Easy Zucchini Potato Gratin Recipe |Without Cream|
Delicious and easy to make, no cream zucchini potato gratin is a perfect vegetable bake to use up fresh garden vegetables in the summer. Serve it warm or lukewarm.
updated from 2012
Featured Comment ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “I was looking for a way to use up a bunch of zucchini that wasn’t hibachi style (our go-to) or in a baked good (not sweets people)…..we got some in this week’s farm bag. Tried this tonight and it was a hit! I was out of parm, so left it out and added a bit of salt to the ricotta mixture…..it was still divine. My 11-year-old gobbled it up….he is looking forward to leftovers with scrambled eggs in the morning for breakfast, thank you so much!!” Lacey
WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS VEGETABLE GRATIN
- Make ahead – I love that I can prepare it in advance. Gratins reheat well and so it’s perfectly fine to bake this vegetable gratin a day ahead. Store it in the fridge and reheat before serving.
- Lighter – I don’t use cream in the filling. Without heavy cream, the vegetables remain the star, and the dish feels less heavy. Don’t worry, it still has the cozy baked-casserole feel but is lighter and fresher.
- Pairs with many meals – I often have it as a mid-afternoon snack, and it works as a side dish for meats, fish, or vegetarian dinners.
- Customizable – You can easily adapt the recipe to vegetables, herbs, and cheeses you have on hand. Try adding peppers, butternut squash, artichokes, and eggplant.
- Perfect for summer zucchini – Have you got a garden teeming with fresh zucchini? This light gratin is a delicious way to use up summer zucchini, and if you’re looking for another hearty zucchini dinner idea, try my zucchini ground meat casserole, too.
INGREDIENTS + SUBSTITUTIONS
- Zucchini – Any kind will work, I prefer medium to small size. When using large varieties with lots of seeds, scoop them out before slicing. You can also substitute some zucchini for sliced peppers. Red is nice for a splash of color.
- Potatoes – I highly recommend using a mandoline to slice potatoes and zucchinis. Don’t slice them too thick, or they won’t cook through. Don’t have potatoes? You can use sweet potatoes or butternut squash if you’d like.
- Ricotta Cheese – If you don’t have it, make homemade Farmer’s Cheese. It takes no time to make. And you don’t need to let it drain for hours for this recipe; 30-40 minutes is sufficient.
- Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt – I’ve been using Greek and white Protein Yogurt lately with great results.
- Eggs – I use large eggs. If you don’t have eggs, you can use simple bechamel sauce.
- Parmesan – While I love Parmesan, I don’t always have it on hand. You can skip it and use a little more of the other cheeses.
- Mozzarella – It melts nicely, creating a creamy texture. If you don’t have any, you can use bechamel sauce and whisk in some soft cheese, or add parmesan.
- Salt – Before layering veggies in the casserole pan, salt them and let them sweat a bit to remove excess water from the zucchinis.
- Pepper: Don’t forget to season the creamy filling with black pepper. If you find black pepper too harsh, you can use white pepper, and a dash of nutmeg is also very nice.
- Chives – I use chives fervently in pretty much everything. My other favorite herbs are parsley and dill. Dill would be lovely as it pairs nicely with creamy sauces.
- Garlic -I love garlic. Scallions, onions, or shallots are a nice alternative to garlic.
ZUCCHINI AND POTATOES
Scrub the zucchini and potatoes. The fastest way to slice the veggies thinly is with a mandoline slicer. Yes, you can use a knife, but a mandoline slicer gives consistent results fast.
Be sure to use the protector sleeve to slice zucchini to 2/16 inch or a little less than 1/4 inch and slice potatoes to about 1/16 inch thick.
To avoid having watery baked zucchini potato gratin, it is essential that you don’t skip this next step. Generously salt the zucchini and potatoes. I used about two teaspoons of pink salt. Toss the vegetables and place them in a large colander to drain while you prepare the cheese filling and preheat the oven for about 15-20 minutes.
CHEESY GRATIN FILLING
Combine ricotta, sour cream or Greek Yogurt, chopped chives, pressed garlic, parmesan and mozzarella cheese, ground black pepper, and eggs in another bowl.
LAYER ZUCCHINI POTATO GRATIN
I make most of the casseroles in a rectangular pan, like my Stuffed Cabbage Casserole, but you can use a round pan too. I used a 9-inch round casserole baking dish. Layer about 1/3 of the drained zucchini and potato slices, then spread 1/3 of the cheese filling over the vegetable layer (steps 1-2). Repeat until you have finished all the vegetables and the cheese filling (steps 3-6).
BAKE ZUCCHINI POTATO GRATIN
Bake at 375°F (190°C), uncovered for 60 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked.
SUCCESS TIPS
- Prevent a watery casserole -Make sure to salt the zucchini and potatoes to avoid a watery baked casserole.
- Why I skip extra salt in the filling – I don’t use salt in the filling. Remember, Parmesan is already salty, and vegetables retain some of the salt even after draining. You don’t need to add more salt at this point.
- What to serve with the gratin? – You can enjoy it plain, with sliced tomatoes, green salad, chicken, or other meats.
Zucchini Potato Gratin
Equipment
- casserole dish 9-inch round
Ingredients
Zucchini-Potato
- 2 medium-size zucchini 650 grams
- 3 large potatoes 650 grams
- 2 tsp salt
Cheese Filling
- 1 cup ricotta cheese low-fat or full fat
- 3/4 cup low-fat sour cream or Greek Yogurt
- 2 garlic cloves (pressed)
- 1/4 cup chives, chopped
- 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp olive oil
Instructions
Zucchini and Potatoes
- Scrub the zucchini and potatoes. Slice potatoes 1/16-inch thick and zucchini about 1/4-inch thick. Rinse potato slices. In a large colander, toss the potato and zucchini slices with 1½ teaspoons of salt. Let slices drain while you work on the dressing, about 1015 minutes.
Cheese Filling
- Into a medium-sized bowl, add ricotta cheese (1 cup), low-fat sour cream or yogurt (3/4 cup), 2 pressed garlic cloves, 1/4 cup chopped chives, 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper and 2 large eggs. Whisk to combine.
- Grease the casserole dish with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Layer about 1/3 of the zucchini and potato slices, spread 1/3 of the cheese filling over the slices, and continue layering zucchini and potatoes until you finish with all the vegetables and cheese filling.
Bake
- Bake at 375°F (190°C), uncovered for 60 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked.
This recipe was first published on July 24, 2012. On July 27, 2023, I updated this recipe with new photos, step-by-step instructions, and a recipe card.
Hi, I’m Hani
Welcome!
Thank you for visiting Haniela’s. On my blog, you’ll find delicious sweet & savory recipes made with simple ingredients. Why not start a new adventure? Discover a world of cookie decorating with my step-by-step tutorials.
Hi, I’m Hani
Welcome!
Thank you for visiting Haniela’s. On my blog, you’ll find delicious sweet & savory recipes made with simple ingredients. Why not start a new adventure? Discover a world of cookie decorating with my step-by-step tutorials.
I was looking for a way to use up a bunch of zucchini that wasn’t hibachi style (our go-to) or in a baked good (not sweets people)…..we got some in this week’s farm bag. Tried this tonight and it was a hit! I was out of parm, so left it out and added a bit of salt to the ricotta mixture…..it was still divine. My 11 year old gobbled it up….he is looking forward to leftovers with scrambled eggs in the morning for breakfast 🙂 thank you so much!!
Hi Lacey,
I’m so happy you and your son enjoyed it. 🙂
Thank you so much for trying my recipe.
Love the idea of serving it with scrambled eggs.
Have a great day. Hani