Sometimes, life is too busy to take hours making food. That’s why this quick and easy tomato zucchini bake is so awesome. It’s as simple as slicing the ingredients, seasoning and layering them in a pan with parmesan cheese topping, and baking them to tasty perfection. What could be simpler?
This time of year, the grocery stores overflow with produce in big baskets for bargain basement prices. I often buy them thinking about what a deal it is and end up having too much of one product by the end of the week. I face the dreaded throwaway. And as I have said, I’m not too fond of food waste. Waste is what it is. We work hard for every dollar, significantly when grocery stores inflate prices. I am more conscious of tossing good money out with old veggies.
Enter this fantastic and delicious easy tomato zucchini bake. It’s full of juicy, late summer-ripened tomatoes, fresh garden zucchini, thinly sliced red onions, and cheese. This tasty, new side dish is suited to most meals. Baked right in your cast iron skillet, this rustic-looking garden side is perfection.
Check out our lazy cabbage roll casserole if you love simple, tasty meals.
Why You Will Love This Easy Zucchini Recipe:
Seasonal Freshness: This casserole celebrates summer’s bounty, using peak-season zucchini, tomatoes, and red onions. These fresh, vibrant vegetables are most flavorful during the late summer, making this dish an authentic taste of the season.
Quick and Easy Preparation: Life can get busy, and this recipe is perfect for those hectic days. With simple steps like slicing, layering, and baking, you can have a delicious, nutritious side dish on the table in no time without sacrificing flavor or quality.
Rustic Charm with Nutritional Benefits: Baking this dish in a cast iron skillet offers a homestyle presentation and enhances the nutritional value by infusing the meal with extra iron. Plus, the skillet’s even heat distribution ensures perfectly cooked veggies every time.
Let’s Start Layering The Easy Tomato Zucchini Bake.
Choosing great vegetables is the first step to making this delicious layered side dish. Your fresh zucchini should be smaller, as the supersized squash tends to be too seedy. Bigger squash can get very watery when cooking, and we want to avoid that.
Your fresh tomatoes should be plump and just ripe enough that they aren’t soft. If they get too squishy, they will bake faster than the firmer zucchini and become mushy.
Once you have chosen the best summer vegetables for this dish, you can begin by thinly slicing your zucchini, tomato, and red onion. Place the zucchini in a large bowl and drizzle a few tablespoons of olive oil. Toss with the black pepper and Italian seasoning.
Begin by layering the zucchini in lovely overlapping layers at the bottom of a large skillet or casserole dish. Then, add a bit of the onion rings on top, followed by a single layer of the tomato. You don’t have to overlap the tomato, as it’s pretty juicy. Then, add a sprinkling of cheddar cheese over the top. Add another layer of the summer squash, onion, and tomato until you are out of vegetables. Then top with the parmesan cheese.
Bake uncovered at 350F degrees for 30 minutes or until the top is a nice golden brown. Remove carefully from the oven and serve while hot. You can also reheat this later, although it is best when made fresh.
This tasty veggie side dish goes great with chicken, pork, or beef! Serve it with a side salad and a meat entrée for a complete dinner idea your family will love. This easy way of preparing fresh zucchini and tomatoes with simple seasonings is a delicious way to enjoy the perfect dish for any meal.
Ingredients:
Green Zucchini: This summer squash has a soft yet firm flesh that suits itself well for sauteing and light baking. It can become seedy when too large, whereas smaller zucchini are more flesh than seed, making them well suited to cooking rather than baking.
Tomato: Red vine ripe tomatoes are perfect. Variety isn’t overly important for this recipe, so long as it’s a nice firm tomato that can withstand baking. If the tomato is overripe or very soft, it will not work well in this recipe.
Red Onion: This onion costs the same as yellow cooking onions in the store. You will love the white, almost sweet flesh of red onion in this recipe vs. the strong onion flavor of cooking onion.
Cheddar Cheese: As we are baking this dish, old cheddar will work better than milder cheddar. However, you can use any flavorful orange cheese here, which will still taste delicious.
Parmesan Cheese: In its powdered form, this cheese is excellent for baking on top of wetter veggies. It absorbs moisture content and adds a nice flavor to the dish.
Black Pepper: Adds a subtle, spicy kick that enhances the overall flavor of the vegetables.
