This is a super easy, comforting side dish, perfect for all those zucchini and tomatoes over-flowing your garden! I adapted the recipe from Melissa’s Southern Style Kitchen, she used halved zucchini with Gouda cheese, I sliced mine and used Mozzarella. There are endless ways you can make this dish but the spices in the recipe below really hit the spot with me! You could easily add your favorite cooked protein to the layers to create a complete meal, this particular recipe would be great with a spicy Italian sausage.

Zucchini, Tomato & Mozzarella Casserole

Serves 4 as a side dish

• 2 medium zucchini, sliced length-wise (10-12 slices total)
• 2 Roma tomatoes thinly sliced (18 slices total)
• salt
• 3 Tbsp ghee or butter, melted (olive or avocado oil would be good too)
• ¼ tsp garlic salt
• ¼ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp dry Italian seasoning
• ¼ tsp black pepper or to taste
• 4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• ¼ cup gluten free panko breadcrumbs (I used Ian’s)
• 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp dry basil

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F and spray an 8×8 glass dish with cooking spray or lightly grease with butter/oil.
2. Place the tomato slices on a paper towel and sprinkle lightly with salt. Gently press another paper towel on top and allow to sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
3. Slice the zucchini lengthwise into ¼” slices to yield 5-6 per zucchini.
4. Mix 2 Tbsp melted ghee/oil with the garlic salt, onion powder, dry Italian seasoning and black pepper.
5. Place one layer of zucchini in the bottom of the casserole dish. Brush the tops of the zucchini lightly with the seasoned ghee/oil. Place a layer of tomatoes on top of the zucchini.
6. Sprinkle with ½ of the mozzarella cheese.
7. Repeat the layers of zucchini (brushed with seasoned ghee/oil), tomato and remaining mozzarella cheese.
8. Toss the panko breadcrumbs, dry basil and grated Parmesan cheese with the remaining 1 Tbsp of ghee/oil and sprinkle over the mozzarella cheese, lightly pressing down.
9. Bake for 30 minutes or until fork tender.
10. Enjoy!