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This Zucchini Enchilada Casserole recipe is stacked (instead of rolled) up with layers of sliced zucchini and your favorite enchilada ingredients. Feel free to add meat or make this casserole vegetarian.
It’s that time of year when zucchini is about to be overflowing gardens, farmers markets and CSAs everywhere. So I say…
…let’s put it to use in this zucchini enchilada casserole! ♡
This recipe is a riff on my favorite Tex-Mex-inspired chicken enchilada casserole recipe that I’ve made millions of times. But instead of using tortillas to stack those delicious layers upon layers of enchilada fillings, we’ll use long zucchini slices instead, which are quick and easy to make with a basic vegetable peeler or a knife. (Or if you happen to own a mandoline, this would be the perfect recipe to use it too!)
As with any of my enchilada recipes, the filling ingredients in this casserole are completely up to you. You can choose to add chicken, beef, pork, chorizo, or keep the casserole completely vegetarian. If you happen to have some cooked rice, quinoa, farro on hand, I love adding in a few cups to this casserole to make it a bit more hearty and also soak up any of the excess water that is released by the zucchini during cooking. And of course, feel free to chop up whatever leftover veggies happen to be hanging out in your crisper drawer to add those into the filling too! I just highly recommend making one of my homemade enchilada sauces (either red or green) to season this casserole. They are both incredibly delicious and only require a few extra minutes to prep.
The other great thing about this casserole is that it makes a big batch, making this one perfect to serve to a crowd or to create some excellent leftovers for the week ahead. So round up your favorite enchilada ingredients and slice some zucchini, and let’s make this casserole!
Zucchini Enchilada Casserole Ingredients
Before we get to the full recipe detailed below, here are a few notes about the zucchini enchilada ingredients that you will need to make this casserole:
Zucchini: You will need 2 to 3 medium-sized zucchinis for this recipe, which I recommend thinly slicing with a vegetable peeler (as shown in the image above) or a mandoline. Or alternately, instead of making long strips, you could slice the zucchinis into thin round coins using a knife. In my opinion, there is no need to salt or drain off the excess water in the zucchini before adding it to the casserole, but you are welcome to if you prefer.
Enchilada sauce: You guys know me — I’m always going to advocate for making homemade enchilada sauce over buying the store-bought stuff! I’m partial to my red enchilada sauce (or you could also use green enchilada sauce), which only takes a few minutes to prep and can then simmer while you prepare the rest of the casserole ingredients. But if you want to save time, a good-quality brand of store-bought sauce will also work too.
Veggies: I made the casserole pictured above with a simple mix of onion, red bell pepper, jalapeño, corn and garlic. But feel free to clean out the crisper drawer and add in any other leftover veggies that sound good. (For example, cauliflower, mushrooms, sweet potato, carrots and/or tomatoes would also be delicious additions.)
Rice: I like adding some rice (I used brown rice, but any kind will do), quinoa or farro to the casserole to make it extra hearty and help to soak up any of the excess water from the zucchini as it cooks. But you’re welcome to skip the rice if you would like to make this casserole low-carb or keto-friendly.
Chicken: Feel free to add in a few cups of diced or shredded cooked chicken if you would like. I typically shred a rotisserie or some leftover baked chicken breasts. Or feel free to use ground or shredded cooked beef, pork, turkey or chorizo instead, or skip the meat altogether and make this casserole vegetarian.
Beans: I also love adding in a can of pinto or black beans for extra protein. But feel free to skip the beans if you would like to make this casserole low-carb or keto-friendly.
Cheese: I typically make this recipe using either shredded Mexican-blend, Pepperjack or Monterrey Jack cheese, but feel free to use whatever you prefer.
Toppings: And finally, I highly recommend going big with your favorite toppings here. I love to sprinkle lots of fresh cilantro, diced red and green onions, and diced or thinly sliced jalapeño peppers on top of the casserole. Feel free to also drizzle on some Mexican crema, if you would like, and I highly recommend serving each slice with some fresh avocado too.
Tips For Making This Casserole
The full instructions for how to make this enchilada casserole are included below, but here are a few time-saving tips:
Multitask your way through: To save time, I recommend prepping the enchilada sauce. Then while that cooks, chop and sauté the veggies and prep the enchilada filling. Then once the casserole is layered and baking, chop your toppings.
