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.
Grace
I never thought to put zucchini in a cheesy sausage casserole but it worked! It turned it into veggie-packed comfort food.
Sula
Exactly! It's a great way to get some extra veggies in teh meal!
Darcy
So I made this last night as a neighbour gave me three homegrown zucchinis. It was delicious, hubby said we can have it every week!
I used hot Italian sausage and served it with some buttered noodles.
Such a great healthy dinner 🙂
Sula
Delish! There's definitely lots of zucchini available this time of the year!
Jenny J
I have never had a zucchini casserole like this, and I love how easy it was! We get huge zucchinis at our local farm stand and this was the perfect way to use one of them up.
Sula
I love zucchini but it does help to have a variety of ways to use it!
Devy
This casserole was so easy to make and I love the fact that it has everything in it. From the carbs, protein, and the veggies. I tried it when I was having a busy day so I followed the recipe to the letter. Everything was spot on. Delicious.
Sula
Wonderful! Yes, I love the complete meal aspect as well!
Sherry Ronning
Your zucchini casserole with sausage was a great dinner and it helped to use up a few of the zucchini's coming out of our garden. My husband is doing a great job growing zucchini and your zucchini recipe was a perfect way to us them.
Sula
Usually anyone who can grow zucchini will end up with a LOT! I'm glad my casserole gives you a new way to enjoy it. 🙂
Claire
When hubby grows zucchinis we always have a glut!! I give them away, make zucchini relish, freeze them, make soup, you name it.
So it is always great to try a new recipe using them, as I never want to see them go to waste.
We loved the cheesy topping and the rice soaked up so many delicious flavors. YUM!
Sula
We all need extra recipes for zucchini season!
Emilie
This recipe is very timely with the fall harvest. Always so much zucchini! Thanks for the easy to follow instructions. Yum!
Sula
Enjoy!
Rachna
I made this for dinner and it was so good. I had leftover rice so it was even quicker. Tasted yummy.
Sula
I love making this with leftover rice - it comes together so quickly!
Lisa
This was such an easy and delicious recipe for our garden zucchini. The whole family loved the dish.
Sula
Thank you Lisa!
Gerrit
Sounds absolutely delicious and easy to make. I like the suggestion adding rice to make it more of a complete meal, that's definitely how I will make it.
Sula
Yes adding brown rice helps to really round out the meal.
Rose
This was an easy Weeknight meal that my whole family enjoyed. I love the zucchini.
Sula
I love finding new weeknight meals that work for everyone!
Sharon
Mmmmm! This is my new fave zucchini dish! Packed with protein which is what I was looking for. The cheesy topping was the best part - yum.
Sula
Like I always say, there's no such thing as too much cheese!
Chichi
This was a healthy meal for my family! I love adding some protein to my veggies. Yum.
Sula
Thank you Chichi!