What could be better than a recipe for cheesy zucchini chicken casserole? How about a recipe for another cheesy zucchini casserole? Zucchini casserole is a great way to get a lot of vegetables into your diet without going over the top. It also tastes really good, so you don’t even have to add lots of veggies to make this meal healthy. . . . Once you have this recipe, you can use it to make many other recipes that are even better than the original.
Casseroles are a great way to use up components of your fridge and pantry. But, not all casseroles are created equal. Some are better than others. So today, I’ll share some tips on how to make your casseroles better.
Zucchini is summer’s best sidekick. It’s a low-calorie vegetable packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. It’s also a vegetable that’s loaded with hidden benefits. This cheesy zucchini chicken casserole is loaded with flavor and is a cinch to make. It’s perfect to serve at dinner, or for a family get-together.. Read more about baked chicken and zucchini recipes easy and let us know what you think.
You’re not trying if you’re not cheating, right? My key to making a wonderful family dinner while also slipping vegetables into my kids’ diet is this Cheesy Zucchini Chicken Casserole…who knew you could do both? A complete success! I try to maintain recipes that fit my home cooking criteria: little prep, quick clean up (who wants to wash dishes?! ), happy stomachs, and plenty of leftovers. If you’re anything like me, you’ll love this dish since it meets all of my criteria…especially the bit about happy bellies!
While experimenting with methods to include Zoodles (Noodles made with Zucchini) as a pasta replacement into our dinners, I came across this dish. It’s very simple to put together and seems to be a well-planned dinner… But, in fact, it’s a meal that can be thrown together at the last minute. Oh, and did I say anything about the bacon? There’s bacon, of course. I’m fairly sure I’ve yet to discover a recipe that doesn’t benefit from the addition of bacon.
What are zoodles, exactly?
Zoodles are zucchini-based “noodles.” This is a great low-carb, nutritious substitute for conventional pasta in recipes. The greatest thing is that it’s tasty! Although they have a different texture than conventional pasta, when combined with all of these delicious tastes, you’ll forget you’re eating healthily! To get the one we suggest, go to the link below!
Can I use regular pasta instead of zucchini?
Absolutely! I’m not going to lie: there’s a difference between zoodles and real pasta. However, we’ve found that when they’re combined with so many other tastes, such as those in this dish, it’s difficult to tell the difference. No worries if you can’t handle the zucchini noodles. Simply omit the zoodles and replace with cooked pasta of your choice.
Our Cheesy Zucchini Chicken Casserole includes the following ingredients:
- Bacon
- Zucchini Noodles
- Cheese
- Chicken
- Garlic, minced
- Ranch
- Chiles Verdes
- Milk
To prepare our Cheesy Zucchini Chicken Casserole, follow these steps:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, shred or cut cooked chicken into small pieces. Garlic should be minced. In a large pan, fry half of a package of bacon. You may make it crispy or soft depending on your preference. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on a paper towel-lined dish. Leaving a little amount of bacon drippings in the pan is a good idea (about 2 tablespoons.) Cook the garlic in the bacon drippings for 3 minutes on medium heat, stirring regularly. After that, add the chicken and simmer for approximately 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly drizzle in the milk and ranch dressing.
Mix for approximately 2-3 minutes over medium/low heat. It will begin to thicken gradually. After that, add 1 cup of cheese and stir everything together. Place the zoodles on top and fold them in gradually.
Add the green chilies and bacon crumbles last. Fill a large casserole dish halfway with the mixture. Over the top, pour the remaining 1 cup of cheese. Cooking time is 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and serve!
Suggestions for further reading:
This meal is delicious on its own, but it also goes well with Quick Broccoli, Sweet Potato Fries, and Honey Lime Fruit Salad!
This simple to prepare delicacy has become a staple at our supper table. It’s easy to make and difficult to screw up – a certain hit! This is also a dish that allows for some personalization. Are you a spice connoisseur? Use roasted peppers or a spicy sauce of your choice. Do you hate zoodles? Add some cooked spaghetti and you’re good to go. Give it a try and send me a comment on how you personalized it and turned it into your own masterpiece.
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Time to Prepare: 25 minutes
Time to cook: 20 minutes
45 minutes in total
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked and diced chicken
- zucchini noodles, 4 cups
- 8 ounces bacon, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 gallon of milk
- ranch dressing (1/2 cup)
- 2 c. cheese shredded
- green chilies, 4 oz.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cook bacon according to package directions until crispy. Set aside to cool and crumble. 2 tablespoons bacon drippings should be kept in the skillet. The rest should be thrown away.
- Add the 3 minced garlic cloves to the oil and cook for 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring regularly.
- Stir in the remaining 3 cups of chicken.
- Slowly drizzle in half a cup of milk and half a cup of ranch dressing.
- Gently fold in the 4 cups of zoodles.
- Add the crumbled bacon, can of green chiles, and 1 cup of cheese after the mixture is completely mixed. (Save the other cup for later.)
- Stir everything together well.
- Fill a greased 9 x 13 casserole dish halfway with the mixture and top with the remaining cup of shredded cheese.
- Cover and bake for 20 minutes.
- Take it out of the oven and eat it!
Notes
*If you want the cheese on top of the casserole to be extra bubbly, put it under the broiler for 2 minutes after it’s finished cooking. Keep a careful eye on everything!
*You may replace the zucchini noodles with 4 cups of COOKED pasta!
Information about nutrition:
Yield:
10
Size of Serving:
1 tbsp. per serving 357 calories 27g total fat 10g Saturated Fat 0g trans fat 15 g of unsaturated fat 87 milligrams of cholesterol 723mg sodium 5 g carbohydrate 1 gram of fiber 2 g sugar 24 g protein
(Nutritional information is an estimate that may vary depending on cooking techniques and ingredient brands utilized.)
Have you tried this recipe yet?
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There are many varieties of chicken casserole out there but this one has a special place in my heart. This is not a recipe that is commonly found in our kitchen but it is one that I have made on many occasions. I make this casserole an especially delicious way. Since it is made with Zucchini, it is low in calories!. Read more about chicken zucchini rice casserole cooking light and let us know what you think.
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