Very thinly slice the zucchini: In order for the zucchini to cook through in the casserole, I recommend slicing it quite thinly (approximately 1/8-inch thick) with a vegetable peeler or a mandoline. If the zucchini is thicker, it will require more time to bake.
Use a pre-cooked protein: I purchased a rotisserie chicken to shred and save time with this recipe. But you could also sauté a pound of ground beef, chorizo, or turkey for a quick protein option too.
Possible Variations
Here are a few additional options for how to customize this zucchini enchilada casserole to your liking:
Make it vegetarian or vegan: To make a vegetarian casserole, simply omit the meat. To make a vegan casserole, omit the cheese as well (or feel free to use vegan cheese).
Make it gluten-free: This casserole is naturally gluten-free if made with rice or quinoa.
Make it spicier/milder: Feel free to double or triple the amount of jalapeño peppers added to the filling to make this casserole even spicier (or you can also include their seeds to amp up the heat). Or if you prefer a milder casserole, you can omit the jalapeño peppers altogether.
Use lentils: Feel free to use cooked lentils in place of the beans, if you prefer.
Use different veggies: As mentioned above, feel free to chop up, sauté and add in any other veggies that you have on hand too, such as cauliflower, mushrooms, sweet potato, carrots and/or tomatoes.
Add extra sauce: If you would like an even saucier casserole, feel free to add an extra cup (or two) of enchilada sauce.
More Favorite Enchilada Recipes:
Looking for more enchilada recipes to try? Here are a few of my faves:
This Zucchini Enchilada Casserole recipe is stacked (instead of rolled) up with layers of sliced zucchini and your favorite enchilada ingredients. Feel free to add meat or make this a vegetarian casserole!
2 cups (about 1 pound) shredded or diced cooked chicken*
1 (15 ounce) can pinto or black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup whole kernel corn
2 large zucchini, thinly sliced into strips*
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded Monterrey Jack or Mexican blend cheese
recommended toppings: chopped fresh cilantro, diced red onion, sliced jalapeño peppers, sliced green onions, Mexican crema, and/or sliced avocado
Instructions
Prepare the enchilada sauce. Cook the enchilada sauce according to recipe instructions. While the sauce simmers, continue on with the steps below.
Sauté the veggies. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and jalapeño and sauté for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Turn off the heat.
Combine the filling. Add the cooked rice, cooked chicken, beans, corn and 1.5 cups enchilada sauce (not all of the sauce) to the pan along with the veggies. Toss until evenly combined.
Layer the casserole. Heat oven to 350°F. Mist a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1/4 cup of the remaining enchilada sauce evenly in the bottom of the baking dish. Place a layer of overlapping zucchini slices on the bottom of the baking dish so that it is completely covered. Spread half of the chicken filling evenly over the zucchini, followed by 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Repeat with a layer of zucchini slices, chicken filling, and cheese. Finish with a final layer of zucchini slices, then drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup enchilada sauce atop the zucchini.
Bake. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove pan and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese on top of the zucchini, and bake for 10 more minutes.
Serve. Transfer pan to a wire baking rack. Add a generous sprinkling of your favorite toppings to the casserole. Then slice, serve and enjoy!
Enchilada sauce: I highly recommend using my homemade red enchilada sauce (or green enchilada sauce) to make this casserole. But if you would like to use store-bought sauce, just be sure to check the label to be sure that you have enough (16 ounces), since different brands vary the size of their cans.
Rice: The rice (or quinoa or farro) are optional ingredients, but I love the extra heartiness that they add to the casserole and they also help to soak up any excess water that the zucchini releases. One cup of uncooked rice generally yields about 3 cups of cooked rice. But feel free to use more or less if you prefer.
Chicken: I also typically shred a rotisserie for this casserole to save time. But you are welcome to use any kind of diced or shredded cooked chicken that you prefer. Or you can swap in a different meat (such as ground or shredded cooked beef, pork, chorizo, turkey, etc).
Zucchini: As explained in the post above, I typically just use a vegetable peeler to thinly slice the zucchini strips. But a mandoline or (very carefully using) a chef’s knife would also work. Or alternately, you can just slice the zucchini into thin round coins instead of strips and overlap those to form your zucchini layers.
