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Zucchini and Yellow Squash Gratin

Panko is an innovative Japanese flaky riff on breadcrumbs. It's made by baking leavened bread dough electromagnetically. Sounds complicated, but the results are simply lighter and larger than regular dried breadcrumbs.
Everyday Food, May 2007
  • Prep Time 20 minutes
  • Total Time 30 minutes
  • Yield Serves 4
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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 medium zucchini (about 7 ounces each), sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
  • 2 medium yellow squash (about 7 ounces each), sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
  • 2 shallots, minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup panko
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 450. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat; add zucchini, yellow squash, shallots, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini and squash are crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes.
  2. Add cream, and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; stir in 1/2 cup panko and cup Parmesan.
  3. Spoon mixture into a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining panko and Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Bake until top is golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

Recipe Reviews

  • Keri-AnnMH
    19 Jan, 2013

    WOW WOW WOW!!!!!! I made this for dinner tonight and my husband loved it MORE than the main dish, which he thought was awesome too! haha. He said it was definitely the star of the show! Will absolutely be making this again! The ONLY change I made was crushed pork rinds instead of panko to make it lower carb!

  • tangoa24
    27 Jul, 2012

    OH MY GOD. This recipe is AMAZING! My whole family went nuts for it! My father, a very notorious meat and potatoes man, actually paused and announced to the room "I think this is the first time I am making sure my last bite is the vegetable." You can't get a better compliment than that! I Paired this with a panko-parmesan-thyme chicken tender recipe on this site, and a mustardy french potato salad also from this site. The whole meal was a hit!

  • chris08226
    25 Jan, 2012

    I have the recipe torn from the Everyday Food magazine where it was originally published. Step 2 should be 1/2 cup panko and 1/4 cup parmesan.

  • SiciliCook
    18 Nov, 2011

    I am confused. The ingredients say 1/2 cup parmesan, and then step four refers to 1 cup of parmesan. plus extra for the topping? Am I not reading this right?

  • soundslikewhen
    25 Dec, 2010

    I thought this came out great but didn't follow the recipe to a T. The vegetables came out a little softer than I would have liked them to. Next time I will saute them for less time, if at all. I will also try this dish with Gruyere and a little bit of nutmeg. All in all, this recipe was very easy. I could also see making this dish during the week.

  • wamchick
    8 Oct, 2010

    Tried this the other night using half and half...delish! Get panko, I can see how regular breadcrumbs wouldn't work.

  • MrsQriist
    29 Sep, 2010

    This is very good. I added an extra couple of garlic cloves for us, and some thyme to tie it in with the rest of the meal, but otherwise it's fine as-is. I had to work in batches because my only suitable skillet is 10". Next time I'll pair it with something bright and acidic like sun-dried tomatoes or meatballs/chicken in tomato sauce, my whole meal (also had sauteed chicken, broccoli, and couscous) needed just a little something more. Maybe dried tomatoes right in with the zucchini...

  • craftyelle
    12 Sep, 2010

    I wasn't a big fan. I used breadcrumbs instead of panko, so that could have been the reason for my disappointment.

  • LoveBakingCookies
    8 Sep, 2010

    This is an excellent recipe! The recipe says that zucchini and squash should be cut one inch thick but the photo shows that they were sliced a lot thinner. So I cut them 1/2 inch thick. Panko really added crunch to the toppings. Recommand!

  • Misty625
    6 Sep, 2010

    Regarding the "cup" of parmesan in the recipe text- seems like a website error. I have the actual Everyday Food magazine in which this is printed, and you add 1/4 c parm to the vegetables in the skillet, and the remaining 1/4 c sprinkled on top before baking.

  • babci
    8 Aug, 2010

    The ingredients call for 1/2 cup parm. The recipe says to add a cup of parm and then add more to the topping. I don't understand?

  • ehguy11
    2 Aug, 2009

    I used half

  • geekygrandma
    19 Jun, 2009

    This sounds yummy - we grow lots of zukes in the summer. I will try this with low fat condensed milk instead of heavy cream. Panko crumbs are great - I use them all the time as a sub for regular bread crumbs. If it's too bland, maybe some Italian seasoning as well. This is definitely worth a try. I appreciate the other tips for substitutions mentioned here - cheddar cheese, onions, etc.

  • lcrick
    3 Oct, 2008

    This recipe is the best! My husband hate zucchini and yellow squash and to my happy surprise told me he loves this dish!! I used skim milk instead of heavy cream and it came out delicious (with a lot less fat). I also used onions instead of shallots which I always have in supply. It is the parmesan cheese that puts this dish over the top. Tip: if you are making a larger batch, make sure you slice the squash thin or keep in oven longer to make sure all is well done. RECOMMEND!

  • kendrakallen
    29 Jul, 2008

    Yummy dish. It was my first time using panko breadcrumbs. This dish is a nice alternative to squash casserole and the perfect solution to an abundance of summer squash. It was easy and quick to make. Might try to use less cream next time to lighten it up a bit.

  • Firepussy
    20 Jul, 2008

    I made this for my culinary-snob of a boyfriend who despises squash. He said that it was delicious, and restaurant-quality cuisine. He's already asked when I'll remake it.

    Considering that the only spices used are salt and pepper, it's surprisingly flavourful - the flavours mix together beautifully. The only alterations I made were to add a light sprinkling of cheddar cheese on top, and I used homemade bread crumbs instead of panko.

  • adozeneggs
    20 Jan, 2008

    I made this for a dinner party, sooooo good. Lots of requests for the recipe. My husband is not a huge fan of summer squash, and he loved this dish.