Zucchini Casserole With Ground Beef
Zucchini Casserole With Ground Beef is a healthy low carb zucchini and beef recipe that's similar to zucchini lasagna. This layered zucchini ground beef casserole is made with zucchini zoodles, marinara sauce, ground beef, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, basil, and spices. This zucchini casserole with meat will surely be added to your weekly dinner rotation.
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Ingredients
- 1 pound zucchini sliced thinly lengthwise
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 quarter cup Himalayan Sea-Salt divided. (Part of this is to draw the excess moisture from the zucchini (see instructions below.)
- ¼ cup fresh chopped garlic
- ½ cup chopped red onion
- ½ cup sliced black olives
- 8 ounces Ricotta Cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- 1 jar marinara sauce
- 1 cup fresh tomatoes diced
- 1 bunch fresh basil chopped
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375-degrees.
- Grease an 8-inch baking dish with the 1-tablespoon olive oil. You can do this by using an oil brush or a paper towel.
- Slice the ends off the zucchini, then slice the zucchini down the middle lengthwise into thin slices. Roll out some paper towels on the counter and lay the zucchini onto the paper towels. Sprinkle the zucchini with sea-salt to draw out the excess moisture. Let the zucchini rest for 15-minutes and prep the meat sauce.
- In a saucepan over medium-high heat, add the chopped garlic, ground turkey, 1-cup fresh basil, 1-teaspoon of Himalayan sea salt, and black pepper and simmer for 10-minutes or until the meat is browned.
- Add the fresh diced tomatoes and the tomato sauce to the meat and simmer on low for 5-more minutes.
- While the sauce is simmering, prep the ricotta cheese. Combine the ricotta cheese, egg, and some more black pepper in a bowl and mix well until combined.
- Make a layer of zucchini slices in the prepared baking dish. Spread a layer of the meat sauce on top of the zucchini. Next, spread a layer of the ricotta cheese. Sprinkle some black olives on top of the ricotta cheese. Sprinkle a layer of mozzarella cheese. Add another layer of zucchini slices, and repeat the above steps. Cover the top layer with the remaining sauce mixture. Sprinkle the top with 1-cup Parmesan cheese and more olive slices.
- Bake at 375-degrees for 30-40-minutes or until the top is nice and golden.
- Let cool for 5-minutes and garnish with more fresh basil.
Notes
Swaps For zucchini casserole with ground beef and spaghetti sauce
- Instead of ricotta cheese, you could use cream cheese
- Add some sour cream for a zesty flavor!
- Swap in cheddar cheese instead of Mozzarella cheese, or even better, use both!
- Cook your spaghetti sauce in a cast iron skillet for even more meat flavor
Questions For Meaty Zucchini Casserole
This low carb casserole easy zucchini casserole takes minimal time and is popular year-round. Bonus, it makes great leftovers and freezes well! Can zucchini and squash be used interchangeably in recipes?- Yes! Zucchini and squash are very similar so they can be used interchangeably in recipes.
- Yes, it freezes very well and also stores well in a glass, airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
- Cook the ground beef first for at-least 10 minutes and then add it the spaghetti sauce and let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, but longer is better because it adds even more flavor. The famous Italian saying is, the longer it simmers, the better it tastes!
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 610kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 33gFat: 51gSaturated Fat: 19gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 25gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 141mgSodium: 595mgPotassium: 317mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 591IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 485mgIron: 2mg
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