Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 can (15 ounces) Italian tomato sauce
- 1 medium green or sweet red pepper, chopped
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400°. Place zucchini in colander; sprinkle with salt. Let stand 10 minutes, then squeeze out moisture.
- Combine zucchini with eggs, Parmesan and half of mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. Press into a greased 13x9-in. or 3-qt. baking dish. Bake 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat, crumbling beef, until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add tomato sauce; spoon over zucchini mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses; add red pepper. Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes longer.
- Freeze option:Cool baked casserole; cover and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Unwrap casserole; reheat on a lower oven rack until heated through and a thermometer inserted in center reads 165°.
Test Kitchen Tips
Italian sausage or ground turkey sub well in this casserole.
Make it vegetarian by skipping the meat and increasing the veggies. Mushrooms or finely chopped cauliflower (or a combination of the two) taste great.
This packs up nicely for weekday lunches.
Nutrition Facts
1 cup: 315 calories, 20g fat (10g saturated fat), 119mg cholesterol, 855mg sodium, 10g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 2g fiber), 25g protein.