Zucchini, Yellow Squash and Quinoa Casserole is a delicious way to use a summer bounty of zucchini and yellow squash either as a side dish or hearty meatless meal! With a delightfully creamy texture, the goodness and protein of quinoa, the crunchy topping, it’s worth turning your oven on for!
The inspiration behind this recipe:
As it is with any season, when summer rolls around, I can’t wait to make all the tried and true recipes from prior summers. My Very Veggie Gazpacho is one of the first I reach for and my Spicy Black-Eyed Pea Salad is a close second.
However, if you’re anything like me, you’re always on the hunt for new zucchini and yellow squash recipes!
Every summer, we head up to Wisconsin over the July 4th holiday and this year was no exception. In a way, it’s a really bad time to leave for a vacation because our garden starts to explode just before we leave.
I needed to find a way to use all the beautiful zucchini and yellow squash you see here and this Zucchini, Yellow Squash and Quinoa Casserole was born!
How to make Zucchini, Yellow Squash and Quinoa Casserole:
- Start with approximately three pounds of zucchini and yellow squash. Use even amounts of each or more of one and less of the other. Either way, it works!
- Slice the squash approximately ¼-inch thick.
- Saute the zucchini and yellow squash with onion until it has softened. Never boil zucchini and yellow squash as some recipes call for! The delicate flavor of these two vegetables will go right down the drain!
- Combine the squash with cooked quinoa, green chiles, cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise and a couple of eggs.
- Top with a combination of breadcrumbs, cheese and butter!
- Then bake!
With a delightfully creamy texture, the goodness and protein of quinoa, the crunchy topping, Zucchini, Yellow Squash and Quinoa Casserole is worth turning your oven on for!
More vegetarian casseroles you might like:
- Black Bean and Yellow Squash Enchilada Casserole
- Yellow Squash and Tomato Gratin with Two Cheeses
- Southwestern Lentil and Brown Rice Bake
- Southwestern Squash, Corn and Poblano Casserole
- Italian Summer Vegetable Casserole
- Brown Rice Cheddar Kale Casserole
- Layered Zucchini Corn Casserole
- Cheesy Brown Rice and Greens Casserole
- Southwestern Summer Squash Casserole
Zucchini Yellow Squash and Quinoa Casserole
Ingredients
- Cooking spray - or oil for baking pan
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 4 tablespoons butter - (½ stick) divided
- 1 medium onion - chopped
- 1 ½ pounds zucchini - sliced into ¼-inch slices
- 1 ½ pounds yellow squash - sliced into ¼-inch slices
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 cans (4-ounce each) diced green chiles - hot or mild, drained
- 3 cups cooked quinoa
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
- 2 cups shredded white Cheddar cheese - or Monterey Jack cheese
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese - or Asiago cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray or rub lightly with oil. Set aside.
- Heat oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, reduce heat to medium and cook 5-6 minutes or until beginning to soften.
- Add the zucchini and yellow squash. Continue cooking over medium heat for another 5-6 minutes or until zucchini and yellow squash begin to soften.
- Add garlic and cook 15 seconds or until fragrant. Let cool.
- Transfer cooled vegetables to a large bowl. Add green chiles, quinoa and Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Combine sour cream, mayonnaise and eggs in a small bowl. Add to vegetable, quinoa and cheese mixture.
- Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
- Combine remaining butter, panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan or Asiago cheese in a small bowl.
- Evenly sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the top.
- Bake uncovered for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown and set.
Notes
Nutrition
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
Lori says
Hello,
Love your recipes and this looks delicious! Quinoa is not a big hit with my family. Do you think the recipe will work if I swap the quinoa out for rice?
Carol says
Hi, Lori, Thanks so much for your question and your kind words! Swapping out the quinoa for rice should work just fine. Thanks again and hope everyone enjoys!!
Susan says
I just made this and it is delicious! I am a vegan so I made it with Hellmann’s vegan mayonaise and Tofutti’s vegan sour cream. I did use two eggs but I buy eggs from pasture raised chickens…so no problem. I also used gluten free bread crumbs. Oh, and Daiya vegan cheddar cheese and pepperjack style cheese. So, it was a lot healthier with very little cholesterol. I used freshly picked summer yellow squash and zucchini and rainbow quinoa. It is absolutely delicious! I have so much I can’t eat it all by myself. Can I freeze some?
Carol says
Hi, Susan, Thanks so very much and so glad you enjoyed! I love how you made this so super-close to vegan as it appears vegans are interested in this recipe. When I made it the first time, I froze it but I was using all regular products and it worked fine. I think it will be fine frozen but you may want to reheat in a conventional oven. Conventional ovens have a way of “fixing” a lot of things. Thanks again!
Susan says
Thanks for your reply. I will eat as much as I can but it’s a lot of food and unfortunately at this time with the pandemic/shamdemic…lol…no one would want someone else’s food. I will clarify that while it’s not strictly vegan since I did use eggs, I stopped eating meat and dairy for ethical reasons. Health is a secondary benefit. So, as long as the chickens are ☺, so am I. I used some of the vegan cheddar cheese with the breadcrumbs on top at the end instead of parmesan/asiago cheese. Anyway, thanks for the recipe. I will make it in the future when there will be more than just me eating.😀
Jan Olsen says
Made this yesterday and it was delicious. Didn’t add the bread crumbs but going to next time for crunch as you say. Instead of half mayo, could I use all sour cream? I have a friend who is allergic to mayo.
Thanks again for the good recipe
Carol says
Hi, Jan, Thanks so much and glad you enjoyed! You probably could do all sour cream although I haven’t made it that way. Is there a vegan mayonnaise or mayonnaise-like product that she uses? You could substitute that product. Thanks again!!
Judith English says
How can this be vegan when it has dairy in it?
Carol says
Hi, Judith, Thank you for your comment. I never once say it’s vegan; I say it’s meatless. Meatless/vegetarian and vegan are not the same thing. Here’s an article from the Mayo Clinic on the different types of vegetarians you may find interesting: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/vegetarian-diet/art-20046446
Chris says
It’s filed under vegan entrees…
Carol says
Hi, Chris, The category is actually Vegetarian / Vegan (Vegetarian –slash– Vegan) so includes both. I don’t have a separate category for vegan recipes because quite often it’s very simple to make something vegan with vegan products.
Nancy says
Your recipe comes up in the top four “vegan” squash casserole. I thought the same thing until I realized it’s the search engine not and not your mistake.
Carol says
Hi, Nancy, Thanks so very much for pointing that out for future reference.