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Casseroles always end up being some of my favorite dishes to make and to eat. They’re easy, filling, make a lot, and you can have so many different kinds of flavors depending on what you’re in the mood for. This Greek Veggie Casserole is filled with lemon, oregano, veggies, and black olives for a taste of Greece right in your own kitchen.
The variety of fresh ingredients is what makes this dish so special, but feel free to mix it up. That’s the beauty of casseroles after all – they can be made from anything you’ve got lying around in the fridge.
There’s a creamy base for this casserole in a mixture of ricotta and feta that adds depth to all the fresh veggies. You can use fresh herbs for the most flavor or use dried- the measurements for each are included in the ingredients section.
To assemble this dish combine the rice and cheese then add the veggies on top. Then pour in some vegetable broth over the whole thing. This will cook the rice in the oven without having to use another pan.
Partway through baking add the rest of the broth once the first batch has been cooked into the rice. Aside from this one mid-baking step there’s not a lot you need to do once it’s in the oven, another beautiful aspect of making casseroles!
This comes out of the oven with fluffy rice, delicious vegetables, and a savory topping of Kalamata olives. It’s like a whole Greek dinner in one dish. You can add some chicken or other protein if you wish, but it’s quite tasty and filling even without any extra protein.
This Greek Veggie Casserole makes a ton and has the aromatic flavors of herbs and lemon in each bite. It’s a bright and colorful take on the classic casserole!
Greek Veggie Casserole
Yield(s): Serves 8
30m prep time
1h 7m cook time
589 calories
Diet: Gluten-Free, Vegetarian
you're making mealtime meaningful.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 bell peppers, chopped
- 2 medium zucchini, chopped
- 1 medium yellow squash, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 (8 oz) package crumbled feta cheese
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 cups white rice
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2-3 medium tomatoes, sliced
- 1/4 cup pitted and halved Kalamata olives
Preparation
- Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 4 minutes. Stir and add peppers. Cook for 5 minutes then add zucchini, squash, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375˚F. While veggies cook whisk together ricotta, feta, and lemon juice. Stir in 2 tablespoons parsley, oregano, dill, red pepper flakes (if using), and rice. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk until uniform in color.
- Pour rice mixture into 9”x13” baking dish with deep sides. Pour 2 cups broth over rice then top with vegetables. Top with tomato slices and olives.
- Bake for 20 minutes then add remaining broth. Bake for 25-35 minutes more. When top is golden brown remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining parsley before serving.
Recipe adapted from From a Chef’s Kitchen.