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Did you eat a lot of casseroles growing up?
Cause I sure ate A LOT of chicken noodle casserole when I was a kid, and honestly, it was never my favorite. My brothers LOVE my mom’s recipe for chicken noodle casserole and it’s crazy easy to make, so when we were kids, dad would make it probably every other week. It was pretty much a hit with every kid that walked through our house, but I was just never crazy about it because of all the pre-packaged ingredients.
I know I have explained this before, but I was the oddest child. I actually did not like junk food and in general, I really wanted to eat healthy foods. So chicken noodle casserole just was not my thing.
For years and years, I tried to make healthier versions and failed miserably. My brothers where utterly annoyed with me and I felt pretty defeated…and then…I just gave up for a while. I went back to making mom’s recipe to make everyone happy.
Ugh.
The people pleaser in me never stops wanting to please.
So yes, I gave up for a while, but then last week, I had a thought. What about adding zucchini and swapping a few things in for this and that and adding some other things and yada, yada, yada.
My brain. it’s just a mess.
And guys, one try and I knew I had a winner, like a real winner, this casserole is so good. It passed the mom test (not the brother test because oddly non of them are around at the moment) and that sealed the deal for me. Seriously, this recipe = family casserole perfection.
Perfection I tell ya! YES.
Best part is that it’s also the easiest dinner to make, and I really mean that! AND no one ever needs to know about those 3 cups of grated zucchini. It can be our little secret!
Speaking of secrets, the key to this recipe is the grated onion, it’s what adds all the flavor. Even if you are not an onion fan, which NO ONE in my family is, I highly recommend adding the onion. Mom, who despises any and all onions had not a clue they were in here. She is going to read this and be in shock. Muahahaha…I told you onions are not all bad!
Ok and also important, the gouda cheese. Mom’s casserole recipe does not call for cheese. BUT, I took out a few canned goods that really added a lot of flavor, so the cheese just replaces those flavors with better (non-processed) flavors…cause cheese rules…
I know what you are thinking, didn’t she say this was healthy??? Well, I said healthier, and to me, it is. This casserole is like 100% healthier than mom’s version, so I am pretty happy with it, but yes, there is some butter, bread and cheese.
Don’t hate…just love (cause you know you love those ingredients, and hey, new research says they may even be good for you).
Plus, that full cup of greek yogurt and three cups of zucchini make up for anything in here that could possibly be considered, well, slightly indulgent.
Got to love my logic, right?!? 🙂
In all seriousness, this healthier chicken and zucchini noodle casserole is a great, quick, and easy family meal. You literally add all the ingredients to a baking dish, mix them together and bake. Prep time is maybe fifteen to twenty minutes and bake time is forty-five, so dinner in an hour with forty-five minutes of leisure time.
Yes, I’ll take that!
And if you want, you can prepare the casserole in advance and then just pop it in the oven before dinner. Perfect for busy nights or get togethers!
Loving it more and more!!
Healthier Chicken and Zucchini Noodle Casserole.
Ingredients
- 3 cups grated zucchini, about 3 medium zucchini's
- salt
- 6-8 slices thick whole grain bread*
- 3/4 pound boneless, skinless, chicken tenders, diced
- 1/2 of a small onion, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1/2 pound dry egg noodles *, about 4-6 ounces, optional
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- salt + pepper, taste
- 1 cup gouda cheese, shredded
- 2-3 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup dry white wine, or more chicken broth
- 1 cup plain greek yogurt
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups crushed cornflakes. Can sub potato chips, Ritz Crackers or even use a mix of all three
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Lay a clean kitchen towel on the counter and spread the grated zucchini out in a single layer. Sprinkle the zucchini with a little salt and then cover the zucchini with another clean towel. Let sit at least 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- To the bottom of the baking dish, add the cubed bread, making sure the bread mostly covers the bottom of the dish. Add the chicken, grated onion, garlic, carrot, dried noodles, thyme, parsley, cayenne and a pinch of salt + pepper. Sprinkle the gouda cheese on top and add the zucchini. Add in the chicken broth (starting with 2 cups), wine, greek yogurt, butter and eggs.
