- 1 pound zucchini, sliced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies
- 1 (24 ounce) carton cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- 3 cups cooked rice
- 3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, or to taste
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a large casserole dish.
- Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil. Cook zucchini in the boiling water until soft but not falling apart, 10 to 15 minutes; drain and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir ground beef, onion, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper in the hot skillet until the ground beef is completely browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Add zucchini and chopped green chilies; cook and stir 1 minute more.
- Combine cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, and egg in a large bowl; add ground beef mixture and cooked rice. Stir mixture until evenly mixed; pour into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle Cheddar cheese over the casserole.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the top is bubbling and the cheese is melted and slightly browned, 30 to 40 minutes.