Cheezy Zucchini & Onion Bake – A Vegan & Gluten-Free Recipe
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I am a big fan of casseroles – only I tend to call them bakes. Something magical happens when you put a bunch of ingredients in a dish and throw it in the oven. Not only do you get a warm meal which just screams love, but all the ingredients manage to both retain their own distinct qualities AND blend together. I don’t know how it happens, but I love bakes! This Cheezy Zucchini & Onion Bake is warm, comforting and packed full of good for your veggies and plant protein. While guilt free, it feels indulgent!
Recipe Inspiration
Raw Veggies in the pan before covering them to steam.
As you may already be aware, I am an avid reader and I love books. I once had a guest who upon entering my apartment noted that he wasn’t sure if it was a library or an art museum but it didn’t look like any house he had ever been in. (I took this as a compliment.) Recently, Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns, and Other Southern Specialties: An Entertaining Life (with Recipes) by Julia Reed made it to the top of my reading pile.
This book features dozens of essays by Julia Reed about the role food has played in her life. Each essay is followed by several recipes. While many of them sounded delicious, butter and cheese were core ingredients in almost every recipe (with flour and red meat making regular appearances) . This, however, did not stop me from adding a dozen or so of the recipes to my cooking workbook with the intention of converting them to healthy, vegan and gluten-free. Cheezy Zucchini & Onion Bake is inspired by a recipe which Julia Reed titles Squash & Onion Gratin (although I doubt she would recognize this dish).
Making Zucchini & Onion Bake
Tofu Mix
While this is a relatively straight-forward recipe, it does require a few more dishes than I normally use. In addition to the baking dish, you will also need a skillet with lid, a mixing bowl, and several measuring spoons.
It is important to cook out as much of the liquid as possible from the zucchini and onion before placing the dish in the oven. If you were to add the raw veggies and then bake until they were cooked, you would end up with something more akin to a soup given the amount of liquid a zucchini gives off.
Your zucchini should still have some color after steaming. Here are the veggies right before the tofu mix is added.
You will notice in the ingredients list, there is no added fat in this dish. Because the tofu mix takes on a cheese like nature once baked, it feels much more indulgent than it actually is. However, if you would like to add a little extra richness, you can top with grated cheese (vegan or dairy) before placing in the oven.
A note on serving size
The serving size is based on this being a side dish. If you are going to make it a main course in a vegetarian meal, it will probably only serve four. I also tend to be generous on the vegetable sides in our meals, if you are less so, or pairing it with other vegetables at a meal, it would probably serve eight as a side.
Cheezy Zucchini & Onion Bake
Equipment
- 9x13" baking dish
Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchini, thinly sliced in coins
- 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced in half moons
- 2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 14 oz block tofu, soft (not silken)
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1½ tsp kosher salt or coarse sea salt
- 1 tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Place zucchini, onion and garlic in a wide shallow skillet over medium high heat. Add a few tablespoons of water and cover with a lid. Stir periodically to ensure all vegetables are cooking. You are steaming the veggies, they should not brown. If they begin to color, you need to reduce the heat and/or add extra water.
- While the veggies are steaming, in a bowl, mix the remaining ingredients. The soft tofu should blend easily with a fork. Set aside.
- Once all veggies are tender, approximately 15 minutes, remove the cover on the pan, and allow any remaining water to evaporate. You want the veggies to be relatively dry before the next step. If you have a lot of water in your pan, you may need to drain the veggies.
- In a 9”x13” baking dish, add the veggies and the tofu mix. Gently stir to combine (your zucchini will be fairly soft and you want to avoid turning it to mush). Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly golden brown on top. Serve immediately.