I have been gifted a huge amount of zucchini, so this recipe is perfect! Do you think that I could prep the day before, or would the zucchini get too watery? I hope you and the fam are doing well! <3
Robert Wenom —
Can you use eggplant rather than squash? I have made a great lasagna with thin sliced eggplant in lieu of pasta noodles
I can’t WAIT to try this! I’ve tried a lot of the recipes you’ve posted and they have all turned out wonderfully. I get so excited when I “see” you in my inbox.
Thank you! This is great timing, my sister and her husband are coming to visit in a couple of weeks and we all love your enchiladas so I will start gathering the delicious ingredients, ❤️
This was fantastic! I wasn’t sure if the zucchini/tortillas swap was going to work with my kids, but I left the zucchini out of the top layer and they didn’t even notice it and dug in. We made ours with quinoa and it turned out great.
I don’t have a vegetable garden so I had to purchase the zucchini for this dish tonight. My sliced zucchini couldn’t hold a candle to yours, Allie, but I made it work by making sure that there was total coverage in the layering of it. I used quinoa, black beans, several small red peppers, lots of onion, chicken pieces and your homemade red enchilada sauce and corn. This was a delicious dish served with avocado slices and chopped lettuce on top with tortilla chips on the side. Tasty, nutritious, and I’m thinking somewhat lower on the calorie side! Thank you so much for posting this recipe.
This was delicious and easy to make! My 11 month old also approves. It was the first actual meal I have cooked for the family that she has enjoyed, so that was special! Thank you for the recipe!
This was really delicious, but not something I would make on a time-crunched night, as it took a fair amount of time to assemble. I made it without meat, and it was still hearty. I split the ingredients in half an will give half to my daughter and son-in-law. Thanks for a great recipe!
I just made this at a family vacation and it made enough for all 13 of us and everyone loved it and came back for seconds. It makes a lot. Thanks for the recipe!!
This is positively scrumptious. I sliced the zucchini and layer out on clean cup towels while prepping the rest of the dish. I’m glad I did because I think it would be too watery otherwise. I will make it again allowing at least 2 hours prep. It took that long and I have a wonderful mandolin. Nevertheless, it’s an excellent recipe.
This was a great way to use up a bunch of veggies from our garden and farm box and I also learned how to make the zucchini “tortillas”, which was cool. I had so many veggies I didn’t use chicken or any grains/rice and it was super filling. I also made the red chile enchilada sauce but will review that on that page. We are being as vegan as possible and it got two thumbs up from the hubs. I would definitely make this again.
This was sooo good- I used the mandolin to make the slices as my zucchini were huge. I also used the rice and your homemade enchilada sauce. It was sooo good– filling without being heavy. I will be making this again. i baked it for an extra 10 min before adding the cheese as my slices were thicker than yours in the picture. They came out perfect tender but held together like pasta would have- sooo good- and OMG the homemade enchilada sauce- WHO KNEW it was that easy to make the sauce.
Made this tonight and it was AMAZING! It used up bits and pieces of veges from the crisper and was quick and simple to assemble. Unfortunately in Australia, our chilli powder in the supermarkets is very hot, so I used only 1/2 teaspoon, and made up the rest with good Spanish smoked paprika. It worked out great. The kids raved about it and I even got help offered unprompted from my daughter when she saw me layering the Zucchini slices. Thank you for another delicious meal. I can always trust you and Yotam to provide full-flavoured recipes that don’t need tweaking.
Ali – Thanks for the great recipe! Made it last night and we loved it. (left out the chicken as I am vegetarian)
Yes, it was our zucchini abundance from our little garden that led me to your web site.
Your idea of including the leftover rice to soak up the water from the zucchini is brilliant!
Your funny “gimmesomeoven” name made me click on it while the song was playing in my head.
I so enjoyed reading about your amazing life and seeing your pics of your son! Feeling sad about Henry the dog, and his struggles.
Thanks again! I’ll have to explore more of your blog.
Hey, I’m Ali!
My favorite thing in life is time spent around the table. And all the better with some seriously tasty food to bring us all together. more about me »
I have been gifted a huge amount of zucchini, so this recipe is perfect! Do you think that I could prep the day before, or would the zucchini get too watery? I hope you and the fam are doing well! <3
Can you use eggplant rather than squash? I have made a great lasagna with thin sliced eggplant in lieu of pasta noodles
I can’t WAIT to try this! I’ve tried a lot of the recipes you’ve posted and they have all turned out wonderfully. I get so excited when I “see” you in my inbox.
