Zucchini Cornbread Casserole

by Jessica | January 14, 2026 6:58 pm

Alright, so I have to tell you about this zucchini cornbread casserole situation that happened last month when my neighbor dropped off like six massive zucchinis from her garden.

 

seriously, they were the size of baseball bats and I’m standing there thinking “what am I supposed to do with all this?” because you can only make so much zucchini bread before your family stages an intervention.

 

I remembered my mom used to make this cornbread casserole thing back in the 90s and I was pretty sure she threw zucchini in it, so I texted her at like 9 pm asking for the recipe. she sent me back a photo of a stained index card that was basically illegible but I figured it out eventually lol.

 

turned out amazing and now I actually get excited when zucchini season hits because I know I’m making this at least once a week.

Why this actually works

 

it uses up a ridiculous amount of zucchini so you’re not letting those garden vegetables go to waste

 

the cornbread mix makes it stupid easy because you’re not measuring out flour and baking powder and all that stuff

 

it’s basically a side dish but filling enough that you could eat it as dinner with a salad or whatever

 

you can make it ahead and just reheat it which is perfect for when you have people coming over

 

even people who say they don’t like zucchini eat this because the cornbread flavor covers up that vegetable taste

what you need

okay so here’s roughly what I use, but honestly I eyeball most of this:

How to make it

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees, or like 350 if your oven runs hot. mine definitely does and I always forget to adjust so sometimes the edges get a little too brown but whatever, still tastes good.

 

Grate your zucchini using the big holes on a box grater. this is where it gets messy and your counter ends up covered in zucchini water. I usually do this over a big bowl to catch everything.

 

here’s the important part—squeeze out as much liquid as you possibly can from the grated zucchini. I’m talking really go for it. use a clean dish towel or paper towels and just wring it out over the sink because if you skip this step your casserole will be soggy and kind of sad.

 

Chop your onion into small pieces. I cry every single time I do this no matter what tricks I try, so just accept that you’re gonna look like a mess for a few minutes.

 

Mix the Jiffy mix, eggs, sour cream, and melted butter in a big bowl. it’ll be thick and kind of lumpy but that’s normal.

 

Add your squeezed-out zucchini, chopped onion, about half the cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. stir everything together until it’s combined.

 

Grease a 9×13 baking dish with butter or cooking spray. I always forget to do this first and then I’m scrambling with the bowl of batter in one hand trying to spray the pan with the other.

 

Pour the mixture into your prepared pan and spread it out evenly. or semi-evenly because mine never looks perfect.

 

Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. be generous. this is not the time to hold back on cheese.

 

Bake for about 45 minutes to an hour, maybe? you want the top to be golden brown and a toothpick stuck in the middle should come out mostly clean. mine usually takes closer to 50 minutes but every oven is different.

 

Let it cool for like 10 minutes before you cut into it, otherwise it’ll fall apart. I never wait long enough because I have zero patience and then I’m serving people these mushy squares that taste amazing but look terrible.

tips and other stuff

• Add some jalapeños if you want it spicy. I did this once for a potluck and people went crazy for it. just dice up one or two jalapeños and throw them in with the zucchini.
• You can swap half the cheddar for pepper jack or mozzarella or whatever cheese you’re trying to use up from your fridge. I’ve done a Mexican cheese blend before and it was really good.
• If you’re vegetarian this is already perfect for you, but if you want to add meat you could throw in some cooked bacon pieces or diced ham. my husband likes it with bacon crumbled on top.
• Make it in a cast iron skillet if you’re trying to be fancy. it comes out with crispy edges and looks really impressive even though it’s the exact same recipe.

Storage and leftover situation

keeps in the fridge for maybe 5 days in a covered container, but we usually eat it all within 3 days because it’s that good.

I always make extra and freeze individual portions in those cheap aluminum takeout containers from the grocery store. then when I need a quick side dish for dinner I just pop one in the microwave and boom, done.

 

last week I found a mystery container in the back of my freezer that I thought was this casserole but turned out to be some kind of failed breakfast situation from like 3 months ago. threw it out immediately. this is why I bought a label maker but do I actually use it? absolutely not.

 

reheats great in the microwave for about 2 minutes, or you can do it in the oven at 350 for like 15-20 minutes covered with foil.

nutrition facts per serving

okay so this is for 12 servings, which is what I usually cut it into:

 

these numbers are rough estimates because I found them on some calculator website and I’m not sure I entered everything correctly. also depends on how much cheese you actually use which in my case is always more than the recipe says.

questions I get asked

 

Can I use yellow squash instead of zucchini[1]?

yeah totally, I’ve done half zucchini and half yellow squash before when that’s what I had and it worked fine. might be slightly sweeter but nobody will notice. just make sure you squeeze out the liquid the same way.

 

Do I have to use Jiffy mix or can I make my own cornbread[2] batter?

I mean you probably could but why would you make things harder on yourself? Jiffy mix is like a dollar and it’s already perfectly seasoned. but if you’re really against it you could use any cornbread mix or make your own batter with cornmeal and flour and all that. I’m too lazy for that though.

 

What if my casserole turns out watery?

you didn’t squeeze the zucchini enough, that’s 100% what happened. I did this the first time I made it and we basically ate zucchini soup with cornbread chunks. it tasted okay but the texture was weird. next time really commit to squeezing out that liquid until your hands hurt.

 

Can I make this ahead of time?

yup, I do this all the time for Sunday dinners. mix everything together and put it in the baking dish, cover it with plastic wrap, and stick it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. then just take it out like 20 minutes before you want to bake it so it’s not ice cold going into the oven. might need an extra 5-10 minutes of baking time.

Source URL: https://ladysuniverse.com/zucchini-cornbread-casserole/

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