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Cheesy Zucchini and Corn Pie. This is the savory pie of summer. Zucchini, sweet summer corn, fresh garden herbs, and three cheeses all baked together in a buttery sesame cracker crust. Simple summertime dinner perfection. Plus kind of fun for meatless Monday!
We are smack in the middle of summer and the produce is finally starting to pile into our local farmers market and road side farm stand. As you can probably guess, I am very excited about the abundance of stone fruits, berries, sweet corn, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, etc. etc.
It’s still a little early around here for tomatoes, so this week’s focus is majorly on zucchini and corn, two summer staples that if I’m being honest, I never know what to do with!
Yes, yes, it’s true, I too can have a hard time knowing what to do with summer produce, especially zucchini and corn. All I ever think to do with corn is grill it up with plenty of butter. And for zucchini? My go-to is roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper. Simple, simple, and sometimes kind of boring, right?
Thankfully after some brainstorming (read a lot of head scratching, looking through photos, and texting friends and family for inspiration) I have a list full of new ideas that I am exited to share with you all over the next couple of months.
SO, don’t even think about getting sick of the summer produce. OK? Great. Cool.
PS. tell me what your favorite summer produce is. I really want to hear from you guys about what types of recipes you’d like to be seeing! I love creating content that you actually want to see and read about, so let me know!
PSS. and this is so random, but something that has been on my mind. Do you guys enjoy when I talk about what’s going on in my life within a recipe post? Or is it better to just talk about the recipe and save the life stuff for Sunday’s Favorite’s Post?
Last summer I was the queen of throwing corn into dishes, where corn really doesn’t usually belong. For example, I paired it with lobster, threw it on a pizza, and even on toast, kind of different, kind of delicious.
This pie however, might just be the most different of them all. Or maybe not, it really just depends how you look at. In thinking about it, there are lots of savory pies out in the world, and really this is similar to a quiche, but a little less eggy and potentially heavier on the cheese. Either way you look at it, know that this savory pie is really, really good.
Also? Let’s be real, who doesn’t love having pie for dinner?!
It’s fun. It’s good. You need it!
Here are some details.
The crust is pretty simple, and actually uses the same base as last Friday’s custard tart, Ritz crackers. You don’t have to use Ritz, you can really use your favorite savory, buttery cracker, but I just happened to have Ritz on hand. Just be sure to use a cracker that isn’t too overpowering in flavor, something simple.
I smashed the crackers into fine crumbs, added toasted sesame seeds, melted butter, and then pre-baked it into a tart pan to ensure the crust would get a nice, deep, and golden color before adding the filling. I love this crust, it’s buttery, easy to make, and really flavorful thanks to the sesame seeds.
While the crust is pre-baking, work on the filling. It’s a simple mix of caramelized onions, fresh herbs, zucchini and corn. I like to cook the vegetables first, before adding them to the tart. This helps to help draw out any excess moisture and nicely caramelize them before covering the dish in cheese. This step is key because zucchini has a lot of excess water and it needs to be cooked out before baking. If you were to leave it raw, you’d have a watery pie, and trust me, no one wants a watery pie.
As I mentioned, this is very similar to a quiche, but just less eggy, I used a few eggs and mixed them with three of my favorite cheeses, Brie, fontina, and parmesan. Toss the egg/cheese mix with the vegetables, bake, and you’ll have a savory summer pie that is SO GOOD.
I will admit that this is a bit more time intensive than most of the recipes I’ve been sharing lately, but the degree of deliciousness this pie provides is totally worth it.
Plus, I don’t know about you guys, but some nights I really just love spending a little time in the kitchen, even when I am super busy. Cooking, especially when I am not cooking for any other reason than to just eat it (meaning I am not testing or photographing the recipe), is such a major stress reliever for me. I find it so relaxing.
Anyone else feel the same way? I know my mom feels this way too, but about baking!
The bonus about this recipe is that it really triples as a brunch, lunch, and dinner recipe. And, the leftovers are great the next day, warm or cold.
Try serving this with a simple arugula salad on top. I’m talking fresh arugula, fresh basil, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. The peppered arugula will compliment the sweet flavors from the corn. Very into it.
Trust me, once you make this it’s going to become your new go-to for the summer. It’s so good.
If you make this cheesy zucchini and corn pie, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love hearing from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every one of you. Oh, and of course, if you do make this farmers market pie, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram so I can see! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Cheesy Zucchini and Corn Pie
Servings: 6 servings
Calories Per Serving: 578 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Sesame Crust
- 2 cups buttery cracker crumbs, such as Ritz
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 8 tablespoons butter, melted
Zucchini Filling
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- kosher salt and pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
- 2 medium zucchini or yellow summer squash, sliced into rounds
- 2 ears corn, kernels removed from the cob
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup cubed Brie
- 1/2 cup shredded fontina or cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch tart pan or pie plate with butter, place the pan onto a baking sheet. 2. To make the crust. In a medium bowl, stir together the cracker crumbs, sesame seeds, and butter. Press the mix into the prepared pan, packing the crumbs in firmly. Transfer to the oven and bake 10 minutes or until lightly golden. 3. Meanwhile, make the filling. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook until the onion is fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, zucchini, corn, red pepper flakes, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until the zucchini is tender and beginning to caramelize, 5-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cheeses, and basil. Stir in the vegetables. Pour the filling into the pie crust, wiggling the pan around to help evenly distribute the ingredients. Transfer to the oven and bake 35-40 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the eggs are set. Let cool 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve topped with fresh basil and thyme. Enjoy!
Hi Teighan!
Please keep mixing in your life and style anecdotes with your fun recipes.
