Name: Garlic Butter Zucchini Mash
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 8 cups zucchini (1-inch cubed); 3 Tbsp butter; 1 tsp salt; 1 Tbsp garlic (minced)

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If you are looking for a delicious side dish featuring one of the best garden vegetables, then look no further than Garlic Butter Zucchini Mash! This simple recipe takes only 4 basic ingredients and is a great way to use up a ton of fresh zucchini at once.

One of my favorite vegetables to grow in the garden is zucchini. I love how it absorbs the flavors of whatever it is cooked with. In our house, that usually means butter and garlic.

However, it doesn’t take long before you are overrun with zucchini and need a way to preserve it. (There are only so many muffin and bread recipes you can try before you get a bit burnt out!) That’s where this Garlic Butter Zucchini Mash comes into play!

Not only does this recipe make an excellent summer side dish you can enjoy freshly cooked, but it is also perfect for freezing and preserving for future meals. This allows you to still enjoy the fresh flavors of the summer, even if it’s the middle of winter.

By combining the flavors of 3 basic staple ingredients, you have a tasty yet simple side dish. And since the zucchini is cooked down before freezing, the soft texture lends itself well to being frozen and thawed.

How To Make Garlic Butter Zucchini Mash

*Scroll down to the bottom of this post to see the full recipe, including exact measurements and amounts. You can also print out the instructions. I go into a bit more detail about the recipe here first, just in case you need it.

Chopped zucchini — For larger zucchinis, just cut out the middle spongy part before chopping it into one-inch pieces.

Ingredients

As mentioned, there are only four simple ingredients needed in order to make this Garlic Butter Zucchini Mash recipe. The final consistency is smooth and creamy. How you blend the cooked zucchini will dictate how smooth the finished product is (similar to mashed potatoes).

Zucchini – You are going to need about 2.5 pounds of zucchini. The size of the zucchinis will dictate the amount needed. The amount of chopped zucchini you start with will be reduced by about half after cooking.
Butter – I like to use real butter in almost all of my recipes. I just prefer the flavor and natural ingredients.
Salt – Any type of salt works fine, but this is the salt I use – Product Link: Redmond Real Salt
Garlic – We use our homegrown garlic, but store-bought works just fine. Both the salt and garlic can be added to taste. I tend to measure a bit heavily on both to meet our family’s tastes.

Instructions For Garlic Butter Zucchini Mash

The first step to making garlic butter zucchini mash is to prepare your zucchini. Give each zucchini a good scrub, making sure to get rid of any dirt that might be on the skins. Then, dry them fully.

Chopped up zucchini — I was making a double batch in the above photo. As long as your stock pot is large enough, feel free to size up the recipe to get more zucchini cooked and preserved at once.

You do not have to peel the zucchini for this recipe. The skins are packed full of vitamins C and B6 as well as loads of fiber. In addition, the peels give the mash a bit more texture which I find nice. If the skins bother you, you can definitely peel them off. Just keep in mind that the cooking time will likely be reduced.

Next, cut the zucchini into about 1-inch-sized pieces. The goal is to get the pieces as similar in size as possible. That will help them all cook down evenly. If the zucchini are larger, cut out the spongy inside and seeds. (My chickens get to enjoy that part since I tend to let zucchini grow too long, especially by the end of summer.)

Meanwhile, start to melt your butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Once fully melted, add your chopped zucchini and salt and mix well. Again, you can always add less salt and then salt to taste later on.

Cooking The Mash

Allow the zucchini to cook down uncovered for around 40 to 45 minutes or longer over medium-low heat. The amount of time needed will depend on the size of your zucchini and whether you removed the skins or not.

cooking down the garlic butter zucchini mash — Cook down the zucchini until you can easily mash it with a potato masher.

Stir the mixture occasionally to ensure that nothing burns on the bottom. Burning typically isn’t an issue since zucchini releases quite a bit of moisture as it cooks down. However, you still want to stir it frequently to allow all of the pieces to cook down evenly.

While the zucchini is breaking down, peel and mince your garlic. Again, I tend to go a bit heavy on garlic so feel free to adjust this to your family’s taste. Set aside for now.

You want the zucchini to be soft and tender. You will know it’s cooked down enough when you can easily mash it with a fork or potato masher. I prefer to use a potato masher to mash the entire batch. However, if you like a creamier texture then you can use an immersion blender or a regular blender. Just work in smaller batches until it is all blended.

Once you have mashed the zucchini, it’s time to add the garlic. Mix it in well and cook the mixture for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until the garlic is soft.

Serve Now Or Freeze For Later

The garlic butter zucchini mash is now ready to be served! You can eat it as-is as a delicious side dish that is similar to a mashed potato. We usually serve ours in a bowl since it can be a bit runny.

Cooked down garlic butter zucchini mash — I like to keep my garlic butter zucchini mash a fairly thick consistency. However, feel free to use a blender to make it smoother.

As a great bonus, this recipe freezes perfectly. It’s one of my favorite things to preserve from my garden since it tastes just as good as the day you made it. And, since the texture is already a mash, you don’t have to worry about the zucchini being soft as it thaws out.

To freeze, allow the mash to cool down completely. I like to pack it into freezer-safe, 2-cup containers. The Garlic Butter Zucchini Mash should stay good in the freezer for about a year. (These are the containers I use – Product Link: Ziploc Twist n Lock Containers.)

To thaw, place it in your fridge overnight. As an alternative, cook it from frozen over low heat for about 15 minutes, being sure to stir frequently to prevent burning.

Finished garlic butter zucchini mash — We enjoy eating some fresh right after cooking and then freezing the rest to enjoy later on in the winter.

If you are looking for another delicious yet simple way to enjoy fresh zucchini, check out my Sautéed Garlic Butter Zucchini Recipe. I hope you enjoy both of these recipes as easy ways to enjoy zucchini!

Until next time, thanks for stopping by!
– Chelsea

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