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Stuffing isn’t only for Thanksgiving, people! It’s my favorite part of this sausage zucchini casserole!
If your garden is overflowing with zucchini and yellow squash, this Italian Sausage Zucchini and Squash Casserole is the comforting dinner you need. Tender summer squash is combined with savory Italian sausage, a creamy sauce, and topped with buttery herb stuffing for a casserole that’s creamy, savory, and full of texture.
This is one of those family recipes that gets passed around because everyone loves it. My mom got it from her sister-in-law, and the first time she made it for us, I knew I needed the recipe. It tastes like it should be loaded with cheese because it’s so creamy and satisfying, but there isn’t a single shred of cheese in sight!
Why You’ll Love This Italian Sausage Zucchini Casserole
- A delicious way to use up garden zucchini and yellow squash
- Creamy and comforting without any cheese
- Topped with buttery stuffing for the perfect texture
- Made with simple pantry ingredients
- Easy enough for a weeknight dinner
- Works as a main dish or holiday side dish
- A family recipe that’s been passed down for years
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ground Italian Sausage: Adds tons of savory flavor. We love mild Italian sausage, but spicy works too.
- Small Onion: Adds savory flavor and sweetness as it cooks down with the sausage.
- Chopped Zucchini and Yellow Squash: The star vegetables of this casserole. Their mild flavor pairs perfectly with the creamy sauce.
- Kosher Salt: Enhances the flavors of the sausage, vegetables, and creamy sauce.
- Cream of Chicken Soup: Creates the creamy base. Homemade cream soup works great if you have it on hand.
- Sour Cream: Adds richness and tang while keeping the casserole creamy.
- Herbed Stuffing Mix: The secret ingredient! The buttery stuffing topping adds texture and so much flavor.
- Butter: Helps the stuffing bake into a golden, crispy topping.
How to Make Italian Sausage Zucchini Casserole
This casserole is simple to put together: savory sausage, tender vegetables, a creamy filling, and that irresistible buttery stuffing topping.
- Cook the sausage and vegetables: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brown the sausage and onion in a large skillet. Add the zucchini and yellow squash, season with salt, and cook until softened.
- Make the creamy filling: Stir the cream of chicken soup and sour cream into the sausage and vegetable mixture until combined.
- Add the stuffing topping: Mix the stuffing with melted butter, then sprinkle it evenly over the casserole.
- Bake: Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the casserole is hot and bubbly and the topping is golden.
Storing and Reheating
Store leftover zucchini casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To reheat, warm individual portions in the microwave until heated through, or cover the casserole dish with foil and bake at 350°F until hot. The stuffing topping is best when reheated in the oven so it can crisp back up.
Can I Make This Zucchini Casserole Ahead of Time?
Yes! Assemble the casserole up to 24 hours ahead, cover, and refrigerate. Add the stuffing topping right before baking for the best texture.
FAQs
Absolutely! This casserole is delicious as a vegetarian side dish. Simply leave out the sausage and increase the zucchini and yellow squash, or add another favorite vegetable like mushrooms or bell peppers.
We love this recipe with Italian sausage because it adds so much flavor, but it is easy to customize. Try cooked chicken, diced ham, ground turkey, or even leftover rotisserie chicken.
Nope! And that’s part of what makes this casserole so surprising. The combination of cream of chicken soup and sour cream creates a rich, creamy sauce that makes you forget there’s no cheese involved.
While we love cheesy casseroles, this one proves that comfort food doesn’t always need cheese to be delicious.
This recipe can be whatever you need it to be! Add sausage or another protein and it becomes a hearty dinner. Leave out the meat and it makes a delicious vegetable side dish for Thanksgiving, Sunday dinner, or any family gathering.
This zucchini casserole bakes for 20-25 minutes at 350°F, just until the filling is hot and bubbly and the stuffing topping is golden brown.
This Italian Sausage Zucchini Casserole is the perfect way to turn fresh summer squash into a comforting meal the whole family will love. With savory sausage, tender zucchini and yellow squash, a creamy filling, and a golden stuffing topping, this easy casserole is packed with flavor and texture.
More Casserole RECIPES:
We love casseroles because they are easy, comforting, family-friendly meals that bring everything together in one dish.
- Cheesy Ground Beef and Rice Casserole
- Teriyaki Chicken Casserole
- Cheesy Ham and Potato Bacon Casserole
- Hawaiian Ham and Pineapple Casserole
- Mexican Cheesy Ground Beef and Rice Casserole
- Teriyaki Beef Casserole
Zucchini Sausage Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Ground Italian Sausage
- 1 Small Onion, minced
- 3 Cups Zucchini, chopped
- 3 Cups Yellow Squash, chopped
- Kosher Salt
- 2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup, 10.5 oz cans
- 1 Cup Sour Cream
- 8 ounce Herbed Stuffing Mix
- 1/2 Cup Butter, melted
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat.
