How To Make Zucchini Casserole (With Ground Beef, Rice and Cream of Mushroom)

Explore a delicious and easy recipe to make a zucchini casserole with ground beef and cream of mushroom soup (plus rice and cottage cheese) that is perfect for any occasion. Get expert tips and tricks to make this dish a crowd-pleaser.

Cheesy Zucchini Casserole Ingredients

I’m double cheesing you with this ground beef zucchini casserole with cream of mushroom soup. It has cottage cheese layered in between zucchini, minute rice, and cream of mushroom, AND it has a healthy, hearty layer of shredded cheddar cheese right over the top.

• Fresh Zucchini
• Ground Beef
• Onion, chopped
• Minute Rice (also called Instant Rice)
• Garlic Salt
• Cottage Cheese
• Cream of Mushroom Soup
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese

If you are a cheese lover, then I encourage you to add more cheese. Go ahead and stir some into the filling and top with extra. I mean you only live once.

Ground Beef Zucchini Casserole

I love the fact that this zucchini casserole with ground beef can be a main dish or a side dish. It has everything a casserole needs including minute rice (do not cook first), cheese, zucchini and hamburger.

It’s also an easy recipe to alter to what you have on hand. Change up the soup, the cheese, the meat, the veggie, pretty much any aspect you choose, and it will still be tasty.

How To Make Ground Beef Zucchini Casserole

Step by Step Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9×13 inch baking dish by spraying with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Boil diced zucchini in salted water until fork tender; drain well in a colander.
3. In a large skillet, brown ground beef and chopped onion over medium heat. If desired, drain excess grease.
4. Add uncooked instant rice and stir.
5. In the prepared dish, layer 1/2 of the zucchini; cover with beef mixture.
6. Spread the cottage cheese over the beef; top with remaining zucchini.
7. Spread the cream of mushroom soup over the entire casserole.
8. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.
9. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and cook an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until melted.

Storage Instructions

Let the leftovers cool completely. Store in an airtight container or wrap tightly with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to a week. Remove from the fridge, and rewarm in the microwave, or place in an oven safe casserole dish and heat until hot.

For the full ingredient amounts and recipe steps for zucchini casserole with rice, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Recipe FAQs

• There’s no need to peel the skin from the zucchini. Leave it intact.
• Be sure to drain the zucchini well before adding it to the casserole.
• Sometimes, I just mix it all together in the casserole instead of layering it.
• My kids don’t like crunchy cheese on top of casseroles, so oftentimes, I turn off the oven and place the casserole back in to let it just melt but not crisp up.
• Add more cheese inside the casserole, if you like an extra cheesy zucchini casserole recipe.
• Be sure to use Minute White Rice, not long grain rice. On some boxes, it is called Instant White Rice.
• If desired, season zucchini hamburger casserole to taste with salt and black pepper.

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

• Instead of garlic salt, use garlic powder and regular salt or sea salt, if needed.
• Use yellow squash (summer squash) instead of zucchini. Or, try this casserole recipe with other veggies. Or use a mixture of vegetables. Mushrooms or bell peppers are a good addition. Minced garlic cloves are also a welcome flavor addition.
• Ground turkey, ground chicken or pork sausage would all be tasty.
• Switch up the types of cheeses. Try Colby Jack cheese, mozzarella cheese, pepper jack, parmesan cheese, etc. Or, instead of cottage cheese, use ricotta cheese just like you would in lasagna.
• Cream of chicken soup or cream of celery soup would work instead of mushroom soup.
• If you like a crunchy topping, add buttered breadcrumbs, panko, cracker crumbs or crushed cornflakes.
• Stir in dried herbs such as Italian seasoning, dried parsley, basil, etc.
• Garnish with fresh herbs such as fresh basil or fresh dill.
• Looking for a stovetop recipe? Check out this Skillet Zucchini and Squash recipe.

Zucchini Casserole Recipes

Creamy Zucchini Casserole

Ground Sausage Zucchini Casserole

Healthy Zucchini Casserole

Cheesy Zucchini Side Dish Casserole

Zucchini Hamburger Casserole

Do I need to cook ground beef for casserole?

Yes, brown the ground beef in a large skillet on the stovetop before adding to a casserole. If the ground beef has a lot of grease, be sure to drain it off and discard it.

Do I cook zucchini for a casserole?

Yes, slice or dice the zucchini before cooking it in salted water until a knife easily pierces the zucchini. Be sure to drain the zucchini well using a colander to prevent your casserole from being mushy.

Do I need to peel zucchini before using it in a casserole?

No, zucchini never needs to be peeled for any recipe in both baking or cooking. The skin of a zucchini is thin and edible, and full of fiber. Save yourself some time and effort by leaving the zucchini skin intact.

Kitchen Utensils

• 13 x 9 inch baking dish
• Colander
• Large Skillet
• Meat Chopper
• Vegetable Chopper