Zucchini Tomato Casserole with Rice

This Zucchini Tomato Casserole is a favorite recipe of ours. It’s a fast and easy side dish for any meal. It’s perfect for summertime when your garden is overflowing with zucchini and tomatoes or for when you become the victim of a gardener who continues to give you their extra zucchini. We love to make this recipe using leftover rice which saves time and saves money!

Why You’ll Love This Zucchini Rice Casserole

• Ingredients for this recipe are inexpensive and easy to find
• This side dish is full of veggies!
• You can prepare ingredients ahead of time.
• Creamy cheese makes it a favorite for even picky eaters
• It’s a great recipe to use up leftover rice.
• This recipe is versatile, you can even make it a main dish if you add some protein.

To make this recipe even easier for those extra busy summer nights, I always keep a few bags of cooked rice in the freezer for recipes like this. Canned tomatoes also work in place of fresh tomatoes to help you skip the chopping! If you use these shortcuts you can pull this recipe together in about 10 minutes and have it in the oven while you grill up some chicken or make burgers.

The whole family really enjoys this recipe and I’ve been asked for it several times, which is why it made the cut to be featured on the site. I hope you find this recipe delicious and try it out soon! I love how versatile the recipe is. You can get creative and add in other ingredients to change the recipe or even make this side dish into a complete dinner for your family.

This Zucchini and Tomato Casserole Makes a Great Side Dish

Zucchinis are a super inexpensive and nutrient-rich vegetable that makes them the perfect addition to your meal plans! This recipe is great for a barbecue and goes perfectly with grilled chicken, beef roast, pulled pork sandwiches, and burgers. I love that I can make it the night before and just warm it up before dinner. It mixes both your veggies and carbohydrates so it makes the perfect side dish.

Ingredients to make Zucchini Tomato Casserole

• ⅓ cup uncooked long-grain white rice
• ⅔ cup water
• 2 TBS vegetable oil
• 1½ pounds of zucchini cubed or shredded – I’ve used a mix of shredded & cubed and it came out great!
• 1 cup sliced green onions
• 1 – 2 cloves of garlic minced (depending on your love of garlic!)
• ½ tsp fresh or dried basil
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• ½ tsp fresh or dried oregano
• 1½ cups seeded chopped tomatoes or one can diced tomatoes – drained well
• 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese divided

How to make this Zucchini Tomato and Rice Casserole

Step 1:

• Prepare the rice on the stovetop or use around 1 cup of cooked rice.
• Place the rice and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Set aside.

Step 2

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
• Lightly grease a shallow 1½ quart casserole dish.
• While the rice is cooking, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the zucchini, green onions, and garlic for 5 minutes, or until tender.

Step 3

• Season with garlic salt, basil, paprika, and oregano.

Step 4

• Mix in the cooked rice, tomatoes, and 1 cup of shredded cheese.

Step 5

• Transfer to the prepared casserole dish.

Step 7

Top with remaining cheese. (You can skip this step if you want to cut back on some of the cheese)

Step 6

• Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

What to Add to This Zucchini Tomato Casserole

• Smoked Sausage or Kielbasa
• Cooked Chicken
• Cooked Shrimp or Salmon
• Fresh mushrooms
• Sauteed red peppers
• Double the rice to bulk up this recipe

If you are looking for an easy way to make this side dish a complete meal simply add in some sliced-up smoked sausage or other cooked meat before you bake and voila! I love finding a versatile recipe that we can make many different ways!

Zucchini and Tomato Casserole Recipe 

Other Recipes You Might Like

• Sausage Lentil Skillet Meal
• Tomato Pie This is another delicious summer side dish!
• Eggroll in a Bowl – one pan low carb dinner even the kids love!