- Place the sausage in a cast iron pan and cook until browned, about 8 minutes.1 Pound Ground Italian Sausage
- Drizzle a little oil in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
- Add the onion and cook until translucent (about 3 minutes)1 Small Onion
- Add half of the zucchini and sprinkle with salt to taste.3 Cups Zucchini, Kosher Salt
- Cook, stirring occasionally until softened and beginning to brown.
- Remove to a plate and repeat with all remaining zucchini and yellow squash.3 Cups Yellow Squash
- Add the veggies and sausage back into the pan along with the soup and sour cream. Stir to combine.2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup, 1 Cup Sour Cream
- In a bowl, toss the stuffing and melted butter.8 ounce Herbed Stuffing Mix, 1/2 Cup Butter
- Spread the stuffing over the mixture.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’m going to post this separately since I’m not sure my reply to you will show up: Thanks so much for the hint about cutting up the squash; it worked perfectly! We liked this, but I must say that I found the directions very confusing. They say to saute half of the zucchini (1.5 cups), remove it to a plate and then saute the remaining zucchini (1.5 cups) and all the yellow squash (3 cups), which made no sense. I checked your narrative, which says to “cook half of the sliced up zucchini and yellow squash. … Remove the veggies to the plate with the sausage and cook the remaining zucchini and yellow squash,” which made much more sense and is what I did, although I used much more than a little drizzle of oil (I used 4 tbsp. butter for all those veggies). Anyway, I’ll definitely be making it again, but with my adjustments!
This looks good, and I hope to make it this week, but I have a question: When you say “chopped” zucchini and yellow squash, do you mean chopped, like in a chopping bowl or food processor, into tiny little pieces? Diced into cubes? Sliced? I never know what recipe writers mean by that, and it seems to vary. I couldn’t see any obvious pieces of zucchini in your pictures, so they didn’t give me the answer, either.
Hi Helen! It always depends on the size of the zucchini for me. If it’s pretty big, I’ll cut it in half lengthwise and then in half again so the zucchini is quartered. Then I cut them into pieces about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. If it’s all smaller zucchini, I’ll just slice it in half and then them into bite size pieces. I hope this helps! I’d love to hear what you think!
Thanks so much for the hint about cutting up the squash; it worked perfectly! We liked this, but I must say that I found the directions very confusing. They say to saute half of the zucchini (1.5 cups), remove it to a plate and then saute the remaining zucchini (1.5 cups) and all the yellow squash (3 cups), which made no sense. I checked your narrative, which says to “cook half of the sliced up zucchini and yellow squash. … Remove the veggies to the plate with the sausage and cook the remaining zucchini and yellow squash,” which made much more sense and is what I did, although I used much more than a little drizzle of oil (I used 4 tbsp. butter for all those veggies). Anyway, I’ll definitely be making it again, but with my adjustments!
Hi Helen! Thank you so much for the feedback! The instructions are basically having you cook the sausage and veggies in batches since it would be way to much to do at once. So cook the sausage all the way through then add the onions, followed by half of the zucchini. Then remove all of that and then cook the rest of the zucchini and all of the yellow squash. Once that is cooked through, return everything back to the skillet and add the remaining ingredients. So sorry for the confusion!
Can the zucchini casserole be frozen after cooked?
Hi Bonnie! Yes, this will freeze well! It will keep for up to 3 months. You can let it thaw in the fridge and then reheat in the oven or reheat straight from frozen. It will just take a little longer. I would go with 300 degrees for probably 20ish minutes.
How much is a “scoop?”
Hi Michelle! I’m so sorry for the arbitrary measurement. The serving size is about 1 cup.
My family loved the zucchini casserole.i wasn’t sure if they would like it .They can’t wait till I make it again. Thank you for a tasty meal idea.
Love to hear this Lisa! I’m always looking for new ways to use up all the zucchini from the garden!
When do we add the onion?
Hi Lisa! Thank you so much for pointing out that it was missing from the instructions! I’ve added it in. After you brown the sausage, cook the onions, and then add the other veggies.
This was amazing! I seasoned the zucchini with a chicken/fish seasoning but otherwise made the recipe as directed. I will be making this again and again.
Yippee!! We love to hear that! What’s the name of the season?? I want to try it!
This was really nothing more than canned soup with sausage in it. Far too much liquid causing it to have a soupy consistency.