😋 Happy Zucchini Bake

My husband and adult son loved this recipe! It's a great way to enjoy some of that summer zucchini.

Ingredients:

• 1 large zucchini cut in half or thirds depending on length, and then cut into medium thin slices. (I sliced around the center core to avoid the larger seeds. You will end up with some wide slices and some narrow slices.)
• 1 medium sweet onion sliced
• 1 pound browned ground beef (I used 85% lean.)
• 1 cup freshly shredded white sharp cheddar cheese. 
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 Tablespoons fresh basil chopped
• 2-3 Tablespoons fresh oregano chopped
• 1/2 a can or jar of prepared spaghetti sauce (I freeze the remaining sauce in a plastic container.)
• salt
• freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Begin by washing and cutting the zucchini. Lay it on paper towel to absorb some of its moisture. I layer my zucchini with the paper towel.

Brown the beef. Slice the onion. Finely grate the sharp cheddar cheese, Harvest and chop the herbs or you can substitute dried herbs, but reduce the amount by about half.

In a shallow 9 x 13 glass baking dish begin by laying out enough zucchini to completely cover the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, half of the Parmesan cheese, half of the herbs, about 1/3 of the browned ground beef, 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, and half of the sliced onion.

Place another layer of zucchini on top. Repeat, except this time you'll pretty much cover the top with the remaining browned ground beef. Top with onion and dollop with spoons of canned spaghetti sauce.

Bake in a preheated oven at 375 for about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining cheddar. Replace in the oven till the cheese is nicely melted. 

Remove from oven and allow it to set for at least 5 minutes. I served this with roasted new red potatoes and cooked peas.