Zucchini Rice Gratin

Zucchini Rice Gratin combines shredded zucchini, rice, and cheeses under a crispy buttered breadcrumb topping.

Easy & Delicious Zucchini and Rice Gratin

Every summer, we’re on the lookout for delicious ways to cook with our garden zucchini, particularly when we’re overrun with too much of it.

Delicious side dish recipes like this Zucchini Rice Gratin use a LOT of shredded zucchini – eight cups worth! It’s a great way to use up a glut of zucchini in your garden.

Gratins come together quickly, then it is baked in the oven until golden brown and crispy on top.

What is a Gratin?

It’s basically a type of baked or broiled casserole with a browned topping typically made with some combination of cheese, butter, and breadcrumbs.

A gratin is French in origin, from the word gratter which means “to scrape” or “to grate” and the French gratiné – a verb form of the word translating to crust or skin.

Our Zucchini Rice Gratin has grated Parmesan and Gouda cheeses in the topping, plus butter and panko breadcrumbs.

• It’s delicious, cheesy, crispy comfort food and it’s loaded with vegetables so you can feel good about serving it to your family.
• This recipe uses a load of fresh zucchini, so when your garden is overflowing, this is an ideal recipe to cook.
• It’s a flexible recipe – you can swap in summer squash for the zucchini if you have some of that growing in your garden. Plus, you can swap different cheeses to suit your tastes or use up cheese that you already have on hand.

• Fresh Zucchini – Lots of it! Swap in some summer squash if you’d like.
• Shallots – You can use a sweet onion instead, but we like the mild flavor of the shallots for this recipe.
• Fresh Garlic
• Rice – Choose Basmati or Jasmine rice – they cook up to a nice light texture and have a slightly nutty taste. If you must, you can substitute a regular long grain white rice – just note that you may need to add another half cup of liquid to get the rice fully-cooked.
• Cooking Liquid – You’ll cook the rice in squeezed-out zucchini liquid, whole milk, and white wine. If you prefer, use chicken stock instead of wine.
• Cheeses – Grated Parmesan cheese and grated Gouda are used in the topping, while grated Parmesan and Fontina are added to the zucchini and rice filling. The Fontina can be swapped out for cheddar or American cheese, or any other melty cheese with a mild flavor.
• Unsalted Butter
• Olive Oil
• Breadcrumbs – Choose Japanese Panko breadcrumbs for this recipe. It is lighter and crispier than the finer Italian breadcrumbs.

1. Shred zucchini. Squeeze out ½ cup of zucchini liquid, then set the liquid and zucchini aside.
2. Sauté shallots in oil in the braiser.
3. Add more oil and then rice. Sauté until the rice is golden brown.
4. Add garlic, salt and pepper.
5. Deglaze the pan with wine.
6. Add zucchini water and milk and heat to bubbling.
7. Add shredded zucchini and heat again to bubbling.
8. Add ½ cup of Parmesan and the Fontina cheese. Stir to combine.
9. Mix the remaining Parmesan, grated Gouda, panko bread crumbs and melted butter together to create a topping.
10. Spread topping evenly over the zucchini mixture.
11. Bake until the top has browned and the topping is crunchy.
12. Serve immediately with your favorite grilled steak, ribs, or chicken.

• Can I make Zucchini Rice Gratin ahead of time?  You can measure out each individual component and make the topping ahead of time, but you should wait to cook, assemble and bake just before you are ready to serve.
• How do I store leftovers?   Store covered in the refrigerator for up to three days.
• How do I reheat leftovers? Reheat the entire pan in the oven, or reheat individual portions in the microwave. Just note that the texture of the zucchini and rice may soften during a reheat.
• Can I freeze?  No. We do not recommend freezing this dish.

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