Easy Keto Zucchini Casserole

This is the ultimate way I’ve discovered to use up all that summer zucchini without feeling like you are eating “diet food.” This Keto Zucchini Casserole is something to write home about. My neighbor dropped off six massive zucchinis last week and instead of scary-making zucchini bread as I usually do, I decided maybe I’d try something entirely new. The result was this creamy, cheesy masterpiece that had my teenage son asking for seconds before he even knew it was healthy.

Trust me when I say this tastes like the ultimate comfort food. My husband came home from work, took one bite, and said “What kind of pasta is this?” When I told him it was just zucchini, he nearly fell off his chair!

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Keto Zucchini Casserole

Look, I’ve tried more than a few “healthy swaps” in my time, and most of them just taste like someone made cardboard try to be something it could never be. This one’s an exception — it’s rich, it’s satisfying and it will make you feel like you ordered takeout from a restaurant. The top turns all golden and bubbly, and when you dive in, it’s creamy and cheesy but doesn’t weigh you down. And it’s one of the few things my children willingly swallow whole (read: miracle) so the more the merrier in my house.

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📝 Ingredient List

What You Need:

• 2 lbs zucchini (I buy the smaller ones, they’re less watery)
• 1 cup Colby-Jack cheese, shredded (save ⅓ cup for top)
• ⅓ cup cottage cheese (I use the small curd kind)
• ⅓ cup mayo (real mayo, not the light stuff)
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• Salt for seasoning plus extra for draining
• Black pepper if you want it

If You Don’t Have These: Sharp cheddar works instead of Colby-Jack. Greek yogurt can replace cottage cheese but use less – it’s tangier. Yellow squash works exactly the same as zucchini.

🔍 Why These Ingredients Work

Here’s the thing about this recipe – every ingredient has a job to do. The zucchini becomes tender and almost pasta-like when it bakes, while the Colby-Jack gives you that classic melty cheese pull we all love. I know cottage cheese sounds weird, but it makes everything so creamy without adding a ton of carbs.

The mayo might raise some eyebrows, but hear me out – it creates this rich, velvety texture that holds everything together. My sister thought it was cream cheese the first time she tried it! The egg keeps it all bound together so you get clean slices instead of a mushy mess.

Essential Tools and Equipment

You need a sharp knife, a big colander, paper towels, and a 9×9 baking dish. That’s it. I have a mandoline but honestly I hardly use it for this – just slice carefully and you’re fine. Oh, and cooking spray because nobody wants to scrape burnt cheese off their dish later.

👩🍳 How To Make Keto Zucchini Casserole

Step 1: Get That Water Out (Seriously, Don’t Skip This!) Slice your zucchini about ¼-inch thick – I eyeball it, doesn’t have to be perfect. Toss all the slices with a good amount of salt in a colander and let them sit for 30 minutes. I usually start this first, then prep everything else. Blot them with paper towels or clean kitchen towels after 30 minutes.

Step 2: Oven and Pan Prep Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. I’ve attempted to skip the spray in the past — don’t do this unless you want to be scrubbing melted cheese off the dish.

Step 3: Mix the Good Stuff In a large bowl, combine cottage cheese, mayo, egg, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Whiz it up until smooth – it will form a thick creamy sauce.

Step 4: Add Most of the Cheese Fold in ⅔ of your shredded cheese, saving the rest for the top. This is where it starts looking really good!

Step 5: Combine Everything Add your dried zucchini to the cheese mixture and fold gently until every piece is coated. Don’t be rough with it – zucchini can get mushy if you overmix.

Step 6: Bake Time Spread everything in your prepared dish and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top is golden and it’s bubbling around the edges.

Step 7: Let It Rest This is the hardest part – let it cool for 10 minutes before you dig in. It needs time to set up, trust me on this one!

And if you’re looking for more Zucchini recipes, check out my Easy Zucchini Garlic Bites Or Easy Zucchini Patties– they’re both reader favorites!

