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    The Yummy Bowl » Recipes » Chicken

    Chicken Zucchini Casserole

    May 8, 2021 · Modified: Dec 8, 2022 by Julia | The Yummy Bowl · This post contains affiliate links · 36 Comments

    2449 shares
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    Chicken Zucchini Casserole in a white oval baking dish

    This Chicken Zucchini Casserole may become your favorite zucchini recipe. Learn how to make this quick, easy, and budget-friendly casserole for busy weeknight dinners. 

    We love easy casserole recipes like Easy Breakfast Casserole with Bacon, Creamy Chicken Enchilada Casserole, Butternut Squash Broccoli Casserole. And this Chicken Zucchini Casserole does not disappoint!

    Chicken Zucchini Casserole in a white oval baking dish

    Why you’ll love this

    • Incredibly tender and creamy - ground chicken in combination with soft baked zucchini under layers of sour cream and cheese - a total crowd-pleaser!
    • Budget-friendly - a few simple, economical ingredients make this chicken zucchini casserole just from scratch without canned ingredients or cream soup needed!
    • Easy to reheat - this chicken and vegetable casserole also re-heats super well - either in the oven at about 390 F (200 C) for approximately 10 minutes or simply pop in microwave. 
    • Easily Customizable - use ground beef or ground turkey with zucchini to make this casserole, but so far, chicken zucchini is my favorite.

    If you like creamy chicken recipes be sure to check out these dishes: Creamy Chicken Pasta In White Wine Sauce, Creamy Chicken Taquitos (Baked Taquitos), Creamy Chicken With Spinach, Bacon And Sundried Tomatoes, Creamy Chicken Cheddar Cheese Sauce, Creamy Chicken Tacos, or simply type word ''chicken'' into the search bar.

    zucchini chicken casserole closeup on a wooden spoon

    Ingredients

    • Zucchini - also called courgettes, is the main star ingredient that in my opinion is the best veggie to pair with chicken. It has soft, delicate texture and is best to use in stuffings, patties, fritters, cakes and breads. If you haven’t yet tried my 4 ingredient Chicken Zucchini fritters then they're about to become a hit in your family too. We make these often. Easy and very much kid-friendly and kid-APPROVED too! Ask my picky-eater 2 year old!
    • Garlic powder and onion - the essential combo you can’t forget in almost every savory dish. I used both garlic and onion powder in case I am short on time or want to achieve more ''softer'' and not overpowering garlic/onion flavor which is simply delicious in my opinion (BUT powders are a great alternative when serving to kids).
    • Carrot - isn’t essential, but it does add a little pop of color and taste which in combination with chicken zucchini tastes superb.
    • Ground Chicken - can be substituted with rotisserie chicken or diced chicken instead. But I prefer ground chicken as it is so tender and perfect for this type of chicken casserole recipe. Your next options are ground turkey, ground beef/pork.
    • Italian herbs - another needed ingredient for chicken zucchini casserole. These herbs enhance any simple casserole! But not essential, if you don't have it on hand it will still taste very good.
    • Cheese - make sure to cover the top generously so you’ll have a thicker layer of cheese once done. But it’s personal preference, you can also add the only ¾ of a cup or less depending on the baking dish. Cheese lovers will appreciate!

    Instructions

    Need a different visual? This recipe is also available as a story!

    In a medium bowl grate the zucchini and add 1 teaspoon of salt, set aside for 10-15 min to drain off the excess water. 

    zucchini in a strainer and a bowl with vegetables and chicken

    Remove the excess water using a strainer and spoon or wrap the zucchini in a thin kitchen towel (or a special fabric is also available on amazon) and squeeze tight to get rid of the water. 

    grated zucchini ground chicken carrots and egg in a glass bowl

    Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C).

    Chicken Zucchini Casserole in a white oval baking dish process

    Once done, gather all the ingredients (except cheese and sour cream) in a large mixing bowl and stir with a spatula or hands until combined.

    Chicken Zucchini Casserole in a white oval baking dish process

    Prepare a 9x13 or slightly smaller baking dish, spray with cooking oil, and transfer the mixture into the dish. Even out the top with a spatula and layer the sour cream on top. 

    Chicken Zucchini Casserole in a white oval baking dish process

    Bake the chicken zucchini casserole for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the cheese, bake again for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. 

    Chicken Zucchini Casserole in a white oval baking dish

    Your Chicken Zucchini Casserole is ready! Garnish with parsley or scallions, cracked black pepper. Enjoy!

    Serving suggestions

    Being loaded with plenty of zucchini and chicken, this dish doesn’t necessarily need a vegetable side dish or salad of some sort. But if you do wish to add a little fresh salad (I highly recommend this easy Marinated Cucumber, Tomato and Onion Salad - this goes with anything!) or even Mashed Potatoes.

