Description
A hearty Ground Beef Zucchini Casserole combining flavors and nutrition, perfect for family dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup dry quinoa, cooked
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup yellow cooking onion, diced
- 6 zucchinis, sliced into quarter-inch rounds
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 cups low-sugar tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup cottage cheese (or ricotta cheese)
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9×13 inch casserole dish.
- Cook quinoa according to package instructions.
- In a large pan over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, add ground beef, garlic, and yellow onions; cook until meat is no longer pink and onions are translucent. Drain excess oil and add meat to the casserole dish.
- In the same pan, add the remaining olive oil, then add the sliced zucchini with additional salt and pepper. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes until soft.
- To the casserole dish with the meat, add zucchini, spices, cottage cheese, cooked quinoa, sauce, and half of the mozzarella cheese. Stir together, spread evenly in the dish, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for approximately 30 minutes, broiling for the last 5 minutes.
- Top with fresh basil and serve.
Notes
For a richer flavor, brown the ground beef with spices before adding garlic and onions.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 85mg