Ground Beef and Zucchini Casserole

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This easy Ground Beef and Zucchini Casserole is cozy, cheesy, and packed with veggies — the perfect hearty weeknight dinner for busy families.

This Ground Beef and Zucchini Casserole is a cheesy, bubbly dinner that fills your kitchen with warmth and everyone’s plates with second helpings. It’s everything a busy family needs: simple steps, minimal prep, and wholesome ingredients that come together in one warm, comforting dish.

Lean ground beef is sautéed with onions, carrots, garlic, and Italian herbs for deep, cozy flavor. Then it’s layered with soft, tender zucchini, rich ricotta, and gooey melted mozzarella to create a satisfying casserole that tastes like you spent hours on it — even though you didn’t.

Perfect for busy nights, meal prep weekends, or anytime you want an easy, crowd-pleasing dinner the whole family will love.

Want more tips for making busy family dinners easier?  Click here for my Free Printable 5 Simple Steps to Easy Family Dinners!

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love Ground Beef and Zucchini Casserole
• Simple Ingredients and Substitutes
• Simple Equipment
• Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps
• Cooking Steps for Ground Beef and Zucchini Casserole
• Talking Tip!
• Variations on Ground Beef and Zucchini Casserole
• Recipe FAQs
• Ground Beef and Zucchini Casserole Recipe
• Comments

Why You’ll Love Ground Beef and Zucchini Casserole

What I love most about this recipe is how hearty and homey it feels, while still packing in the nourishing veggies. Here are more reasons to love it!

• One-pan ease – simple steps and minimal cleanup.
• Quick prep – uses easy-to-chop veggies and pantry staples.
• Hearty + comforting – cozy flavors with cheesy, melty goodness.
• Veggie-packed – zucchini, carrots, onions, and tomatoes add nutrition.
• Kid-friendly – familiar flavors and lots of cheese!
• Great for leftovers – reheats well for next-day lunches.
• Customizable – easy to swap veggies or use ground turkey/chicken.

Simple Ingredients and Substitutes

Quick note!  This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you purchase from them.  This commission is what helps me keep this blog afloat :).  I also share these links because I have used the products, genuinely love them, and want you to know exactly what I used. 

• Lean Ground Beef – I used 90% lean Ground Beef, but you can use any fat content. You can substitute ground chicken or ground turkey.
• Carrots, diced – You can use whole carrots with the skin on or peeled. I peeled for this recipe. You can substitute with diced baby carrots, parsnips, or even radishes.
• Onion, diced – I used yellow onion, but you can use white onion, red onion, shallots, or even scallions. If you don’t have fresh onion, you can also use a tablespoon of onion flakes or onion powder.
• Diced Tomatoes, canned –  I like the chunks of tomato that you get with diced. However, you can substitute in pureed, crushed, or whole tomatoes that you break apart. You can use fresh tomatoes in this recipe, but these will have less liquid, so then I recommend adding ½ cup of broth or water.
• Fresh Garlic cloves, minced – Fresh is best for max flavor in this simple recipe. You can buy the pre-minced garlic sold in a small jar or use dried garlic flakes or garlic powder.
• Zucchini – Zucchini is the perfect veggie for this recipe as it takes on the role of pasta providing the texture and bite, while adding very mild additional flavor. Mushrooms will give a similar texture, but will definitely add more mushroom flavor. Obviously, you can add in or swap any other vegetable you love in this recipe, such as cauliflower, broccoli, or bell peppers.
• Italian Seasoning – An Italian blend is most convenient, but you can use any combination of dried oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme, or rosemary. Red pepper flakes will add a little kick too.
• Fresh Ricotta Cheese – I used whole milk ricotta which has the most flavor. However, you can use a lower fat ricotta as well. If you don’t have ricotta, cottage cheese is a good substitute if you can pulse it in a food processor to get a more creamy texture.
• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese – You can swap in other shredded cheeses, such as cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, Pepper Jack, Gouda, or any other melting shredded cheese will work!
• Fresh Italian Parsley, chopped – Fresh parsley is best, don’t even bother with dried parsley. You can substitute in other fresh herbs, such as basil.

See recipe card for quantities.

Simple Equipment

For this recipe, you need a large casserole dish that’s approximately 10×12, 12×12, 10×13 or similar.

Large skillet/frying pan for cooking the beef and veggies. I use my absolute favorite 12″ Ceramic Pan, which is great because food really does slide right off with minimal oil and I don’t have to worry about food sticking and burning. 

Oh, and mincing garlic is made super easy with a Garlic Press.

Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps

We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are steps you can prepare ahead to save time on busy nights! (See the full recipe below) 

Dice the carrots, dice the onions, mince the garlic, slice the zucchini, chop the parsley.

Preheat a large (10-12 inch) skillet or saute pan.

Cooking Steps for Ground Beef and Zucchini Casserole

Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.

Cover with an oven-safe lid or aluminum foil and bake for 20 Minutes. REMOVE the cover, and bake for another 10 minutes. (total baking time 30 minutes)

Remove the casserole from the oven, sprinkle the top with the remaining shredded cheese and bake under the broiler for 1-2 minutes (or oven for 5-8 minutes) until the cheese is melted and golden brown on top (watch it so it doesn’t burn).

Garnish with the remaining parsley, serve and enjoy!

Variations on Ground Beef and Zucchini Casserole

You can change up this recipe in so many fun ways to keep it fresh, but still on rotation for family dinners. Here are a few ideas.

• Turkey or Chicken Swap: Use lean ground turkey or chicken for a lighter, milder version with the same cozy flavors.
• Tex-Mex Twist: Add chili powder, cumin, and a can of diced green chiles; swap mozzarella for Monterey Jack or cheddar.
• Pasta Bake Style: Mix in cooked pasta (like penne or rotini) before baking for an extra-hearty, kid-approved casserole.
• Veggie-Loaded Version: Add mushrooms, spinach, or bell peppers to boost color, texture, and nutrition.

Recipe FAQs

1. Can I make this casserole ahead of time?
Yes! You can assemble the entire casserole up to 24 hours in advance. Cover it tightly and refrigerate, then bake when ready. You may need to add 10–15 minutes to the bake time if it’s going in cold. You can also fully bake this and reheat in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until the center is hot, at 350 F degrees

2. Can I freeze this casserole?
Absolutely. Assemble it but don’t bake. Wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bake as directed. The zucchini may release a bit more moisture, but the flavors are still great.

3. How can I prevent the casserole from becoming watery?
Zucchini naturally releases moisture, so you can slice it, lightly salt it, and pat it dry before layering. Also bake the casserole uncovered so excess moisture can evaporate.

4. Can I substitute ricotta cheese?
Yes — cottage cheese or even a mix of softened cream cheese and a splash of milk both work well. Keep the mozzarella for that classic melty top!

5. Is this recipe kid-friendly?
Definitely. The flavors are mild, the texture is soft and cheesy, and the veggies blend right into the sauce and beef mixture. You can also peel the zucchini for extra stealth mode.

6. Can I make this dairy-free?
Yes! Use dairy-free ricotta and mozzarella alternatives. Or skip the cheese all together and add a ¼ cup of breadcrumbs to help soak up some of the liquid. Or strain the diced tomatoes and do not add the liquid. The casserole will still be hearty and flavorful.

7. What side dishes go well with this casserole?
It pairs well with a simple green salad, garlic bread, roasted veggies, or even over pasta, rice or quinoa for an extra-filling dinner.

Have you tried this recipe? If so, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe below! I love to hear your feedback and your rating helps others to find this recipe. Thanks so much!