FAMILY BAKES · LOWER CARB
Tender zucchini and bite-size chicken bake in a garlicky cottage cheese and Parmesan layer under melted mozzarella. It is a lower-carb casserole that still feels like comfort food, and a good way to use a few zucchini from the garden or a sale.
Jump to Recipe
- Serves
- 6
- Baking dish
- 9×13 inches
- Bake
- 25–30 minutes
- Oven
- 400°F / 200°C
- Chicken done at
- 165°F / 74°C
Why You’ll Love This Casserole
- Lower in carbs. Zucchini replaces pasta or rice.
- Not watery. Salting and drying the zucchini first keeps the sauce creamy.
- Familiar garlic Parmesan flavor. Easy to like, even for picky eaters.
Ingredient Notes
Zucchini is mostly water. Salt the slices and let them drain for 15 minutes, then pat them dry. This one step is the difference between a creamy casserole and a soupy one.
One egg blended with the cottage cheese helps the creamy layer set around the vegetables.
Use grated Parmesan in the sauce for flavor and shredded mozzarella on top for the melt.
The recipe card below lists every quantity in one place.
How to Make Garlic Parmesan Chicken Zucchini Casserole
Drain the zucchini and blend the sauce
Salt the sliced zucchini and let it drain, then pat it dry. Blend the cottage cheese with the egg, Parmesan, garlic and seasoning.
Layer and bake
Mix the seasoned chicken with the zucchini in the dish, spread the sauce over it and top with mozzarella. Bake until the chicken reaches 165°F.
Photos in this article are AI-generated illustrations of the recipe, created for AllRecipeEasy.
Tips and Troubleshooting
- Slice evenly. Cut the zucchini into ¼-inch half-moons so they cook at the same pace as the chicken.
- Rest before serving. A 5–10 minute rest lets the sauce thicken.
- Add color. Stir in a handful of halved cherry tomatoes or chopped spinach for variety.
Substitutions
- Yellow squash: Replace half or all of the zucchini with yellow summer squash.
- No egg: Leave out the egg; the sauce will be looser but still good.
- Italian sausage: Swap the chicken for browned and drained Italian chicken sausage.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with crusty bread, a green salad or a little pasta. For another Parmesan chicken dinner, try the garlic Parmesan chicken meatloaf. For a tomato-basil version of this bake, see the caprese chicken cottage cheese bake.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate the leftovers within 2 hours, covered, for up to 4 days. Reheat until hot in the center (165°F). Freezing is not recommended, because zucchini turns soft and watery when thawed.
Food safety: Cook the chicken to 165°F / 74°C. The egg in the sauce is fully cooked when the casserole is bubbling and the chicken is done.
Garlic Parmesan Chicken Zucchini Casserole
Ingredients
Method
- Toss the zucchini with the salt in a colander and let it drain for 15 minutes. Pat it very dry with paper towels.
- Heat the oven to 400°F / 200°C and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Toss the chicken with the olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and pepper. Combine it with the zucchini in the dish.
- Blend the cottage cheese, egg, Parmesan and minced garlic until smooth. Spread it over the chicken and zucchini.
- Sprinkle with the mozzarella. Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes, until bubbling and the thickest piece of chicken reads 165°F / 74°C.
- Rest for 5–10 minutes before serving.