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Home » Vegetables » Easy Make Ahead Zucchini Gratin

Easy Make Ahead Zucchini Gratin

By Chula King · September 6, 2017 · Updated April 9, 2021 1 Comment

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Easy Make Ahead Zucchini Gratin

A gratin is a dish topped with a golden browned crust of breadcrumbs and/or melted cheese. In France, gratins are generally made with potatoes. This Easy Make Ahead Zucchini Gratin is an amazing deviation which will have you coming back for more!

Easy Make Ahead Zucchini Gratin

When I got home from work, the proverbial question arose – “What’s for dinner?” Given that there’s a major hurricane that could impact us within the week, I thought about making something that could be frozen for hurricane ready meals. The Master Taste Tester suggested instead that we have the leftover Oklahoma Fried Onion Burgers. I thought great and then remembered that I had some zucchini that needed to be used – thus the Easy Make Ahead Zucchini Gratin was born! All through dinner, the Master Taste Tester kept commenting on how good it was – the ultimate compliment!

Another awesome cheese squash casserole is my Cheesy Southern Yellow Squash Casserole. You should try it!

Ingredients for Easy Make Ahead Zucchini Gratin:

I used the following ingredients: Grated Gruyère cheese, Panko breadcrumbs, zucchini, onion, Kosher salt, unsalted butter, freshly ground black pepper, freshly ground nutmeg, all-purpose flour, and milk.

Making the Easy Make Ahead Zucchini Gratin:

I started by combining the Gruyère cheese and Panko breadcrumbs in a small bowl.

Mixing Cheese and Breadcrumbs

Then, I grated the zucchini and onion in my food processor. I transferred the zucchini and onion to a wire mesh strainer set over a bowl and sprinkled on some salt. The idea here was to remove as much of the liquid as possible from both the zucchini and the onion. After 30 minutes, I placed the grated zucchini and onion in a paper towel and squeezed as much liquid as possible from them. I was amazed that I ended up with about a cup of liquid! This is significant because the dish would have otherwise been incredibly watery had the liquid not been removed!

Removing liquid from zucchini and onion

I heated unsalted butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it was foaming. Then, I added the squeezed zucchini and onion and cooked it for about 5 minutes until it was just tender. I stirred in the remaining salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Next, I added the flour and stirred the mixture to combine everything. After about a minute, I added the milk and stirred the mixture until it was thickened and bubbly.

Making the Easy Make Ahead Zucchini Gratin

I transferred the zucchini mixture to a baking dish and topped it with the Gruyère/Panko mixture. Finally, I dotted it with some additional unsalted butter. At this point, I could have refrigerated the gratin for a later use.

Gratin is ready for oven

Instead, I popped the zucchini into a preheated 400° F oven for about 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, it was bubbling hot and golden brown. Yum!

Easy Make Ahead Zucchini Gratin

Easy Make Ahead Zucchini Gratin

Easy Make Ahead Zucchini Gratin

A gratin is a dish topped with a golden browned crust of breadcrumbs and/or melted cheese. In France, gratins are generally made with potatoes. This Easy Make Ahead Zucchini Gratin is an amazing deviation which will have you coming back for more!
4.5 from 14 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 247kcal
Author: Chula King

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Gruyère
  • 1/2 cup (1.5 ounces) Panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 large zucchini about 1 pound total
  • 1 large onion (about 8 ounces)
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt divided
  • 4 Tablespoons butter divided
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400° F.
  • Combine Gruyère and Panko breadcrumbs in a bowl; set aside.
  • Scrub zucchini under cold water; cut off the two ends, but do not peel. Cut off two ends of onion, and peel. Grate the zucchini and onion; toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a colander. Let sit for 30 minutes. Then twist by handfuls in the corner of a paper towel or kitchen towel to remove excess liquid—you'll be surprised at the amount of liquid! Save the squeezed out juices. (See Tip 1) 
  • Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter to foaming over medium heat in a 12-inch nonstick skillet. Add the grated zucchini and onion. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, just until tender. Season with remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add flour; stir well to combine and cook for a minute or two.
  • Add milk; stir constantly until thickened and bubbly. Correct seasonings.
  • Transfer zucchini mixture to a buttered baking and serving dish. Top with Gruyère/Panko mixture. Dot with remaining tablespoon of butter. Can be made ahead of time up to this point.
  • Bake in a preheated 400º F oven for 20 minutes or until bubbling hot and golden browned. Yield: 4 servings. (See Tip 2)

Chula's Expert Tips

  1. The reserved liquid from the zucchini and onion can be used in sauces or gravies.
  2. Leftovers, if any, can be reheated for several minutes in the microwave, or in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 247kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 790mg | Potassium: 381mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 730IU | Vitamin C: 19.6mg | Calcium: 198mg | Iron: 0.9mg
Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment below and/or give this recipe a rating. On Instagram? Take a picture and tag @pudgefactor or #pudgefactor.

Filed Under: Casseroles, Vegetables, Vegetarian Dishes

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Welcome to Pudge Factor®!

I'm Chula King, the food blogger, award-winning photographer, and videographer behind Pudge Factor. Pudge Factor features amazing and well-tested recipes from my every day cooking. These recipes run the gamut from simple to sophisticated and everything in between. I not only present awesome recipes with tips and tricks that I've learned through the years, but also process photos from start to finish. For some of the recipes, I include videos detailing the actual making of the dish. Read More…

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