies, lots of protein, and it's low in calories. And of course, without pasta, this recipe is also gluten-free.
• Delicious. Most importantly, this cheesy beef and zucchini casserole recipe is flavorful and delicious. It's comforting flavors will please even the pickiest of eaters.

Ingredient Notes

Ingredient quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Zucchini: (Called courgette in countries outside of North America). If you have zucchini in your garden, this zucchini ground beef casserole recipe is another great way to use them. However, you can buy zucchini year round at most grocery stores.
• Ground Beef: I almost always use lean ground beef, which has 15-17 percent maximum fat content. I find that there is usually little to no excess fat to drain off when it's cooked. If you use regular ground beef, you will need to drain the fat after cooking.
• Onion: Use a white or yellow onion.
• Tomatoes: For this recipe, I'm using a 28 ounce can of low sodium diced tomatoes. No need to drain them.
• Garlic: I like to use pure minced garlic from a jar for convenience. You can also use fresh garlic, or use garlic powder (start with a quarter teaspoon).
• Mozzarella cheese: I always shred cheese myself, because pre-shredded cheese usually contains an anti-caking agent.

How to make ground beef zucchini casserole

1. In a skillet, cook the ground beef, onion, and garlic.
2. Stir in the tomatoes and seasonings.

3. Add half of the meat mixture to a baking pan.
4. Layer half of the zucchini slices and half of the cheese on top.

5. Repeat steps three and four with the remaining ground beef mixture, zucchini slices, and cheese.
6. Bake until the cheese is bubbling and golden.

Recipe variations

• Meat: You can use ground turkey, ground chicken, or any other ground meat instead of ground beef.
• Cheese: To make this more of a low carb lasagna, replace one of the mozzarella layers with cottage cheese or ricotta cheese. You can also add parmesan cheese to the top layer of the casserole.
• Vegetables: I sometimes like to stir in some baby spinach or sliced mushrooms to the meat sauce for added nutrition. Yellow squash can be used interchangeably with zucchini. Sliced eggplant is also great in this recipe, either to replace the zucchini, or combine with it. Salt the eggplant (aubergine) slices just as the recipe calls for zucchini.
• Seasonings: I use my homemade Italian seasoning blend, but you can use a store-bought blend, or use a combination of oregano, basil, and thyme.

Got more zucchini?

Try these crispy zucchini fritters, or make some chocolate zucchini bread. You can air fry zucchini, or include it as part of a roasted vegetable side dish. Zucchini is always an ingredient in my chicken minestrone soup, too.