    Tips

    • Sour Cream - depending on your casserole dish size, add more sour cream as needed to cover the entire area as instructed in the recipe. Sour cream used here is mainly to add a little flavor without creating a thick sauce. But feel free to add even more if you prefer this way.
    • Onion - brown or yellow onion is preferred and you can feel the flavor in the dish. If not so much of an onion fan, use a smaller onion or reduce the quantity in half.
    • I used a smaller oval casserole dish for this, and if using the standard 9 x 13 inch you'll need to adjust the quantities slightly to fill up the space.

    FAQ

    Can you put raw chicken in a casserole?

    It is indeed safe to put raw chicken in a casserole to cook in the oven. It will cook longer than already precooked say, rotisserie chicken, However it is healthier this way, and consider using diced, shredded, or like in this recipe, ground chicken that will cook very fast. All bacteria are killed once the temperature in the oven reaches 160 degrees.

    Do you peel zucchini?

    Usually, it is not needed to peel zucchini before baking, especially when using fresh young zucchinis. As with many vegetables, most of the nutrition value comes from the zucchini skin, so it is a good idea to keep it as it is. In this zucchini chicken casserole we use grated zucchini with skin on and during baking it becomes very tender, exactly like we want it to be.

    Should you salt zucchini before cooking?

    It is not necessary to salt the zucchini before cooking. The fastest way is to grate the zucchini before cooking, leave it in a fine-mesh strainer for 10-20 minutes and then wrap it in a thin fabric or kitchen towel and squeeze the extra moisture out. Another way to get the water out is to saute the zucchini with a little vegetable oil before adding it to the casserole. Avoid steaming or boiling the zucchinis.

    How do you keep squash casserole from getting watery?

    The best way to prevent your squash or zucchini casserole from getting watery is to remove the excess water by wrapping the cut or grated squash in a piece of fabric and squeeze out the water. Alternatively, you can saute the veggies before cooking that will also remove most of the excess water.

    Gluten Free Zucchini Recipes

    • Easy Zucchini And Corn Fritters
    • Creamy Chicken Stuffed Zucchini Boats
    • Chicken Zucchini Fritters Recipe (4 ingredients)
    • Golden (Yellow) Zucchini Sliders | Vegan

    Easy One Pot Recipes

    • Healthy Vegetable Breakfast Frittata
    • Creamy Chicken Bacon And Spinach Pasta
    • Ground Beef and Cabbage
    • Creamy Chicken Taquitos (Baked Taquitos)
    zucchini chicken casserole on a aplate close up

    I hope you'll enjoy this chicken zucchini casserole recipe and if you make it, please let me know about it in the comments or by tagging @theyummy_bowl under your picture on Instagram.

    Thank you for reading,

    Love,

    Julia

    zucchini chicken casserole closeup on a wooden spoon

    Chicken Zucchini Casserole

    This Chicken Zucchini Casserole may become your favorite zucchini recipe. Learn how to make this quick, easy, and budget-friendly casserole for busy weeknight dinners. 
    4.87 from 23 votes
    Print Pin
    Author: Julia | The Yummy Bowl
    Course: Main Course
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 6 portions
    Calories: 206kcal

    INGREDIENTS

    • 11-12 oz (300 g)Ground chicken
    • 1 egg
    • 1 carrot medium grated
    • 1 large zucchini grated
    • 1 medium brown/yellow onion chopped
    • 3-4 tablespoon sour cream or more as needed
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste + for zucchini
    • 1 ½ cup Cheddar or Colby Jack Cheese
    • 1 teaspoon of Italian herb spice or a mix of dried oregano, garlic, thyme

    INSTRUCTIONS

    • In a medium bowl grate the zucchini and add 1 teaspoon of salt, set aside for 10-15 min to drain the excess water out.
    • Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C).
    • Remove the excess water using a strainer and spoon or wrap the zucchini in a thin kitchen towel and squeeze thightly.
    • Once done, gather all the ingredients except cheese and sour cream in a large mixing bowl and stir with a spatula or hands until combined.
    • Prepare a 9x13 or slightly smaller baking dish (I used a smaller oval shaped dish), spray with cooking oil, and transfer the mixture into the dish. Even the top with a spatula and layer the sour cream on top.
    • Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the cheese, bake again for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
    • Garnish with parsley or scallions, cracked black pepper.
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    PRIVATE NOTES

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    Nutrition Facts
    Chicken Zucchini Casserole
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 206
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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    « Vegetarian Enchilada Recipe
    Chicken Lo Mein recipe (Gluten-Free) »
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Margo

      May 10, 2021 at 12:39 pm

      5 stars
      Made this yesterday night for dinner and surprisingly very creamy and delicious. Thank you for the zucchini idea!

