Chicken Zucchini Casserole (Fresh & Easy!)
Developed and tested by Robyn Conley Downs
on Jul 15, 2024 (last updated Jul 22, 2025) 
If you’re looking for a cozy way to use up zucchini, this chicken zucchini casserole is creamy, cheesy, and secretly protein-packed. With Greek yogurt, melty cheese, and tender zucchini, it’s a comforting weeknight dinner that’s fresh, filling, and totally doable!
5 star review
“This just made my top 3 favorite RFWL recipes!! Absolute perfection!! The only downside is that there are not as many leftovers as I had hoped 😉 Thanks Robyn!”
– Stephanie
A Cozy & Fresh Zucchini Chicken Bake
This zucchini forward casserole is studded with juicy chicken and a surprisingly light yet rich cream sauce. Not to mention, just like my zucchini & ground beef casserole, it’s the best way to use up a bumper crop of vibrant summer zucchini; though it works equally well with store bought zucchini year round. This casserole is a lighter spin on a traditional creamy casserole, as I created it without canned soups, fillers, or gobs of cheese.
Instead, I developed the addicting, creamy sauce through quite a bit of trial and error; eventually nailing it with the perfect combination of Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, Italian cheese blend, and egg that’s creamy, cheesy, and filling without being super heavy. And listen, while everyone seems to be having a moment with cottage cheese these days, (and I get that it’s not everyone’s favorite), keep an open mind in this recipe because I’ve found that even cottage cheese haters like this casserole!
However, if you really can’t get over the texture of cottage cheese, just blend it into the sauce and you won’t even know it’s there. Speaking of texture, do not skip the zucchini prep steps! Yes, salting and draining then par-roasting the zucchini does take some extra time and effort, but they are essential to preventing a soggy, watery final result.
Now for the topping…oh my goodness, the topping! Panko breadcrumbs are tossed with garlic, olive oil, parmesan cheese, and salt and once baked add the most delightful crunch to the creamy interior of the casserole. Personally, I could eat a bowl just of the topping! I highly recommend topping the finished casserole with a shower of fresh basil and serving alongside a simple green salad with pesto vinaigrette, but it’s so good just on its own too!
Welcome to My Kitchen: Let’s Make Zucchini Casserole with Chicken!
Easily It Gluten Free
To make this casserole gluten free, just swap the panko breadcrumbs with gluten free breadcrumbs.
Chicken Zucchini Casserole (Fresh & Easy!)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds zucchini, ½ inch diced, about 3-4 medium, 6 cups diced total
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup Italian shredded cheese blend
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 4 minced garlic cloves, divided2
- 2 teaspoons no-salt added Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups cooked chicken, diced, such as from a rotisserie chicken
- ⅔ cup panko bread crumbs, divided
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
Optional Topping
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
Equipment
Instructions
Prepare the Zucchini
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Add the diced zucchini to a large strainer or colander. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt, tossing to coat. Place the colander on top of a kitchen towel or in the skink and allow to drain for 10 minutes.
- Next, pat the zucchini dry with a paper towel, and add to a 9×13 baking dish. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil, tossing to coat.
- Spread into an even layer and bake uncovered for 20 minutes, tossing halfway through.
Make the Sauce
- While the zucchini is baking, in a medium bowl, make the sauce by stirring together the yogurt, cottage cheese, egg, shredded cheese, lemon juice, 3 minced garlic cloves, Italian seasoning, ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs, ½ teaspoon salt, and black pepper until well combined.
Make the Topping
- In a small bowl, make the topping by stirring together ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs, ⅓ cup parmesan, 1 minced garlic clove, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon olive oil until well combined and the breadcrumbs are completely saturated with the olive oil.
Assemble the Casserole
- Add the chicken to the par-baked zucchini, along with the sauce, stirring until completely combined.
- Spread into an even layer, then top evenly with the breadcrumb topping.
- Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 5-10 minutes, or until the breadcrumb topping is golden brown. Top with fresh basil, if using, and serve.
Notes
- I used whole milk Greek yogurt and cottage cheese for this recipe. If you substitute low-fat or non-fat product please know that the sauce may separate. I tested it with low-fat products and it separated once, and was fine once, so it may turn out just fine, however, do proceed with subs at your own risk.
