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Zucchini Cheddar Chicken Noodle Casserole. A one-pot summer casserole that’s just like something you might have grown up with – only made a little fresher and just as comforting. Chicken with rotini noodles, zucchini, and lots of sharp cheddar cheese all cooked together, then baked until bubbling and golden.
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I’ve always had a soft spot for casseroles. There’s something about a bubbly, cheesy, bake-it-all-together dinner that feels like the definition of comfort food. Even in the summer months, a good casserole hits the spot—especially when you want something hearty, homemade, and simple.
For me, this dish brings back memories of the chicken noodle casserole my dad used to make for my brothers and me. His version was classic—Campbell’s condensed soups, cubed white bread, chicken, and a crunchy topping of crushed cornflakes. I’m pretty sure it came from the back of the soup can, but it was one of those meals that just worked. We all loved it.
Malachi (Kai), who’s two years younger than me, still makes that casserole now and then. It’s nostalgic and familiar. So I shared this version with him, and he loved it. He said, “It’s not like Dad’s—but it’s really good.” And of course, he loved the layer of melted cheese on top.
This recipe is my way of bringing that same feel-good, family-style dinner into the summer months—with a little seasonal twist and a bit more from-scratch goodness.
These are the details
Ingredients
- salted butter
- yellow onions
- chicken
- garlic powder
- green onions
- fresh thyme
- paprika and cayenne pepper
- broth
- whole milk
- short cut pasta – I used rotini
- parmesan cheese
- cheddar cheese and colby jack cheese – I love to use a mix!
Special Tools
Just a deep dish skillet!
Steps
Step 1: Cook the chicken
In a large, deep skillet, melt a couple tablespoons of salted butter over medium heat. Add the onion, chicken, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until the chicken is just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the green onions, fresh thyme, paprika, and a pinch of cayenne. Use the cayenne to your taste—just a little for mild heat or more for a subtle kick.
Step 2: Mix in the milk and pasta
Add the water or broth (bone broth is great if you want extra protein!), followed by the whole milk. Bring the liquids to a gentle simmer.
Stir in your favorite pasta—I used rotini, which holds up nicely in casseroles. Mix in the zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for about 8 minutes, just until the noodles are al dente but still have a bite.
Step 3: Add the cheese
Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the parmesan and about 1 cup of shredded cheddar.
Step 4: Bake
If your skillet isn’t oven-safe, transfer everything to a casserole dish.
Top with the remaining cheddar cheese. Bake until the cheese is melty and bubbling, and some of the noodles are a little crispy on top—this is the best part!
Serve warm with flaky sea salt and fresh basil leaves.
This dish brings back all the best memories from when I was a kid, huddled around the kitchen counter, eating chicken noodle casserole with my brothers. Only this version is a little lighter and even more delicious!
Looking for other summer casserole dishes? Here are a few ideas:
Browned Garlic Butter Creamed Corn Cheese Ravioli
Tomato Cheddar Chicken and Rice Bake
One Pan Corn and Zucchini Pesto Orzo Casserole
Cheesy Zucchini Chicken and Rice Bake
One Pot Lemon Butter Ricotta and Zucchini Pasta
Lastly, if you make this Zucchini Cheddar Chicken Noodle Casserole, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love hearing from you and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Zucchini Cheddar Chicken Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 3/4 pound boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and black pepper
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste
- 2 cups broth or water
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 pound short cut pasta
- 2 zucchini or yellow summer squash, sliced
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 cups shredded colby jack or cheddar cheese
- fresh basil, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. 2. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, the chicken, and season with salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons of butter, the green onions, thyme, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne, and cook until golden and toasted, 2-3 minutes.3. Add the broth and milk. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Add the pasta and zucchini, and season with salt and pepper. Stir frequently until the pasta is al dente and the broth has been absorbed, about 8 minutes. 4. Stir in the parmesan and 1 cup of shredded cheese. If needed, transfer everything to an oven-safe casserole dish. Scatter the remaining cheese over the top of the casserole. 5. Bake 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown. Serve warm, with additional thyme and fresh basil.
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.
Personally, I thought there was no point in baking it. It ended up drying it out. It was very tasty, just dry. Next time I’m just going to serve it before the baking direction! I think it would have been super creamy and delicious!
Thanks so much for sharing your feedback, Allie! Love to hear that you would make it again!
Can you make ahead
Hi Karen,
You bet, that will work nicely for you! I hope you love this recipe!