Italian Seasoning: Brings a blend of aromatic herbs that beautifully complement the zucchini and tomatoes.
Olive Oil: Helps coat the zucchini slices, ensuring they cook evenly and stay tender while adding a rich, smooth flavor.
Substitutions for this easy tomato zucchini bake.
Zucchini: I love green zucchini cooked, which is funny because, as a child, I detested them. It’s one of those veggies that bring the adage ‘if you keep eating something often enough, you will learn to love it’ to mind. In this recipe, you can easily use a yellow crookneck summer squash, yellow zucchini, or even summer pattypan squash.
Tomato: Red, ripe, fleshy tomatoes complement zucchini so well. However, if you aren’t a fan of cooked tomatoes, like my daughter, you can omit them altogether.
Cheddar Cheese: I used inexpensive shredded cheddar cheese in this recipe. You can use a more sharp cheddar with a deeper cheese flavor.
Parmesan Cheese: This is one product I don’t sub much; however, if you prefer the flavor of Romano powdered cheese to parm, that would be as good. (This recipe has not been tested with Romano.)
Black Pepper: You can substitute with white pepper for a milder spice or use red pepper flakes if you prefer more heat.
Italian Seasoning: If you want to create your own mix or add a different flavor profile, swap with a blend of dried herbs like oregano, basil, and thyme.
Olive Oil: Replace with avocado oil for a higher smoke point and a slightly different, buttery flavor, or use melted butter for a richer taste.
Expert Tips, Serving, And Storing Suggestions for This Healthy Side Dish:
Tip #1: Layering: This dish is so forgiving you can be as fancy or sloppy as you want when layering the ingredients. The truth is the flavors will make up for any messy layering.
Tip #2: Cast Iron Skillet: This dish is baked in a cast iron skillet, which is a plus for two reasons. One, it holds the heat evenly, making baking the veggies a cinch. Two, it releases extra iron into your food, increasing the overall nutritional benefits of the tasty side dish. Aside from that, it’s also a rustic way to present food to your company.
Tip #3: Cheese Placement: Add a bit of cheese between the layers of zucchini, onion, and tomato to create a richer, more cohesive flavor throughout the casserole. This ensures every bite perfectly balances cheesy goodness with fresh vegetables.
This layered zucchini tomato casserole is a versatile side dish that pairs wonderfully with grilled chicken, roasted pork, or a juicy steak.
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. This casserole reheats easily in the oven or microwave, making it an excellent option for quick lunches or dinners throughout the week.
Freezing this casserole is not recommended because the high water content in zucchini and tomatoes can cause them to become soggy and lose their texture when thawed. Additionally, the cheese may separate and become grainy, affecting the overall quality of the dish.
If you tried this layered zucchini tomato casserole, I’d love to hear how it turned out! Please leave a comment and rate the recipe below—your feedback helps others and inspires me to create more delicious dishes.
Quick and Easy Tomato Zucchini Bake In a Cast Iron Skillet
Equipment
- knife
- Cutting board
- Tablespoon
- Teaspoon
Ingredients
- 3 Medium Zucchini (Yellow or Green) Sliced Thinly
- 2 Large Tomatoes Sliced Thinly
- 1 Large Red Onion Sliced Thinly In Rings
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- ½ Cup Parmesan Cheese
- 5 Tbsp Olive oil
Instructions
- Slice the zucchini with mandolin slicer, the tomato with a sharp knife and onion to even slices that can be divided into rings.3 Medium Zucchini (Yellow or Green), 2 Large Tomatoes, 1 Large Red Onion
- Add the zucchini slices to a medium bowl.
- Add the olive oil and spices to the zucchini and toss to coat.1 tsp Black Pepper, 5 Tbsp Olive oil, 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
- Layer zucchini overlapping in bottom of the cast iron skillet.
- Add a thin layer of onion rings on the zucchini and then top with a layer of tomato.
- Sprinkle ¼c. of shredded cheddar cheese on the tomato.1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Repeat the layering steps two more times and top with any remaining zucchini.
- Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top. (optional add a bit more cheddar on top as well)½ Cup Parmesan Cheese
- Place skillet in preheated 350℉ oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top.
- Remove from oven and serve while hot.