Its what makes your blog fun and interesting. It has more depth to it. Plus, I love family and believe it should be celebrated and remarked upon often!
Thank you so much Tiffany!
Just wondering as corn is not quite ready here yet, could I use canned corn or would that not be good? (Pretty sure it’s sweet niblets.)
HI! I Would use frozen corn instead. Maybe about 4 cups? I think that should be great! Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
Tieghan, thank you for sharing your life with a bunch of us strangers!! We feel like we know YOU but you have no idea who WE are, haha! I love that you are brave enough to do that. And I love the sound of this recipe….I’m going to raid my neighbors garden for zuchinni (I know she has some hiding over there), actually she is out of town so I have permission. This sounds like it would be good hot or cold, perfect summer fare.
Thank you so much Karen! I hope you love this recipe!
Tieghan, I made the cheesy zucchini and corn pie last night and it was delicious! I am watching my carbs so I made it without the crust and put it in a 9″ cake pan and greased it with a little olive oil. I look forward to eating for lunch today.
That is so amazing! I am so glad you loved this recipe Karen and hope you love it even more the second time!
This looks amazing and oh so simple. I think I would add maybe some mushrooms, but I get that using the produce that is ready now. I will definitely try this when the weather is a bit cooler, right now Victoria, BC is going through a heat wave and the thought of turning on the oven makes me hotter! Thanks for sharing this great recipe.
Talking about every day life too, is great. Like to hear what others do with their days.
Thank you so much Sue! I hope you love this recipe!
Hi Tieghan. I’ve commented on your blog a few times raving about your recipes…you’ve been my go-to blog for recipes since my sister told me about you about two years ago. In response to your questions in this post, yes I would love to have you keep your life stories coming! They are delightful to read and make your recipes feels so warm and inviting.
That being said (and sorry if this is a little bit life-coachy to say from someone you don’t even know!), my biggest encouragement would be for you to do what brings you life the most and enables you to sustain a well-balanced, full, rich life. I know from reading your posts a bit about how hard you work and the long hours you keep. So, if anything you’re doing isn’t life-giving to you, I’d seriously encourage you to contemplate whether it’s worth doing. And those things that ARE life-giving, keep doing.
Sounds like you enjoy writing the life stories and that your readers who have commented enjoy them too which is so great! You have a loyal fan in me whatever you decide and I believe in many, many others who are with you and love what you create. Thank you so much for what you add to my life in the stories and recipes you share :-).
This is really sweet Jeannine! It is so nice to know that you support my work and are rooting for my happiness most of all! Thank you!
I don’t comment often but just wanted to say that I do enjoy your life updates in the recipe posts! Your life in the mountains and huge family couldn’t be more different from my own, so I find even the random daily musings fun to read 🙂 Although I definitely can relate to cooking = relaxing.
Also, as a kid my mom used to make a very similar zucchini pie with a Pillsbury crescent roll crust and it was the ONLY way she could get me to eat zucchini. So I love this idea — it’s like an elevated version, amped up with fresh herbs, fancier cheeses and my favorite, corn!
Thank you so much Annie! I am so glad you enjoy my blog and hope you continue to!
This looks like the perfect way to use up all the extra corn and zucchini this time of year! I made one a while back that was similar from tomatoes and roasted garlic…but this one just looks even more delicious! I love the way the cracker crumb base turns out…so much better than just pie crust!
Thank you so much! I am so glad you like this recipe!
This recipe sounds great! I have been loving all of your recipes for fresh summer produce, it has been really helping use what I get from my local Farmshare. Quick question on this one, if I don’t own a tart pan is there another pan easily substituted?
HI! You can just use a pie plate. That will work just fine. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
Also, I meant to add that I love when you talk about your life! It makes your page so personable and fun to read! Please don’t just save those tidbits for Sunday’s post! 🙂
OMG! I made this last night and it was TO DIE FOR. My boyfriend and I gobbled up half of it before I could even snap a pic! For the record, I crushed 2 sleeves of Ritz crackers to make approx. 2 cups of crumbs… it was probably more than 2 cups but whatevs, still got the job done. My carnivorous boyfriend was skeptical but now he wants me to make this every day! DELISH. Thank you so much!
That is so amazing! I am so glad you both loved this Alexandra!
Summer produce at it’s finest! Years ago I made a zucchini and corn quiche…such a delicious combination I’m excited to try again! 🙂
I hope you love this Brittany! Thank you!
That pie is beautiful and I am so hungry, thank you for inspiring me to get my butt into the kitchen for some ME time!
P.S. my favorite produce is all kinds of squash, broccoli, spinach, and eggplant. And leeks and onions. And tomatoes. Man, I love veggies.
P.P.S. Please share your life with us as you see fit. I love reading about your interesting family, trips, and challenges. You are charming and funny, and I look forward to every post. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Thank you so much Julie! Loving all of those produce items!
Went to my garden and picked zucchini, thyme, basil. Had to go out for corn. It’s not ready here in NH yet. Honestly this pie was so amazing and savory. I made arugala salad with vinagrette…my non-committal husband loved it, and said so!!
It is redolent of my grandmother’s baked stuffed shrimp. I may play around with some ideas. Wow!
I ordered your cookbook immediately!
YUM! I am so glad you used home grown ingredients.. that sounds amazing! Thank you Lori!
Yes, please do keep sharing things about your life… I love that part of your posts! Also, this pie looks delicious and I’m a huge fan of savory tarts. I have 3 different cheeses on hand (white cheddar, gouda, and gruyere). I know those are pretty different, but do you think any of those could sub in?
HI! I think either of these cheeses would be amazing! I would use a mix of the white cheddar and gouda. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