Chicken Zucchini Bake (Printable)
Tender chicken and zucchini in a creamy, cheesy sauce baked until golden and bubbling. An easy, comforting dish the whole family will love.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.1 lbs), diced
→ Vegetables
02 - 2 medium zucchinis, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
03 - 1 small yellow onion, diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Dairy
05 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
06 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
07 - 1/2 cup sour cream
08 - 1/4 cup milk
→ Pantry
09 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
10 - 1 cup gluten-free or regular breadcrumbs
→ Spices & Seasonings
11 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
12 - 1/2 teaspoon paprika
13 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
14 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced chicken and cook for 5-6 minutes until just cooked through. Remove from skillet and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, sauté onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and softened.
04 - Add zucchini slices and cook for another 4 minutes until slightly tender.
05 - In a large bowl, combine cooked chicken, sautéed vegetables, sour cream, milk, half of the mozzarella, half of the Parmesan, Italian herbs, paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined.
06 - Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Sprinkle breadcrumbs evenly over the top.
07 - Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling.
08 - Let rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow the casserole to set.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Everything comes together in one pan while the oven does the heavy lifting
- The crispy cheesy topping makes people think you worked much harder than you did
02 -
- Overcrowding the pan when cooking the chicken will make it steam instead of brown so work in batches if needed
- Letting the bake rest for those 5 minutes helps the sauce set so you get neat scoops instead of a mess on the plate
03 -
- Pat the zucchini dry after cooking if it releases too much liquid so your bake stays creamy not watery
- Use freshly grated Parmesan instead of the pre-grated kind for better melting and deeper flavor