Cheesy Ground Beef and Zucchini Casserole (One Pot)

an overhead shot of a cheesy ground beef and zucchini casserole in a white skillet.

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Cheesy Ground Beef and Zucchini Casserole (One Pot)

This comforting cheesy ground beef and zucchini casserole is a true one-pot dinner you can throw together quickly, and it makes fantastic leftovers. You’ll want to make this delicious, homemade comfort food a permanent part of your meal plan.

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Fusion

Servings:

Author: Sarah Cook

Equipment

Ingredients

3 cups zucchini {thinly sliced}
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 lb ground beef
2 cloves garlic {finely minced}
1/2 cup onion {finely diced}
2 1/2 cups prepared marinara
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup heavy cream {optional}
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella (divided)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
Thinly slice the zucchini and place the rounds on clean kitchen towels. Sprinkle evenly with sea salt.
1/4 tsp sea salt
Lay a clean towel over the top of the zucchini slices and place something heavy (like a casserole dish or Dutch oven) over the top. Set aside.
In a large frying pan, braiser pan, or Dutch oven, brown the ground beef over medium heat.
1 lb ground beef
When the ground beef is almost fully cooked, add the garlic and onions and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
2 cloves garlic, 1/2 cup onion
Drain any grease if needed.
Add the marinara sauce, basil, oregano, and slowly stir in the heavy cream (if using). Allow the sauce to simmer for ~2 minutes.
2 1/2 cups prepared marinara, 1 tsp dried basil, 1/4 cup heavy cream, 1/4 tsp dried oregano
Remove ~two-thirds of the sauce from the pan and put it into a bowl. Set aside.
Top the sauce left in the pan with half of the zucchini slices and sprinkle with half of the mozzarella.
3 cups zucchini, 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella (divided)
Distribute the remainder of the sauce over the zucchini and cheese.
Top that with the remaining zucchini, mozzarella, and all of the Parmesan.
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
Bake at 350˚ for 25-30 minutes or until the top of the cheese is lightly browned and the sauce is bubbling.
Allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes and serve.

Notes

To cut down on dishes, use a dish that can go directly from the stove to oven. Something like a 4-quart Dutch oven or a braiser pan would work great. If you don't have something that will work, follow steps 1-7 above, and then transfer to a deep 9x13 casserole dish to bake.

Nutrition