If you’re looking for an easy and nourishing recipe that the whole family will love, whip up this Italian-inspired ground beef and zucchini casserole for dinner! Made with a veggie-loaded hamburger and quinoa base, then smothered in tomato sauce and topped with cooked zucchini, it’s filling, flavorful, and healthy.
If you’re swimming in late summer’s most prolific vegetable and looking to make something other than your 900th loaf of zucchini bread, I have the perfect savory zucchini recipe for you! It also happens to come in casserole form, which is so convenient for back-to-school time.
I’ve always been a fan of zucchini combined with tomato sauce, and that winning pair is what inspired this ground beef and zucchini casserole recipe. It’s loaded with veggies and a healthier-for-you carbohydrate (hi, quinoa) in addition to tons of protein from the ground beef and cheese. A complete meal that’s still easy to put together?! Sign me up!
Not to mention, the creamy combo of ricotta and mozzarella makes it delightful to eat and provides lasagna-esque vibes. So go on, get cooking and see what all the fuss is about!
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Ingredients and Substitutions
- Quinoa: You’ll need about 3 cups cooked (1 cup dry). Feel free to sub another cooked whole grain, such as brown rice or farro, or even cooked short cut pasta like orzo.
- Ground beef: Consider using ground Italian sausage for a different flavor profile if desired.
- Onion, carrots, and garlic: These are cooked with the ground beef to add flavor, texture, or nutrition. You could also add some chopped mushrooms either in addition to or in place of part of the ground beef. Celery is always a welcome addition, too.
- Zucchini: Regular zucchini, yellow summer squash, or patty pan squash would all work. Even frozen zucchini does well in ground beef and zucchini casserole.
- Marinara sauce: I love to use Rao’s brand for this recipe, but feel free to use a jar of whatever you like. My Canned San Marzano Tomato Sauce would be delicious in here.
- Ricotta and mozzarella cheese: Sub cottage cheese for ricotta if that’s what you have. You can also swap in parmesan for half of the mozzarella for a different flavor. Use pre-shredded mozzarella for ease, or you can pull apart a log of fresh mozzarella too!
- Basil: It’s pretty convenient that zucchini season also happens to be when fresh basil is abundant! It’s the perfect garnish, but feel free to skip it if you don’t have any.
- Salt, pepper, and olive oil: For cooking and flavor. Consider adding some additional seasonings as desired. Red pepper flakes, for instance, would taste great here!
Instructions
The full recipe card for ground beef and zucchini casserole is at the bottom of the post. Here’s a preview of the steps with photos to guide you in the kitchen.
Cook the onion, carrot, and garlic in a large skillet. Add the ground beef and cook until browned. Transfer to a greased casserole dish and mix with the cooked quinoa, 2 cups of the tomato sauce, ricotta, and half of the mozzarella.
In the same skillet, cook the zucchini until slightly tender.
Layer the zucchini on top of the beef, veggie, and quinoa mixture. Pour the rest of the sauce on top and sprinkle with the rest of the mozzarella.
Bake until bubbly. Garnish with fresh basil, and enjoy!
Storage and Make Ahead
Leftovers of ground beef and zucchini casserole will last in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through. If you have a significant amount of the casserole left after initially baking it, consider keeping it covered in the baking dish in the fridge and reheating the whole thing in the oven. Reheat covered with foil for about 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees F.
If you want to make this recipe ahead of time, assemble everything in the casserole dish and keep it covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Remove from the fridge while you preheat the oven, then pop it in and enjoy!
More Veggie-Loaded Casseroles
If you love this ground beef and zucchini casserole, check out some of these other recipes while you’re here:
📖 Recipe
Ground Beef and Zucchini Casserole
Equipment
- 3 quart (13×9) baking dish
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked quinoa - from 1 cup dry
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil - divided
- 1 small sweet onion - diced
- 1 large carrot - diced
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper - to taste
- 1 pound zucchini - about 2 medium, cut into ¼-inch rounds or half-moons
- 1 cup ricotta cheese - can sub cottage cheese
- 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 24 ounces marinara sauce - I love Rao's brand
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil - plus more leaves for garnish if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉/190℃. Grease or spray a 13×9 (3 quart) baking dish with butter or oil. Set aside.
- If you need to cook the quinoa, do so first. Combine 1 cup dry quinoa with 2 cups of water or broth in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes until the water is absorbed.
- In a large skillet, warm 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the onion and carrot. Cook for about 5 minutes until they start to soften. Add the garlic, ground beef, and salt. Break up the beef with a spoon as it cooks. Cook for about 7 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is cooked through and the veggies are tender. Remove from heat. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer the cooked quinoa and veggie and beef mixture to the prepared casserole dish. Stir in all of the ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella, and 2 cups of the marinara sauce.
- In the same skillet that you used for the beef and veggies, warm the other tablespoon of olive oil. Add the zucchini and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Layer the cooked zucchini on top of the mixture in the dish. Pour the rest of the sauce on top. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until bubbly. If desired, you can flip the oven to the broil setting at the end and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to toast the cheese on top a little more.
- Garnish with fresh basil, serve warm, and enjoy!
- Leave a rating or review by tapping the stars on this recipe card (above) or in the comments section (at the end of the post)!
Notes
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
- Serve on its own or with a simple mixed greens salad. Yum!
- To make ahead of time, assemble the casserole. Cover and keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours before baking.
Katie
Delicious! I used Yves veggie ground round instead of ground beef and we all loved it. A real comfort food!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Yum! I’m so glad you enjoyed it and that it worked well with the veggie ground round!
Brenda P
This is a vegetarian site is it not??? Why are you advertising beef in this recipie. I read through the recipe to see if you had veggie ground in it, but no you didn’t put in a substitution fur the beef. While I can easily substitute veggie ground round myself, or lentils, I was disappointed that beef was in the title of a vegetarian site.
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
This is not a vegetarian site. Many recipes are vegetarian but several include meat and fish. The recipes I create are veggie-loaded and do not fit any particular diet label. This is clearly indicated on my site’s about page as well as several other areas on the site. Anyone is welcome to modify the recipes as they wish.