Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake

If you had really small zucchini you could just slice them, but I cut mine in half lengthwise and then into half-moon slices.

The recipe called for dried basil.  Pam used about a tablespoon of chopped fresh basil.  I bumped it up to nearly 4 tablespoons of fresh basil.  You can adjust the amount of basil to your own tastebuds.

Pam had the idea of adding a few tablespoons of sliced green onions, which I thought was perfect in this recipe.

To keep this dish South Beach Diet friendly, I used this low-fat blend called Pizza Cheese.  It's a mixture of Mozzarella, Provolone, Romano, and Parmesan cheeses with only 6 grams of fat in 1/4 cup.  (You could use any type of low-fat white cheese.)

Toss together the sliced squash, chopped basil, sliced green onions, dried thyme, garlic powder, and both kinds of cheese.  Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Put the mixture into an 8" x 8" casserole dish that you've sprayed with olive oil or non-stick spray.

Bake 25-30 minutes, then sprinkle over another 1/2 cup of the pizza cheese.

Bake 10-15 minutes more, or until the cheese is melted and nicely browned and the zucchini is cooked through.  Serve hot.

Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake
(Makes 4-6 servings; recipe adapted from a recipe by Karen Niessing in PenzeysBack to School 2011 Catalog, with suggestions from my sister Pam.)

Ingredients:2 medium-sized zucchini, cut in slices or half-moon slices
2 medium-sized yellow squash, cut in slices or half-moon slices
2-4 T chopped fresh basil (or even less, depending on how much you like the flavor of basil)
2 T thinly sliced green onion
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup + 1/2 cup low-fat white cheese (I used Pizza Cheese, which is a low-fat blend of Mozzarella, Provolone, Romano, and Parmesan)
1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan (I would use a little less if you only have the very finely grated Parmesan from a can)
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F/180C.  Spray an 8" x 8" baking dish with olive oil or non-stick spray.  Wash the squash and cut in slices or half-moon slices.  Wash basil, spin dry or dry with paper towels and finely chop.  Slice green onions.

Combine the sliced squash, chopped basil, sliced green onions, dried thyme, garlic powder, and both kinds of cheese and stir together until the veggies are coated with cheese and the herbs are well-distributed.  Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper.  Put the mixture in the baking dish and bake uncovered for about 25-30 minutes.

When the zucchini is nearly cooked through, take the casserole dish out of the oven and sprinkle over the remaining 1/2 cup of grated cheese.  Put the dish back in the oven and bake 10-15 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted and nicely browned and zucchini is fully cooked.  Serve hot.

This kept well in the fridge overnight, but mine was gone the next day so I don't know if it would last longer than that!

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