      Reply
      • Julia

        May 10, 2021 at 12:48 pm

        thank you so much, zucchini and chicken is the best combo we love!

        Reply
        • Patty

          August 21, 2022 at 12:10 am

          5 stars
          This recipe is excellent! Even my daughter ate it. We added mushrooms to the recipe. I actually sauteed the onions and the mushrooms before adding everything together. I precooked the ground chicken a little bit also. Ground chicken usually comes in a package of 16 oz so our casserole just had a little bit of extra chicken in it. We put extra cheese on top because we are a cheese family. Make sure you wait the 10 to 15 minutes for all of the water to come out of the zucchini. It was amazing how much water came out of the zucchini when we waited.

          Reply
          • Julia | The Yummy Bowl

            August 21, 2022 at 10:55 pm

            That's so true! Zucchini needs some prep work for sure! And if you do it, it gives the best results!! Mushrooms sounds great, never thought about adding them here, and I am a huge fan of them! Which mushrooms did you use Patty?

            Reply
      • Amber

        November 18, 2022 at 3:46 am

        Really enjoyed this recipe. I also sauteed the onions, but otherwise followed the directions. I do wish that the ingredients were in order of appearance.... Almost forgot the Italian seasonings.

        Reply
    2. Linda

      August 02, 2021 at 4:59 am

      2 stars
      Made this yesterday following directions exactly. This was not a creamy casserole dish. It was a meatloaf with a lot of veggies in it. The layer of sour cream replaced the ketsup on many meat loaves. The onions were overwhelming and too raw to blend in the mix. Maybe some instructions were left out? Might have been better if ground chicken and chopped onions were sautéed then mixed with remaining veggies and a larger amount of sour cream to make a more casserole like and creamy dish. Won’t make this again.

      Reply
      • Julia

        August 02, 2021 at 3:05 pm

        Hi Linda, thank you for the feedback, and so sorry this casserole was not to your liking. For me personally, the casserole is more of a one-pot, super easy to make without extra separate cooking. You can fill the casserole dish with anything you like, right? Maybe you were expecting something else from this recipe, sorry for the dissapointment! If you decide on trying this one more time, here are my suggestions:
        - Onion. You can use both, white or yellow/brown onion for this recipe, and each time they will vary in taste, this is normal. The casserole is in the oven for 35 minutes and if you cut the onion thin enough or small diced this is more than enough for the onion to soften and give flavor to other ingredients. Maybe use half less?
        Another alternative is to saute the onion first separately on the stovetop, but this will change the whole purpose of an easy casserole dish and is not necessary as the onion will be cooked through if following the instructions. Also depends on the oven.
        - Ground chicken is tender and soft enough to place in the casserole and will cook very quickly unlike ground beef for example. I do not recommend cooking the chicken twice like you are suggestions, there will be way less or no nutrients left in it anymore.
        - Sour cream. Yes, I agree, you can add more, this is personal taste. Feel free to add an extra 2-3 tbsp if you feel like it. But there is plenty of cheese already in the dish that is even more than I usually add to casseroles. The sour cream is added a little bit for the flavor, not to make it look and taste like a cream sauce.
        I hope you still try this again and feel free to let me know how it will go with the changes you've made.
        Thank you!

        Reply
    3. Marilyn

      August 10, 2021 at 11:28 pm

      5 stars
      I made this last night and everyone loved it. I added a little extra sour cream on top and a bell pepper to the mix. I will definitely make this again. Thank you for sharing it.

      Reply
      • Julia

        August 11, 2021 at 11:31 pm

        5 stars
        Thank you Marilyn, glad you liked it, thank you for leaving a comment!

        Reply
        • Patty

          September 20, 2022 at 12:08 am

          5 stars
          Crimini/baby portabella! Yum!
          Just made this again today! Back by popular request!

          Reply
    4. Georgene

      September 02, 2021 at 7:34 am

      I made this last night for dinner and was very good. I did have to drain the watery juice off when I took it out of oven to put cheese on top. I think my veggies could have cooked awhile longer also. Otherwise it was great! We will make it again real soon.

      Reply
      • Julia

        September 04, 2021 at 8:26 am

        Thank you Georgene, I am very glad you liked it!

        Reply
    5. Tavo

      September 04, 2021 at 12:48 pm

      5 stars
      Lovely casserole! Thanks for such a delicious recipe.The family loved it.

      Reply
      • Julia

        September 04, 2021 at 1:15 pm

        5 stars
        Thank you so much Tavo, glad you liked it!

        Reply
        • Kirsten

          August 03, 2022 at 4:38 am

          This recipe looks great. However, my husband is not a fan of sour cream. Is it completely necessary or could we use something else as a substitute?

