This zucchini casserole may have magical powers. It's also perfect for quarantine cooking

Grandma Leslie was a little surprised to learn that her zucchini casserole would soon grace the Food & Dining section of the newspaper.

“It must be a really slow news day,” she said over the phone, with a laugh.

Of course, she knows that’s not the case. Quite the opposite, in fact. But that’s precisely when we need recipes like hers the most.

My mother-in-law’s signature dish is a homey throwback — a pointedly un-fancy casserole brimming with fresh vegetables, a pile of potatoes, a bit of meat and way more cheese than anybody should be cramming into one helping. A staple she grew up eating at her family’s farm in Michigan, it holds the dual distinction of being perfectly designed for quarantine cookery and wielding mystical powers over all who try it.

“They had nothing, but they had lots of zucchini and lots of potatoes and lots of tomatoes. I don’t even know if they had ground beef, but that’s in the recipe. I had it from my Grandma Sophie starting when I was five years old, and it’s been in my family even longer. It was designed to take care of whatever was in your garden.”

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Or whatever’s in your crisper drawer, as the case may be.

Not only is this the perfect catch-all recipe for whatever produce you need to use up, it also has the unique power to make otherwise finicky kids plow headlong into a big pile of vegetables. Back when my daughter refused to eat anything other than white bread, white rice, spaghetti and Special K Red Berries with the berries picked out (but not plain Special K... long story), she’d make an exception to demolish a hunk of zucchini casserole.

My wife recalls devouring it with similar zeal as a kid. And her sister, once so enthused to describe her favorite dinner for a school project, was the family member who officially codified the zucchini casserole serving size.

“My dad eats two hunks, and I eat one hunk and my mom eats one and a half hunks,” the grade-schooler dutifully reported some three decades ago. 

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A glance at the stained, aging recipe card typewritten by Leslie’s Aunt Phyl reveals that the formula has evolved over time. Grandpa Mark abhors bell peppers, so they disappeared for a generation. Grandma Leslie is a fan of melted cheese, and her daughters wouldn’t have it any other way, so neither would I. I have no idea if Grandma Sophie would approve, but I think some corn kernels lend a gorgeous, fresh pop. (And a splash of Cutino Sauce Co.’s Verde isn’t half bad either.)

So, here is my lightly modified take on Grandma Leslie’s zucchini casserole. I make it once a month, and we eat it all week. I expect we’ll be eating it all quarantine long. And who knows how long thereafter.

“Here’s the thing about it,” Grandma Leslie gently intones. “Everybody loves it. That’s what’s so funny. It’s so basic, but there’s something about it.”

How to make Grandma Leslie’s Zucchini Casserole

Makes: A dozen hunks.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, sliced
• 2 medium green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped
• 2 medium zucchini, sliced
• 1 cup corn kernels (preferably from two ears of fresh corn)
• 28 ounces canned tomatoes (crushed or squished by hand as you add them to the pan)
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1½ pounds potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1/3 cup milk
• 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

Heat the oil in a very large saute pan over high heat and when it starts to shimmer, add the ground beef. Cook, stirring and breaking up, until deeply browned. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside, leaving any juices and rendered fat behind in the pan.

Reduce heat to medium-high and cook onions, stirring frequently, until well-browned. Add the carrots and cook for 2-3 minutes longer. Add the bell peppers, zucchini, corn, tomatoes, Worcestershire, oregano and salt and pepper to taste, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, until vegetables are somewhat softened but still have some texture. Adjust seasoning.

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Meanwhile, place potatoes in a pot with salted water to cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until tender and easily pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes well, return to the pot and whip with the butter, sour cream, milk and salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble the casserole, transfer the vegetable mixture to a 9x13” baking dish, then top in layers with the ground beef, then the mashed potatoes, then the cheddar cheese.

Bake the casserole in a 350° oven for 20 minutes, then turn on the broiler until the cheese is lightly browned. Remove casserole from the oven, allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, cut into hunks and serve.

Tried something delicious lately? Reach the reporter at [email protected] or at 602-444-8533. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @skilletdoux, and on Facebook at facebook.com/darmato.

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