This healthy Chicken Pasta Casserole with Corn and Zucchini is oozing with melted cheese and a smooth, creamy sauce! It’s the perfect clean eating dinner to showcase some of summer’s best produce!
Raise your hand if you have an overload of zucchini in your garden right now!! And if you’re anything like me, then I know that you hate to let food go to waste. You just won’t find me throwing much of anything away!
That’s why I love to come up with recipes that include some of our fresh favorites in new or different ways.
Since pasta and chicken casseroles are always a hit, I figured that I couldn’t go wrong by including some summer veggies and herbs into the mix as well.
The mild zucchini and the sweet corn are the perfect addition to this wholesome one dish meal!
What Makes this Chicken Pasta Casserole Healthy?
With 20 grams of protein per serving, plenty of whole grains, and a bounty of fresh produce, this is a simple weeknight dinner that your family will LOVE — and that you can feel good about serving!
The Best Pasta to Use
Go for a short pasta shape, I like to use penne but you can also use small pasta shells, bow ties (farfalle), rigatoni or ziti or fusilli.
Stick to whole grain to keep this chicken pasta casserole healthy and full of goodness. Whole grain pasta is full of fiber and has much more minerals than white pasta.
Tip: Whole grain pasta takes slightly longer to cook than white, always refer to packet instructions for cooking times.
Tips for Making this Chicken Pasta Casserole:
- Always preheat the oven before baking the casserole for best results
- Use high-quality chicken (free range is always best and makes a huge difference in flavor).
- Fresh thyme will give a stronger flavor but you can use dried if you don’t have it. See my recommendations below.
- Whole wheat pasta is lower in calories and higher in fiber and nutrients than white pasta so if you want to make easy healthy meals it’s a good alternative to white pasta.
- Frozen corn can be used instead of fresh but when fresh corn is in season it’s worth buying.
- Use low-fat milk instead of full fat or cream. This will reduce fat and calories and is an easy way to make weeknight meals lighter.
- No zucchini? Spinach or broccoli would be great substitutes. Try to stick with green veggies with a lot of nutrients.
Looking for even more delicious ways to enjoy fresh summer produce? Try these recipes:
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Chicken Penne Casserole with Corn and Zucchini
Ingredients
- 8 ounces whole wheat penne pasta cooked and drained (can substitute with regular penne pasta)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2/3 cup white whole wheat flour can substitute with all-purpose flour
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup 1% milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme minced (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme)
- 9 ounces about 1 ½ cups cooked, diced chicken
- 1 zucchini diced into very small pieces
- Kernels from 2 ears of fresh corn about 1 ½ cups, or you can substitute with frozen corn kernels
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Spray a 9- x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add flour and stir to cook for about 1 minute. Whisk in broth, milk, salt and thyme and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Allow sauce to cook until it thickens, whisking regularly so that the sauce is smooth (about 5-10 minutes).
- Remove from heat, stir in cooked pasta, ½ cup of mozzarella, chicken, zucchini, and corn.
- Transfer chicken mixture to prepared dish. Top with remaining mozzarella and sprinkle with Parmesan.
- Bake, uncovered, until bubbly and heated through (about 20-25 minutes).
Notes
- Always preheat the oven before baking the casserole for best results
- Use high-quality chicken (free range is always best and makes a huge difference in flavor).
- Fresh thyme will give a stronger flavor but you can use dried if you don't have it. See my recommendations below.
- Whole wheat pasta is lower in calories and higher in fiber and nutrients than white pasta so if you want to make easy healthy meals it's a good alternative to white pasta.
- Frozen corn can be used instead of fresh but when fresh corn is in season it's worth buying.
- Use low-fat milk instead of full fat or cream. This will reduce fat and calories and is an easy way to make weeknight meals lighter.
- No zucchini? Spinach or broccoli would be great substitutes. Try to stick with green veggies with a lot of nutrients
Nutrition
Bland bland bland. So sad I spent money on the ingredients. The roux needs garlic and/or onion. Zucchini only made it worse. I don’t recommend this.
It would be helpful to see a video of your process for making this dish. I’m very curious how your roux looks through each step. I agree with the others who have said the ratio is mind-boggling. There wasn’t enough butter to soak up all of the flour and I ended with chunks of flour in my sauce. This roux was definitely a challenge.