- Using clean hands (I prefer using my hands) or a spatula, mix all the ingredients up until the bread is well moistened and everything is evenly distributed. If the mixture seems dry, add more broth until well moistened. Sprinkle the corn flakes over top the dish, cover with foil and bake on the middle rack for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and continue baking for 25-30 minutes or until the top is lightly golden and the casserole is no longer jiggly. Remove and let sit 5 minutes before serving.
- Serve with fresh herbs if desired. YUM!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
And yes, that crunchy topping? It.Is.The.BESTEST! Dang good!
Ooh! This sounds and looks fantastic! I will be giving it a whirl for the holidays! So glad I came across it on a Brit + Co list 🙂
I am so glad you came across it as well! Thank you!
I love the flavor! My ritz crackers were soggy and nasty tho. What did I do wrong? Too much chicken broth maybe.
HI! So hard to say without know how you made this. Did you add them to the top of this dish?
Hmm, just saw this and wondering if I could just “zoodle” the zucchini. Has anyone tried ?
I am sure that would work out great!! Hope you love this recipe!
Another delight! And what a great excuse to have chips in my dinner! So what a great excuse to buy a bag of chips! Really tasty – Thanks Tieghan!
Yes!! Perfect excuse!! Thanks Kaylee!
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Thank you for sharing.
Thanks!!
Hey, this looks great. I am lactose intolerant. Do you think a milk free yogurt would work as well like a coconut milk yogurt or something. Also I would substitute Earth balance butter for the butter in the recipe. What do you think?
Hey Lauren! I cannot say since I have never tried that. I worry the constancy might be different, but if you are willing to try I’d say go for it. Let me know if you have questions. Thank you!
Is this something you could make ahead and cook the next day? I see the comments about extending cooking time to combat soupiness…is there a consistent issue with that I should be looking to adjust for before I make this? Looking forward to it!!
Hey Mary!! You can make this ahead and keep in the fridge overnight, then remove 30 minutes prior to baking. I have never had issues with the cooking time personally. Please let me know if you have any questions at all. Hope you love this! Thank you!
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Followed the recipe as is, and definitely had to cook longer. We upped the temp to 400 and let it cook uncovered for an additional 30 min. It turned out perfect and delicious…just like every other recipe I’ve tried on this site 🙂
Could you use straight-up wheat sandwich bread for the bread, or would it get too soggy? Thank you!
HI! Wheat bread will be great. Hope you love this!
I tried the recipe prep for me took much longer than 15 minutes. 3.5 cups seems like way too much liquid I have had my case role in the oven 90 minutes and it is still way to soupy to eat. It smells great but a soggy mess. Any Ideas how I could save it? Pour off some of the liquid I am guessing
OH no, so sorry! No idea why it is so soupy. Yes, just pour off any extra liquid and then place back in oven for a few minutes to warm though. Hope you still love it! THANKS!
Mine as well! I didn’t add the wine/extra broth and only used 3c broth, wrapped the grated zuke in a towel for 2 hours, added noodles and I still poured off about a cup of liquid! I cooked it about another 30 minutes and let it set about 30 minutes which at that point I was able to serve it in squares versus a mess. If I were to revise this, I would only add 2 cups of broth and add another egg to set it. Good flavor and love the alternative to the “Cream of..” soups!
…and one more, are the eggs beaten before mixing into the casserole?
So in love with your blog! One question: how would diced zucchini work?
HI! That will be fine and yes, beat the eggs. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks!
Is the chicken cooked before preparation?
Hi Pam, nope. Just add it right to the dish! Hope you love this!
Can I half this recipe safely? I would love to make, but there are only two of us!
hi! That will be totally fine. Hope you love the recipe!!