Tips from Well-Known Chefs

My cooking teacher always said taste as you go – add more garlic powder if you love garlic like I do. And that chef on Food Network who’s always yelling? He’d probably tell you to add some hot sauce or cayenne. I tried it once and my kids complained for a week.

❗ You Must Know

Listen, I’m going to be real with you here – if you skip the salting and draining step, you’re going to end up with soup instead of casserole. I learned this the hard way my first attempt when I thought “how watery could zucchini really be?” The answer is VERY watery. Don’t make my mistake!

Personal Secret: After I pat the zucchini dry, I actually squeeze handfuls of it gently in clean kitchen towels to get every last drop of water out. It sounds excessive, but it’s the difference between success and disaster.

💡 Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

After making this probably 20 times now, here’s what I’ve learned: slice your zucchini as evenly as possible – I use my mandoline when I’m feeling fancy, but a sharp knife works fine. Room temperature cheese mixes way better than cold stuff straight from the fridge.

You’ll know it’s done when you can stick a knife in the center and it comes out mostly clean. When serving, put it in a slotted spoon there may be a drop of liquid at the bottom Don’t worry, it again will have all been absorbed.

Want to make it heartier? I sometimes brown some ground beef or Italian sausage and layer it in. My brother-in-law insists on this version every time he comes over.

🎨 Flavor Variations / Suggestions

Want to switch it up? I’ve tried this with Italian herbs – just throw in some dried basil and oregano with mozzarella instead of Colby-Jack. Tastes like pizza without the crust.

My friend Maria makes a Mexican version with pepper jack and some cumin. Way too spicy for my kids but the adults love it. Sometimes I add cooked ground beef to make it more filling – just brown a pound and mix it in with the zucchini.

⏲️ Make-Ahead Options

You can put this together in the morning and bake it when you get home from work. Just cover it with plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge. It’ll need maybe 5 extra minutes in the oven since it’s cold.

Leftovers keep for 3 days in the fridge. I just reheat portions in the microwave for about a minute. Don’t freeze this – I tried it once and the zucchini got all mushy and weird when I thawed it.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

This recipe is pretty forgiving. If you mess up the measurements a little, it’ll still taste good. The cottage cheese was my mom’s idea – she said it would make it creamier without adding carbs. She was right, as usual.

There was that one time when I forgot to really drain the zucchini though and it was zucchini soup. Learned my lesson fast! Now I’m almost obsessive about getting all the water out.

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

This goes with pretty much everything, but I love it with simple grilled chicken and a basic salad. My mom always serves it alongside her famous pot roast, and somehow it just works. For lighter dinners, I’ll make just this with some roasted vegetables on the side.

My kids like it best when I cut it into squares and serve it like pizza slices – they think it’s hilarious. Sometimes I’ll add some fresh herbs from my garden on top just to make it look fancy when we have company over.

I hope this becomes what it is for me: your go-to weeknight dinner to become your new favorite. It’s one of those recipes that you can feel good about eating and actually tastes really good. Let me know how you like yours! 🍽️

🧊 How to Store Your Keto Zucchini Casserole

Don’t leave this out more than 2 hours – all that dairy will go bad. Store leftovers in the container of your choice in the fridge for up to 3 days. Let cool slightly, then reheat in the microwave for a minute or two, or return the whole dish to a 325°F oven for 15 minutes. Skip freezing – trust me on this one.

⚠️ Allergy Information

This has dairy and eggs, obviously. If you can’t do dairy, try those fake cheese shreds – some are pretty good now. For the cottage cheese, maybe try that cashew cream stuff. Never tried it myself but my sister-in-law swears by it. If you’re allergic to eggs, I have no idea what to substitute – maybe ask Google?

❓ Questions I Get Asked A Lot

💬 Did you try this? Tell me how it went! I love hearing about your kitchen adventures. Did your family like it? Did you change anything? Leave a comment below – I read every single one!