Ground Beef, Orzo And Zucchini Casserole
Servings: 4 meals
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 9x13).
- 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!
Notes
DAIRY-FREE RICOTTA OPTIONS
Tofu ricotta: 14 oz firm tofu (drained), 1 lemon (juiced), 2 TBSP nutritional yeast, 1 tsp salt. Blend in blender or food processor.
Cashew ricotta: 1 cup raw unsalted cashews soaked in boiled (not actively boiling) water for 15 minutes, 1 lemon (juiced), 2 TBSP nutritional yeast, 1/3 cup water, 1 tsp salt. Blend in a blender or food processor.