Zucchini season: it's a thing! And as much as I love zucchini as a side dish or zoodles, sometimes I want to make a main meal with it.
That's where this zucchini and sausage casserole comes in. Full of flavor and goodness, this casserole is made on the stove top and is ready in under an hour. It's perfect for busy weeknights, a quiet Sunday afternoon, or anything in between.
Once you give it a try, it'll become a new favorite in your meal rotation!
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
There's a reason a casserole is called "comfort food." The blend of flavors satisfies all your needs.
In this casserole, the mild sweetness of zucchini matches so well with the rich and savory quality of sausage.
Most importantly, it's an easy casserole to make. If you look at the ingredient list, you'll probably find you already have most, if not all, of what's needed in your pantry!
Ingredients Needed
**Be sure to visit the recipe card below for detailed amounts and instructions**
How to Make Sausage and Zucchini Casserole on the Stove Top
This recipe is a modification of my very popular zucchini and ground beef casserole. That casserole is cooked in the oven and does not include any starch in order to keep it low carb.
In this version, I used sausage instead of ground beef, and added brown rice to round out the meal a little. Feel free to compare the two to see if one appeals more to you than the other.
The brown rice can be left over from a previous meal, but if you need to cook some, you'll want to do that first.
Bring a large pot of water to boil and add ¾ cup of long-grain brown rice. Boil for 35 minutes, then drain. While the rice is cooking, you can start the casserole.
To a large skillet on medium heat, add a little cooking oil, then the onions and sausage. Break up and stir the meat while cooking. Cook until the meat is fully brown.
Add in the zucchini, carrot, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir for 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and let that fry for about 30 seconds to reduce the "raw" taste. Then add the tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and water.
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Mix well to make a sauce, then cover the skillet, lower the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the cooked brown rice and Parmesan cheese. Mix well to warm everything through. (If you're using leftover rice here that is cold, give it a couple extra minutes to really warm through.)
Sprinkle the top with shredded cheese (I use "Italian blend"), then cover the skillet and turn off the heat.
Let the skillet rest for about 5 minutes to fully melt the cheese. Then serve.
Serving Suggestions
This zucchini and sausage casserole pairs wonderfully with a crisp green salad and some garlic bread. Sometimes I also make some air fryer broccoli just for some additional "vitamin green" on my plate. 😀
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days. This casserole re-heats beautifully in the microwave to make a quick and satisfying lunch or dinner.
Recipe FAQs
I've never frozen the whole casserole but have definitely frozen individual portions. I recommend you thaw each portion completely before re-heating.
I used Italian type cheese to go with the other flavors, but feel free to experiment. Cheddar, provolone, or other cheese blends (Cheddar Jack - yum!) would all be fun to try.
More Easy Dinner Ideas
If you like a quick skillet meal, try some Trader Joe's sweet potato gnocchi with sausage for something delicious!
Got an air fryer? Try some Doritos chicken tenders or stuffed chicken breasts for something new in the dinner rotation!
📖 Recipe
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Zucchini Casserole with Sausage
Ingredients
- ¾ cup brown rice or 2-3 cups cooked
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil for cooking
- 1 onion medium yellow, chopped
- 1 pound Italian sausage bulk
- 1 pound zucchini sliced
- 1 carrot
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 14 oz can diced tomatoes
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 1 cup cheese shredded Italian blend
Instructions
- If using leftover rice (you need 2-3 cups) skip to step 2. Otherwise, bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add the rice and cook for 35 minutes. Drain and let sit until ready to add.(Step 6) You can start cooking the rest while the rice is boiling.¾ cup brown rice
- Heat oil in skillet on medium heat. Add onions and sausage. Break up the meat and cook, stirring regularly, until fully brown, about 4-5 minutes. (Drain any excess fat at this point, if applicable)1-2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 onion, 1 pound Italian sausage
- Add the zucchini and carrot with the salt and pepper. Cook and stir for 3 to 5 minutes to soften the vegetables.1 pound zucchini, 1 carrot, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Add the minced garlic. Cook and stir for 30 to 60 seconds.3 garlic cloves
- Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and water. Mix well to make a sauce. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover the skillet, and simmer for 5 minutes.2 tablespoons tomato paste, 14 oz can diced tomatoes, ½ cup water, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- Add Parmesan cheese and cooked rice and stir until well coated in sauce. Mix and heat until everything is evenly heated through.½ cup Parmesan cheese, ¾ cup brown rice
- Top with shredded Italian cheese. Cover the skillet, turn off the heat, and let the casserole rest for 5 minutes to melt the cheese. Serve.1 cup cheese shredded
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Elaine
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Sula
Wonderful. Thank you for the kind review!
Lynn
Just in time for my abundance of garden picked zucchini's! I really liked how filling it was and yet low carb. The flavour of the sausage with the zucchini was great and of course the melted cheese was a family favourite!
Sula
Wonderful! It makes me look forward to zucchini season every year!