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!