Feta & Herb Zucchini Bake (Easy Side Dish!)
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If you’re searching for an easy and flavorful dish to use up your zucchini, look no further than this garlic and herb-infused feta cheese zucchini bake. Bursting with oregano, thyme, basil, and garlic, this simple vegetable side dish bakes in 30 minutes and doesn’t require any pre-cooking.
I figured you would appreciate a vegetable-packed side dish in between all the sweet options. My entire family loved this feta zucchini bake, children included. Let me show you how it comes together.
Tell Me About This Feta & Herb Zucchini Bake
- Texture: Each bite of this casserole is packed with crisp bread crumbs and zucchini that’s baked just until tender, before it reaches a soggy, over-baked texture. A little heavy cream and an egg hold the zucchini together so the dish is like (but not as heavy as) a cheesy casserole.
- Flavor: Herby, salty, and tangy with a little bit of kick from the optional red pepper flakes. If you love fresh and garlicky herb flavors, you’ll love this one! I use basil, thyme, and oregano, but feel free to swap in some parsley and/or rosemary.
- Ease: All you’re doing is mixing most of the ingredients together and spreading them into a casserole dish. There’s no pre-cooking required, but the zucchini benefits from a quick 10 minute blot/drain to rid some moisture.
Lots of texture, lots of flavor, little prepwork!
Grab These Ingredients:
Each ingredient has a specific job, so I don’t recommend leaving any out. However, feel free to substitute with my suggestions. Here’s a brief rundown so you understand the importance of each:
- Feta Cheese: Tangy crumbled feta cheese is my recommended choice for this dish, but shredded white cheddar, smoked gouda, Gruyère, or pepper jack for a little kick would be great alternatives.
- Basil, Oregano, & Thyme: Flavor! I use a mix of fresh and dried herbs. See recipe Note below.
- Salt & Pepper: More flavor! Also, a little salt helps draw out some zucchini moisture in step 1.
- Garlic & Onion: Even more flavor!
- Breadcrumbs: Breadcrumbs help give the dish some substance. Mix some in with the zucchini and other ingredients and then top the dish with more breadcrumbs before baking.
- Egg & Heavy Cream: You need some thick liquid in the mixture to help hold the zucchini and cheese together. 1 egg and a little heavy cream turned this into a tasty, hearty casserole. I don’t recommend any substitutes for the egg, but half-and-half works inside of the heavy cream. Milk or anything lower fat wouldn’t be ideal.
- Zucchini: Zucchini varies greatly in size. You need 1.5 lbs, which is about 3-4 medium zucchini. After slicing and quartering, you’ll have about 6 cups or 600-700g. No need to peel the zucchini.
- (Optional) Shredded Parmesan & Red Pepper Flakes: To finish off the dish, add some parmesan (or more feta cheese) on top near the end of bake time. Before serving, feel free to add a sprinkle of herbs and/or red pepper flakes for a bit of heat.
Success Tips: Avoid a Watery Casserole
Zucchini is a very wet ingredient which is why it’s so lovely in baked goods… moisture! In main dishes and sides like this feta zucchini bake, however, all of this moisture can give you a very soggy dish. To combat this:
- Cut the zucchini thick: Slice zucchini into 1/2 inch thick slices and quarter them.
- Blot/drain for 10 minutes: Lightly sprinkle the zucchini pieces with salt, place into a towel-lined colander, cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Blot lightly, and then use in the recipe.
You also want to avoid over-baking, so follow the baking directions below. If baked too long, the zucchini becomes overly soft to the point of tasting mushy.
Mix most of the ingredients together in 1 bowl and then spread into a greased baking dish:
Want some color? Chop up a red bell pepper and add it right into the bowl with everything else.
Bake, covered, for 25 minutes and then top with parmesan or more feta cheese. Return to the oven uncovered for 5 more minutes. Garnish with red pepper flakes and/or more herbs for serving.
If you need more dinnertime inspiration, my dinner & side dish recipes collection is growing! This honey garlic shrimp is the most popular choice with readers. 🙂
Serve With These Dinner Favorites
Today’s feta zucchini bake would pair wonderfully with the following:
Description
Bursting with oregano, thyme, basil, and garlic, this simple vegetable side dish bakes in 30 minutes and doesn’t require any pre-cooking. To avoid a soggy dish, draining/blotting the zucchini in step 1 is crucial.
- Slice zucchini into 1/2-inch thick slices and then quarter each slice. You should have a little over 6 cups or 600-700g of quartered/chopped zucchini. Sprinkle lightly with salt (reserve the 1/4 teaspoon of salt for step 3… this is just a light sprinkle). Line a colander with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Place zucchini in lined colander. Let sit for just 10 minutes. Blot dry as best you can.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Grease a 2.5-quart baking dish. (See Note below for recommendations on best pans to use.)
- In a large bowl, whisk the heavy cream and egg together. Stir in the the onion, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, basil, feta cheese, and 3 Tablespoons (21g) breadcrumbs. Stir in the zucchini. Spread mixture into prepared baking dish. Top evenly with remaining breadcrumbs.
- Bake, covered lightly with aluminum foil, for 25 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with 2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese or crumbled feta cheese. Return to the oven, uncovered, and bake for 5 more minutes or until zucchini is tender. For a crispier/browner top, switch the oven to broil and broil for the last 30 seconds. (If skipping the cheese topping, you still want to bake the dish for 5 minutes uncovered.)
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle lightly with red pepper flakes, if desired. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat as desired.
Notes
- Baking Pan to Use (affiliate link): Use a baking dish that holds 2.5 quarts, such as a 9-inch square baking dish, 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan, or an 11×7 inch pan. The pictured baking dish is the Marin 8×12 inch baking dish from Crate & Barrel.
- Heavy Cream: You can use half-and-half instead, but I strongly recommend heavy cream. Do not use milk.
- Herbs: Feel free to substitute other herbs such as rosemary or parsley.
- Cheese: Tangy crumbled feta cheese is my recommended choice for this dish, but shredded white cheddar, smoked gouda, Gruyère, or pepper jack for a little kick would be great alternatives.
Keywords: feta herb zucchini bake, zucchini side dish
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