Going to be straight with you all here: I’m not a huge casserole person. It’s true! I can see the appeal in them, but they haven’t always appealed to me, TBH. That’s why it’s so significant for me to say that I think this ground beef, orzo, and zucchini casserole is the dish that made me see the light.
And here’s why. This dish comes together quickly, it tastes incredible and it’s comforting without feeling super heavy. Oh, and it happens to make good use of something you might encounter a LOT of in the summer—zucchini—although you can get zucchini all year round, of course. Which means you should eat this casserole all year round, if you’re so inclined.
Let’s do it!
The main ingredients in this casserole are ground beef, orzo pasta, zucchini and two types of cheeses (ricotta and mozzarella). Of course, there are many ways to customize!
How to customize this ground beef, orzo, and zucchini casserole
- Swap ground beef for ground turkey, chicken or pork. Note that I didn’t test it with these meats, but I’m confident they’ll work great!
- Swap zucchini for broccoli, peas, yellow squash, butternut squash or cauliflower.
- You can use canned tomato sauce OR your favorite jarred tomato sauce. I tested this with both (canned and Rao’s) and it was great both ways.
- Can’t find orzo or can’t eat it? Use rice or another short pasta (penne, rotini, farfalle etc) of your choice. If you’re GF, note you can order GF orzo on Amazon! (It can be hard to find in most grocery stores, otherwise.)
- Mozzarella isn’t a must. I tested it with mozz and a Mexican blend of shredded cheese – both were delicious. If all you have on hand is shredded cheddar or another blend, feel free to use that instead of buying a new type of cheese. You could totally take this casserole in a Tex-Mex direction, too, now that I think of it, by adding some hot sauce…. (see where this is going!?)
- Are you dairy-free? Cashew ricotta or tofu ricotta are great substitutes.
Pro tip: This casserole is SO GOOD with fresh herbs
Fresh rosemary, sage, oregano and basil could all work in this recipe if you have any extra on hand. Don’t use all four at once (pick one or two) and throw it in to the mix on step 3.
I can’t wait for you try out this insanely simple, yet delicious, casserole!
To double this recipe, simply double the ingredients. You may need a larger baking dish (and more cook time in the oven if that’s the case), or bake it in two separate baking dishes.
How to store and reheat ground beef orzo and zucchini casserole
This casserole can last for up to 5 days in the fridge in airtight containers. And while normally we might not get super excited about recommending freezing anything with zucchini in it because it’s so darn watery, this one works. There are a lot of other ingredients in this dish. So, this casserole is freezer-friendly for up to 6 months if properly stored.
We like to freeze this in individual servings and reheat as necessary. Use the microwave, the oven or on the stove. You can cook it right from frozen, or let it defrost a bit overnight (or in the fridge) for a few hours beforehand.
Happy prepping!
Other Great Casserole Meal Preps!
- No-Peek Chicken and Rice
- Easy Baked Frittata
- Breakfast Tortilla Bake
- Philly Cheesesteak Breakfast Casserole
- French Toast Breakfast Berry Casserole
Ground Beef, Orzo And Zucchini Casserole
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 2 TBSP olive oil divided
- 2 small zucchini sliced into rounds
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup orzo
- 16 oz ground beef sub ground meat of your choice
- 1 shallot chopped
- 15 oz can of crushed tomatoes sub marinara sauce
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese see dairy-free options in the notes below
- 1 cup shredded cheese I used a Mexican blend, mozzarella is best
- 1 tsp ground thyme
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 F and prepare a large baking dish with cooking spray (I used 9×13).
- Add half the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. After a minute or two, add the sliced zucchini, salt, pepper and oregano. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until the zucchini rounds are tender-crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add the remaining oil to the skillet with the ground meat, chopped shallot and more salt and pepper. Break up the ground meat with a wooden spoon and cook, stirring frequently, until it’s no longer pink, about 7-10 minutes.
- To a large bowl, add the uncooked orzo, cooked zucchini, cooked beef, crushed tomatoes, riccotta cheese, shredded cheese, thyme and red pepper flakes. Add more salt and pepper too. Mix everything together.
- Pour the mixture into the greased baking dish and bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until it’s bubbling at the edges. That’s it!
