Zucchini Bake

Last night we went to my aunt & uncle's house for a little cookout. I had asked my aunt earlier in the week if I could bring anything, she said a side dish she could put in the oven, since the grill would be full would be great. I wanted something "summery" and since on my local nest board we had just been talking about zucchini casseroles I knew immediately that would be perfect. I used a recipe shared by Gina, one of the lovely ladies on the board.

It was so rich, cheesey, and delicious. Anything with breadcrumbs, heavy cream, and that much cheese just has to be good, right? It was a great accompaniment to the steaks, and baked potatoes.

There's no picture, so just use your imagination :-)

Zucchini Bake

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 Pounds sliced lengthwise,1/4 inch thick zucchini
1 Dash to taste salt
1 Dash to taste black pepper
1 Cup heavy cream
1 Cup grated mozzarella*
1 Cup grated fontina cheese
1/4 Cup grated Romano cheese
1 Cup plain dried bread crumbs (I used Italian Seasoned)
4 Tablespoon(s) butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Coat the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with extra-virgin olive oil. Arrange zucchini slices on the bottom of the dish and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Evenly pour 1/3 cup of the heavy cream and sprinkle with 1/3 of a cup of mozzarella, 1/3 cup fontina and 2 tablespoons of the Romano. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup of the bread crumbs. Repeat layers, ending with the bread crumbs. Cut the 4 tablespoons of butter into 1/2-inch cubes and sprinkle over the top of the dish. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, place the baking dish on top and bake for 40 minutes until bubbling and the top is golden brown.

*For cheeses I actually used a mix of shredded mozarella, parmesan, provolone, romano, and fontia*