Zucchini Garden Vegetable Casserole With Crunchy Herb Topping

Recently as I strolled through the aisles at my local Aldi grocery store I noticed an ample supply of zucchini.

Ahhh…that crazy, wacky, unpredictable vegetable.

If you’ve ever grown zucchini in a garden I know you’ll understand what I’m about to tell you. Those veggies can be inches long in the morning…too small to pick. But when you return to your garden only hours later those tiny vegetables have already grown into massive green monsters…almost too big to eat! Once I  honestly thought about sitting in the garden in a lawn chair with a cold drink in hand just to see if I could catch them growing right before my eyes!

So I bought some perfect-sized beauties at Aldi and I headed back to my kitchen and my pantry to create a new recipe sure to broaden my vegetable repertoire.

I started with these ingredients…

I pulled out a large mixing bowl and I began to combine the ingredients. First I washed and dried the zucchini (leave the peeling on!) and I sliced it on a mandolin. (If using a knife I would cut the slices about 1/8 inch thick.) I sliced about 1/2 of a large onion into slices, and I finely minced two or three garlic cloves. I dumped in the can of fire roasted tomatoes and I diced up the lone tomato that was sitting on my countertop. I mixed in half a bag of fresh spinach. Then I added a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup I think). I added some salt and pepper.

I love to add fresh herbs to my dishes, so I headed out the back door to my herb bed to survey the possibilities. And my purple basil seemed to be calling my name!

I chopped up a handful of basil leaves and I mixed some into the bowl. Then I transferred the mixture into casserole dish I had sprayed with cooking spray. (I saved some basil for the topping, too.)

Meemaw’s Tip: When pairing herbs with other ingredients simply Google to see what goes together! In this case I Googled zucchini and basil…and I found a ton of recipes using both together…so I KNEW it would be delicious!

For the topping I mixed seasoned bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and extra virgin olive oil together in a bowl. I mixed until crumbly…like sand.

I sprinkled the mixture on top of the casserole.

I baked in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until a knife stuck into the center of the casserole met with no resistance. (I hope that made you laugh!)

I removed the dish from the oven and I added a sprinkle of julienned basil to the top of the casserole. I allowed it to sit for about 15 minutes to firm up before serving. 

And yes, my Dear Readers…It was good. Really good. In fact I think this recipe will find a permanent place in Meemaw’s vegetable rotation!

So give this one a try…and PLEASE let me know how you like it! (I’d love to hear from you…!)

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Zucchini Garden Vegetable Casserole With Crunchy Herb Topping

The next time you're looking for a way to "jazz up" your dull vegetable rotation...try this!

Ingredients

• 2 Medium Zucchini
• 1/2 Large Onion More if you wish!
• 1 14.5 oz Can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes With Seasonings
• 1/2 Bag Fresh Spinach
• 2-3 Garlic Cloves, Minced
• 1 Large Tomato, Diced
• 1/2 + Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (divided)
• 1 Handful Basil Leaves Save some for topping!
• 1/2 Cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs
• 2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees. In a large mixing bowl combine sliced zucchini, onions, minced garlic, canned tomatoes, diced fresh tomato, spinach, Parmesan cheese, shredded basil leaves, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Pour into casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. TOPPING: Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and olive oil. Sprinkle on top of casserole dish. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until veggies are tender and top is browned. Remove from oven and allow to firm up for about 15 minutes, Top with shredded basil before serving.