What could be a better comforting dish than this Creamy Chicken and Zucchini Casserole. Tender pieces of chicken, sauteed zucchini and a creamy cheese sauce topped with a herb bread crumb mixture and extra cheese. A great make ahead meal for busy weeknights!

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We are well into the second week of August and summer is starting to wind down for many of you. We’re still full on summer mode here and most days eating salads and breaking out the barbecue. However, I know that the chillier days of fall are just around the corner and many of you are starting to think comfort food!

If you are starting to think about fall dinners, then this casserole would be a great place to start.

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What is this Chicken and Zucchini Casserole Like

• Difficulty – This casserole is pretty easy to make. It is all cooked on the stove top, but in a few different pots. So, it isn’t a one pot dinner.
• Taste – If you love creamy and warming dishes, you will love this one. It has tender chicken pieces with soft vegetables wrapped up in a creamy cheese sauce.
• Serving – This recipe easily serves four adults. If you are serving kids, you will get more servings. In the recipe card at the end of the post you can easily adjust serving size to fit how many people you are serving.

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Ingredients

• Chicken – I used chicken breast for this recipe.
• Zucchini – Fresh zucchini was used in this casserole.
• Celery – I used a small amount of finely diced celery to add a bit more flavour to the dish.
• Cheese – For the cheese sauce I used a mix of mostly Gouda cheese with a small amount of Parmesan for additional flavour.
• Milk – I used semi skimmed milk for the sauce, but any milk will be just fine.
• Butter – Butter is used in making the base for the sauce.
• Olive oil – I used olive oil to cook the chicken, zucchini and celery.
• Flour – A small amount of flour is mixed with the butter to make a Roux Sauce. This becomes a base for the cheese sauce.
• Seasonings – I used a milk of garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt and black pepper.
• Fresh herbs – I added a little fresh chopped parsley.
• Bread crumbs – I used fine bread crumbs in the topping of the casserole.

NOTE, The full recipe and instructions can be found at the end of the post in the recipe card.

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Instructions

1. Flatten chicken – Place the chicken between parchment paper and pound it to about 1 inch thickness. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.
2. Cook chicken – Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the seasoned chicken and cook for 6 minutes. Flip over the chicken and cook for another 6 minutes. Remove the chicken and place on a cutting board. Cut chicken up into bite size pieces and set aside.
3. Cook vegetables – In the same skillet, add remaining tablespoon of olive oil, zucchini and celery. Give a good stir and cook for about 5 minutes until soft. Set aside.
4. Make a roux – In a medium sized sauce pan set over medium heat, add the butter. Melt for a minute and add the flour. Stir well until it starts to bubble and thickens. This takes about a minute to two minutes.
5. Finish sauce – Gradually start pouring in the milk and whisk as you pour. The sauce will start to thicken as you pour in the milk. Continue pouring in the milk as whisking until you have used all the milk and the sauce has thickened. This takes about 3 – 4 minutes. Add the garlic powder, onion powder and oregano. Stir well.
6. Season sauce – Remove sauce from heat and stir in the Gouda cheese (reserving about 1/4 cup for the top), the parmesan cheese and the fresh chopped parsley. Stir well.
7. Put together casserole – Add the chicken and zucchini to a casserole dish and pour over the sauce. Stir well to combine. Top with bread crumbs and extra cheese.
8. Bake casserole – Bake in a preheated 350 degrees f/180 degrees c oven for about 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly.
9. Serve – Serve hot.

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Recipe Notes

• Prep ahead – This entire dish can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to bake. Just add 5 minutes to the baking time if keeping it in the fridge beforehand.
• Making the sauce – See full step-by-step recipe for Roux Sauce if you have never made a sauce this way before. It’s really easy.

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Substitutions

• Chicken – I cooked chicken breast for this recipe. But there are many alternatives. You could buy a rotisserie chicken or make your own Rotisserie Chicken and shred it up. The Roasted Spatchcock Chicken would also work really well for this recipe.
• Cheese – I used a mix of Gouda and Parmesan. You can use other variations like Cheddar, Havarti, Pepper Jack, Swiss or Mozzarella.
• Bread crumbs – I ended up using fine bread crumbs for the topping. You could also try Panko or even making your own. It will all work.

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Serving

Serve it up with some Honey Garlic Butter Drizzled Carrots and some Crispy Roasted Potatoes if you are looking for a bigger dinner. You could even serve some plain pasta or rice on the side as this dish is pretty rich.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Thank For Stopping By & Hope To See You Soon!