During the summers when I was growing up, we always had tons of fresh zucchini growing in our garden. And more often than not, my mom usually used those zucchini to make “Bisquick Zucchini”- essentially a zucchini casserole using Bisquick baking mix. I grew up absolutely loving this dish, but as I got older and further into my nutrition studies, I realized that dish didn’t exactly contain the best ingredients, no matter how good it tasted. So therefore, I set out to “healthify” one of my favorite childhood recipes.
The original version of this recipe calls for canola oil, cheese, and Bisquick baking mix, but I decided to swap out all of those for more nutrient-dense options. Starting with coconut flour. I decided to go with coconut flour because I love the taste it provides, plus it’s grain-free. Since coconut flour absorbs a lot of liquid, I increased the amount of eggs from the original recipe, and then added some almond milk as well. Then, instead of using canola oil, I decided to keep up with the coconut theme and use coconut oil… but much less of it. One of the last major changes I made was adding some yellow squash, carrots, and tomatoes, instead of just using zucchini. Don’t get me wrong – I love my zucchini and I love the color green, but it just needed a bit more color, in my opinion!
Even though I made a lot of ingredient swaps, I still kept some of the original ingredients the same – I still used onion and garlic, fresh basil and parsley from the garden, and the same herbs and spices. I was curious how these would pair with the ingredient swaps I made, so as soon as it came out of the oven, I dug in (which may or may not have caused me to burn the inside of my mouth).
After taking my first bite, I was immediately hooked. The old recipe just doesn’t stand a chance against this one! (Sorry, Mom!) This new version is loaded with flavor, the texture is spot-on, and it doesn’t help that it’s very colorful and loaded with veggies! Even though it’s not the exact same recipe as the casserole my mom made when I was growing up, it still brings me back to my childhood days and makes me remember all those carefree summer days. Boy, how I wish I could go back to those days!
Zucchini and Summer Squash Bake
Ingredients
- 7 eggs whisked
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 TBSP coconut oil melted
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 medium yellow onion diced
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 2 large carrots peeled and large grated
- 2 medium zucchini grated or thinly sliced
- 2 medium yellow squash grated or thinly sliced
- 2 TBSP fresh parsley diced
- 1 small handful fresh basil leaves chopped
- 1 large Roma tomato thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease an 8×8” pan or a small casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and almond milk. Add the diced onion, garlic, seasonings, parsley, basil, and melted coconut oil. Mix well. Stir in the coconut flour until no lumps remain.
- Use a grater to slice the squash and carrots. Add to the bowl and mix until everything is combined.
- Pour batter into greased baking dish and top with sliced tomatoes.
- Bake (uncovered) for 50-60 minutes, or until browned. If top is starting to burn but the eggs are not set yet, cover the dish with aluminum foil and continue to bake until cooked through.