          Reply
          • Julia | The Yummy Bowl

            August 03, 2022 at 4:17 pm

            I think you could, any vegan substitute would work. However, without that, the flavor is not the same, sour cream (yogurt or cream cheese) adds the necessary moisture and creaminess. Maybe you could add this: https://theyummybowl.com/homemade-condensed-cream-of-chicken-soup/ or canned version , ofcourse. But this won't be that healthy anymore. If you try this Kirsten, please let me know how it tasted 🙂 Thank you so much! Julia

            Reply
    6. Jacqueline Meldrum

      September 04, 2021 at 12:52 pm

      5 stars
      I love the creamy dressing. It is so so tasty!

      Reply
      • Julia

        September 04, 2021 at 1:14 pm

        Thank you so much Jacqueline!

        Reply
    7. Andrea

      September 04, 2021 at 4:41 pm

      5 stars
      This is such a great way to use up zucchini! I love how it incorporates chicken and lots of veggies while the cheesy goodness makes it comfort food.

      Reply
      • Julia

        September 04, 2021 at 11:08 pm

        I agree, A true comfort meal in one dish, thank you Andrea!

        Reply
    8. Alejandra

      September 04, 2021 at 4:45 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my gosh this looks so creamy and delicious!! I love the chicken and zucchini combo, I’ve never tried that in a casserole before but now I am craving this!

      Reply
      • Julia

        September 04, 2021 at 11:08 pm

        Thank you Alejandra, we loved it too!

        Reply
    9. sue

      September 04, 2021 at 5:13 pm

      5 stars
      I love this idea, I'm going to give it a try tonight!

      Reply
      • Julia

        September 04, 2021 at 11:07 pm

        Thank you, hope you'll enjoy!

        Reply
      • Divi

        May 31, 2022 at 1:19 pm

        I think I can precook it in the stove as one post suggested then top it with the sour cream and cheese and finish it in the oven till the cheese melts? Zucchini hardly takes much time to cook as the yellow one.

        Reply
        • Julia | The Yummy Bowl

          June 01, 2022 at 12:29 am

          Hi Divi, I haven't tried it this way and not sure why would you need those steps. If you drain the zucchini well as I mentioned, there shouldn't be a lot of ''watery juice'' and zucchini bakes well in the oven at the temperature mentioned.

          Reply
    10. Cecile Mattei

      January 06, 2022 at 3:44 am

      5 stars
      Made this tonight. It was delicious and will be added to our dinner rotation! Ty

      Reply
      • Julia | The Yummy Bowl

        January 06, 2022 at 9:21 pm

        Thank you Cecile, glad you liked the Casserole! Enjoy!!!

        Reply
    11. Annette Starnes

      February 09, 2022 at 3:53 am

      5 stars
      LOVE, LOVE, LOVED this recipe. It came out perfect. WAS NOT LIKE A MEATLOAF.
      We have friends coming over for Super Bowl and this will be our dinner and they will love it.

      Thank you for creating amazing healthy recipes.

      Reply
      • Julia | The Yummy Bowl

        February 10, 2022 at 1:40 am

        Annette, thank you so much! Your lovely comment made my day! I'm so glad it turned out great!

        Reply
    12. LDahl

      July 04, 2022 at 7:30 am

      5 stars
      This was absolutely delicious! I added 2 frozen blocks of “caramelized” onions and chopped garlic instead of the raw onions. We used a large cup to cut it into circles and had it on garlic bread buns. I would make it again and not add the cheese at the end, but instead a slice of cheese to the bun. It would also be delicious chopped a bit and added to mashed potatoes or noodles for a great cook summer supper.

      Reply
      • Julia | The Yummy Bowl

        July 12, 2022 at 12:08 am

        Hi LDahl! That sound very different and interesting! Thank you so much for sharing!

        Reply
    13. Sharon Henson

      August 22, 2022 at 12:38 am

      5 stars
      I made this for supper and it was delishes
      I did not change a thing.

      Reply
      • Julia | The Yummy Bowl

        August 22, 2022 at 1:34 am

        Thank you Sharon, so glad you liked it!

        Reply
    14. Patty

      September 20, 2022 at 12:09 am

      5 stars
      Crimini/baby portabella! Yum!
      Just made this again today! Back by popular request!

      Reply
      • Julia | The Yummy Bowl

        September 26, 2022 at 12:32 pm

        wohoo thanks so much Patty! This is our very much requested recipe too 🙂

        Reply

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    I'm Julia and welcome to The Yummy Bowl. I share easy and healthy recipes for the whole family. Everything you see here is Gluten-free and mostly made with whole food ingredients. Hope you enjoy! Love, Julia

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