I haven’t made it yet but planning to tonight. I am wondering how shredding the zucchini would work? I imagine it might add more moisture but have a toddler so thinking he will eat it more if he doesn’t see the sliced zucchini.
Hey Brittany,
Sure, that would be a great idea! I hope this recipe is a hit with your family!
We make this with shredded zucchini and it’s a hit!
This recipe was very easy, and delicious flavor! However I have a question! It seemed dry to me and I was hoping there would be more of a “sauce” to it, kinda like the video reel shows! Is there anything I can adjust to achieve this? Thanks so much in advance!
Hey Alexa,
Big thanks for making this and sharing back. So glad it hit the spot! I would say this is not super saucy, but you could use more broth or milk next time!
My family loved this. It makes a large pan so I had enough for several meals. Add a bit of extra liquid during stove top time
Hey Laura,
Thanks so much! I love to hear this recipe turned out for you, thanks for making it! Happy Wednesday!
Made this tonight and it was delicious! Very easy and flavorful and I’ll definitely make again
Hey Lauren,
Awesome! Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I’m so glad it turned out well for you! Happy Tuesday! x
This recipe turned out really tasty! I will definitely be adding this to the rotation!
Thank you so so much Stephanie! I am so glad you enjoyed this casserole! 🙂 xT
This recipe was so easy and delicious! Definitely will have to make it part of my meal week prep. Next time I am going to make it without the chicken for a vegetarian option! Thanks so much for sharing, Tieghan!
Hi Kiko! So happy you loved the recipe! Making it for meal prep is such a great idea, and I love the thought of trying it without the chicken for a veggie version too. Thanks for giving it a try! xT
This turned out delicious! It was very flavorful, and it was truly a one-pot meal. (I’ve seen a lot of recipes that claim to be one-pot meals and it’s a lie!) Prep was overall quite simple for something that came out feeling quite fancy. I did halve the recipe, just because of the amount of chicken and pasta I had on hand, which reduced baking time to more like 15 minutes. Would make again!
Hi Joyce! Thank you so much for trying out this casserole! So glad you enjoyed it, and hopefully it’ll go into the recipe rotation for the future! 🙂 xT
Hi I’m thinking of making this tonight but I was adding up the cooking time with the chicken breast cubes going in first for 2-3 min, then 8 min then a further 20 minutes baked. Is it just me or does 30 minutes seem a long time for white chicken in small pieces?
Hi there! Each part of the recipe helps develop the flavors of the chicken, but feel free to adapt the recipe to whatever you prefer! Let me know how it goes! 🙂 xT
Delicious and very easy thank you HBH!
I had to add an extra 3/4 cup of water to cook the pasta spirals but it worked fine. This recipe makes a lot of serves, yummy left overs this week!
Thank you so so much for trying out the recipe! So glad you enjoyed it! Have a wonderful weekend! xT
I’m never one to leave a comment but my family just got finished eating this dinner and it is SO GOOD. Everyone from my 85 year old grandmother to my 2 year old son were obsessed. Thank you Tieghan!!!
Wow thank you SO much Abigail! Makes me so happy to hear that everyone from the family of all ages enjoyed it! Have a great weekend! 🙂 xT
Used ground chicken to save time, add fresh garlic, extra thyme and paprika, and added red pepper flakes. Turned out great, provides a good amount of left overs, and recipe is saved to be used again!
Thank you SO much for trying out the recipe! So glad you were able to get some leftovers out of this recipe too! Hope you continue to enjoy them! 🙂 xT
This was a delicious pasta dish, easy to make and one that I’m sure we’ll be having again. I did find that I needed more broth for adequately cooking the pasta (I didn’t measure it, but maybe 1/2 to 1 cup more), plus the directions are missing the 5 minutes that you need to saute the chicken with the onion. I only found the timing in your written description above. I think it would be helpful to other people if you would add that to the directions!
Hey Helen! Thanks so much for this input! So glad you enjoyed this pasta dish, and I’ll definitely take your comment into account! Have a great day! xT
This was delicious! It’s been so stinkin hot & oppressive outside. This was not heavy at all for that type of weather. I made it for a crowd and even my pickiest eater (my father-in-law) went back for seconds & I got a “it’s good”. So this will go in rotation. Crushed it, once again! Thank you!!!
Thank you SO much Sarah! I’m so so glad you loved this casserole! Makes me so happy to hear it will go into the rotation! xT