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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!

A close up of a chicken pasta casserole with a serving spoon lifting up a spoonful

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!

A side shot of a chicken pasta casserole in a white dish sitting on a blue wooden surface

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.

An overhead shot of a chicken pasta casserole in a white dish with a serving spoon

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:

A close up of a chicken pasta casserole with a serving spoon lifting up a spoonful

Chicken Penne Casserole with Corn and Zucchini

4 from 5 votes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 328 kcal
A creamy, healthy and delicious creamy chicken pasta casserole made with fresh zucchini and corn. A quick and easy weeknight dinner.

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

Calories: 328kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 20gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 843mgPotassium: 314mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 420IUVitamin C: 12.4mgCalcium: 199mgIron: 1.2mg
Keyword: chicken casserole, Chicken Pasta Casserole, creamy chicken casserole
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Author: The Seasoned Mom

blair

Hey, I’m Blair!

Welcome to my farmhouse kitchen in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Inspired by local traditions and seasonal fare, you’ll find plenty of easy, comforting recipes that bring your family together around the table. It’s down-home, country-style cooking!

Read More

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Comments

  1. Oh this looks SO good, Blair! I love the cheese in this dish. I don’t have a garden this year, but I have been buying lots of zucchini from my farmer’s market, so this sounds perfect!

  2. I’ve been enjoying trying out all sorts of different zucchini recipes lately, and this one looks delicious! I bet the combination of the corn and zucchini is so good in this pasta dish!

  3. When are you having me over for dinner?! You can’t make such delicious casseroles that make me want to lick the screen without sharing! Love the corn and zucchini in this!!

    1. Oh, we’d have so much fun, Jen! So much to discuss over a meal (and you’d totally be in charge of dessert)!

  4. Absolutely love all of the frest summer flavors in this, Blair! And combined with all of that wonderful cheese? Sounds like a perfect dinner.

  5. Absolutely love all of the fresh summer flavors in this, Blair! And combined with all of that wonderful cheese? Sounds like a perfect dinner.

  6. 5 stars
    I made this for dinner tonight and it was great! I love the use of zucchini and fresh corn and it came together quickly and tasted fantastic. Also, a new visitor to your site and just had to tell you that I love the concept of your blog! Looking forward to being a regular. 😀

    1. Hi, Meredith! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the recipe and that you found my blog. It’s nice to “meet” you, and I look forward to checking out your blog as well! Have a great week!

  7. 5 stars
    Hi Blair!
    You have all the ingredients I love to eat, I love pasta, LOVE cheese and zucchini is versatile. I am curious, what is the serving size? Hope to hear from you soon.

    Iliana M

    1. Hi, Iliana! I hope that you try this! I don’t know how much a serving size is by weight or cup measure, but I calculated the nutrition information based on 8 servings. Hope that helps!

    1. Hi, Rika! Definitely! I do that ALL the time with casseroles like this. If you’ve had it refrigerated for awhile, you might have to bake it in the oven for a little bit longer (10 more minutes, maybe) just to get the chill off, but otherwise it should be great!

  8. 4 stars
    I made this and it tasted great! I have to ask though, are the butter and flour amounts correct? I’ve made many rues and this one stumped me. I used a butter to flour ratio that I was more comfortable with but then the sauce stayed very thin.

    1. Hi, Lisa! Yes, the butter and flour amounts are correct. I’ve used those measurements many times in many different recipes and it works great. It seems thick at first, but once you add the liquid it will be perfect! Glad you enjoyed it!

      1. I just made this recipe today, following the proportions as given. I added the broth and milk to the flour-butter mixture as prescribed. A whisk just did not do the job to make the roux smooth–I ended up with a skillet full of big flour lumps. I often make roux, and this has never happened, but I am not used to such a large amount of flour.

        I solved the problem by pouring the sauce into the blender, blending on high for 20 seconds and then straining the sauce back into the pan. It worked, but maybe the sauce-making method described isn’t quite right…

    1. Hi, Kaitlin! Nope — I did not cook it first. Since it bakes in the casserole, it should be tender by the time you’re ready to enjoy it. 🙂

  9. So, this is a wonderful dinner and pretty easy to make, but it does not take 35 minutes – just saying. It takes more like an hour and a half to make! Think about it, you have to cook the chicken, cook the pasta, prepare all of the other ingredients, cook the sauce, and then bake it in the oven. Not complaining, it is a great recipe, but definitely give yourself enough time to make this dish!

  10. So I made this for my family last night it’s really good!
    I used canned corn not frozen and I put the corn and zucchini in with the chicken and cooked it a bit before I put it in the baking dish!
    I also added parmesan Reggianno

  11. Just tried this recipe. I used frozen corn and didn’t even have to wait to let it thaw. I just added it to the pasta, zucchini and chicken and set it into the overni to bake. To clarify, I didn’t even need to precook the chicken. Wonderful recipe.

  12. How should I cook the chicken before adding it to the casserole .This recipe is missing this step.

    1. Hi, Angela! I didn’t specify the cooking method because you can use any cooked chicken that you prefer. Sometimes I like a shortcut (like a store-bought rotisserie chicken or Perdue Shortcuts). Other times I have leftover grilled chicken from another meal, so I use that. Anything works! If you need a quick way to bake chicken in the oven, try rubbing boneless, skinless chicken breasts with olive oil and seasoning with salt and pepper. Bake on a tray at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes (total cooking time will depend on the size and thickness of your meat, so allow longer for larger pieces of chicken).

  13. I made this recipe tonight and the flour to butter ratio was WAY too much. I had to sieve the sauce. It also is NOT a quick recipe. Between cooking the chicken, pasta, making the sauce, etc., it took over an hour and 1/2 to make. The flavors were not winners in our house either. Will not be making this again!

  14. 1 star
    This was not good. Too much dlour in the roux… the taste was way off. Threw it all out. Sorry… thumbs diwn

    1. Hi, Corinne! I haven’t tried it myself, so I can’t say for sure, but there’s a chance that the milk-based sauce would “break” when thawed (as dairy often does). The casserole would still be edible, but the texture of the sauce may just be weird. I would be hesitant to freeze it, but that’s just my personal preference. 🙂

  15. 5 stars
    Made this last night for a family dinner. It was a big hit with both kids and adults. I may try a few more spices next time. Wish I could post a picture as it looked great too!

    1. Awesome, Mike! Wish I could see you picture, too. 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to come back here and leave a note!

  16. Whole wheat pasta is NOT always lower in calories although it is better for you. I find no difference in flavor between fresh chicken and fresh free range chicken….except in price! Free range anything is more expensive!

  17. 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.