I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Thank you! This is great timing, my sister and her husband are coming to visit in a couple of weeks and we all love your enchiladas so I will start gathering the delicious ingredients, ❤️
Sounds yummy! Can you post nutritional info please and thank you?
Can”t wait to try this one. Can this be frozen?
Thanks,
Sam
I would like to have the nutritional value, calories, fat, protein, etc per serving.
This was fantastic! I wasn’t sure if the zucchini/tortillas swap was going to work with my kids, but I left the zucchini out of the top layer and they didn’t even notice it and dug in. We made ours with quinoa and it turned out great.
I don’t have a vegetable garden so I had to purchase the zucchini for this dish tonight. My sliced zucchini couldn’t hold a candle to yours, Allie, but I made it work by making sure that there was total coverage in the layering of it. I used quinoa, black beans, several small red peppers, lots of onion, chicken pieces and your homemade red enchilada sauce and corn. This was a delicious dish served with avocado slices and chopped lettuce on top with tortilla chips on the side. Tasty, nutritious, and I’m thinking somewhat lower on the calorie side! Thank you so much for posting this recipe.
This was delicious and easy to make! My 11 month old also approves. It was the first actual meal I have cooked for the family that she has enjoyed, so that was special! Thank you for the recipe!
This was really delicious, but not something I would make on a time-crunched night, as it took a fair amount of time to assemble. I made it without meat, and it was still hearty. I split the ingredients in half an will give half to my daughter and son-in-law. Thanks for a great recipe!
I just made this at a family vacation and it made enough for all 13 of us and everyone loved it and came back for seconds. It makes a lot. Thanks for the recipe!!
This is positively scrumptious. I sliced the zucchini and layer out on clean cup towels while prepping the rest of the dish. I’m glad I did because I think it would be too watery otherwise. I will make it again allowing at least 2 hours prep. It took that long and I have a wonderful mandolin. Nevertheless, it’s an excellent recipe.
Can this be made ahead, say in the morning if I’m serving it for dinner?
This was a great way to use up a bunch of veggies from our garden and farm box and I also learned how to make the zucchini “tortillas”, which was cool. I had so many veggies I didn’t use chicken or any grains/rice and it was super filling. I also made the red chile enchilada sauce but will review that on that page. We are being as vegan as possible and it got two thumbs up from the hubs. I would definitely make this again.
Do you think you could make a “christmas” casserole? Using both green and red enchilada sauce? Specifically one half red, one half green?
This was sooo good- I used the mandolin to make the slices as my zucchini were huge. I also used the rice and your homemade enchilada sauce. It was sooo good– filling without being heavy. I will be making this again. i baked it for an extra 10 min before adding the cheese as my slices were thicker than yours in the picture. They came out perfect tender but held together like pasta would have- sooo good- and OMG the homemade enchilada sauce- WHO KNEW it was that easy to make the sauce.
Made this tonight and it was AMAZING! It used up bits and pieces of veges from the crisper and was quick and simple to assemble. Unfortunately in Australia, our chilli powder in the supermarkets is very hot, so I used only 1/2 teaspoon, and made up the rest with good Spanish smoked paprika. It worked out great. The kids raved about it and I even got help offered unprompted from my daughter when she saw me layering the Zucchini slices. Thank you for another delicious meal. I can always trust you and Yotam to provide full-flavoured recipes that don’t need tweaking.
Can I alternate the red and green enchilada sauces as I layer this. I like red but live the tang of the green also.
A new favorite in our house!
This was a delicious recipe. Made with the homemade red enchilada sauce and farro. This will be a regular in our rotation.
Ali – Thanks for the great recipe! Made it last night and we loved it. (left out the chicken as I am vegetarian)
Yes, it was our zucchini abundance from our little garden that led me to your web site.
Your idea of including the leftover rice to soak up the water from the zucchini is brilliant!
Your funny “gimmesomeoven” name made me click on it while the song was playing in my head.
I so enjoyed reading about your amazing life and seeing your pics of your son! Feeling sad about Henry the dog, and his struggles.
Thanks again! I’ll have to explore more of your blog.