- The cottage cheese isn’t particularly noticeable as part of the sauce, but if you can’t stand the texture you can blend the cottage cheese with the yogurt and egg prior to adding the cheese, or swap in ricotta cheese.
This recipe looks amazing I can’t wait to try but I just had a question, in the visual guide it says to mix the zucchini with salt in the colander and let it sit for 10 minutes for the liquid to drain, then put in a casserole dish and pat dry with a paper towel. But in the instructions on step 2 it says to place on a kitchen towel and let it drain for 10 minutes, then put in the casserole dish and pat dry with a paper towel. I don’t have a lot of experience with zucchini so I just want to make sure I do it right. Can you please clarify if we’re supposed to let it sit in the colander for 10 minutes to drain or place on a kitchen towel?
Sarah, so sorry for the confusion! I fixed the recipe instructions to clarify things a bit. Basically you want to salt the zucchini and let it sit in a colander and drain for about 10 minutes in order to remove any excess moisture — while the zucchini is draining you may place the colander on top of a kitchen towel or in the sink to catch any liquid so it doesn’t go all over your counter. At the point transfer to a baking dish and pat dry with a paper towel to remove any lingering liquid. Hopefully that clarifies things — let me know if you still have questions!
This just made my top 3 favorite RFWL recipes!! Absolute perfection!! I used full fat yogurt and low fat cottage cheese (only because that’s what I happened to have) and it was perfect! The only downside is that there are not as many leftovers as I had hoped 😉 Thanks Robyn!
Wow, Stephanie, that’s a major win! And great to know that the full fat yogurt and low fat cottage cheese combo worked well. I guess the good news is that now you have an excuse to make this one again. Yay! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Awesome thank you so much! I’m going to make it Saturday so I will let you know how it turns out!!
Sarah, yay, I hope it’s a hit!
Can I substitute ricotta cheese for the cottage cheese?
Michael, yes! I hope you enjoy.
think i could assemble all but the crumb tolling the night before? store in fridge then bake the next day? I don’t particularly want to freeze but would like to prep day before…
made this as written DELICIOUS and I did both zucchini and yellow squash
Sarah, yay, so happy to hear this one was a hit for you! Yes, you can definitely make the casserole minus the topping a day ahead cover and refrigerate as long as you give the zucchini the proper salt soak and dry it shouldn’t get watery. When you’re ready to bake just prepare the topping, add it to the top, and bake. You may need to add a few extra minutes to account for it going in the oven cold, but other than that you’ll be good to go!
I just “experimented” on my friends and made this for the first time – everyone gave it an enthusiastic thumbs up and I’m going to make it again for the second week in a row. I went “off script” in a few places based on what I had on hand and it all worked out great. I used full fat plain sheep yogurt in place of Greek yogurt, and low fat cottage cheese. I also added pre-roasted cauliflower to the zucchini, and I added shredded spinach to the sauce. You just can’t go wrong with a veggie, cheese, and chicken combo!
Emily, great notes, thanks so much for sharing! Love the idea of bulking this one up with even more veggies like roasted cauli and spinach. Yum! Thanks for leaving a review.
Sorry but this did not turn out very well. It was rather soggy and I didn’t like the taste and texture of the cottage cheese. I was surprised as it looked like it would be good.
Denise, sorry to hear this one wasn’t a hit for you. As I mention in the recipe, the best way to avoid soggy zucchini to to salt it first, then blot it very dry so it doesn’t release excess liquid, and to par roast it. As for the cottage cheese, there is a note in the recipe about blending it if you don’t like the texture, but ricotta is also a good sub in this case.
Very tasty! It turned out quite rich despite using fat free cc and yogurt and did not separate for me. I also halved the bread crumbs for both parts and it turned out great! Roasting the zucchini in the air fryer probably helped minimize any extra moisture.
Brittany, great idea to roast the zucchini a bit to speed the cook time along! Also happy to hear the sauce stayed together for you – it did for me when I tested it with fat free, but separated for one of my testers, so I suspect it likely has to do with brand and how much water is in the zucchini. Thanks for sharing your notes and for leaving a review!