Creamy Chicken Zucchini Casserole

A Family Favorite {ULTRA Comforting} Dinner idea!
After a VERY rainy week here in SLC I’m feeling some major fall weather vibes!

A bubbly-hot and indulgent meal is exactly what I begin to crave this time of year! If you’ve been following here for any length of time, you’ll likely know that my philosophy is not ultra-rigid when it comes to clean eating.

There’s room for EVERYTHING within a healthy lifestyle.

This casserole was created on the “fly” one afternoon to use up this big pile of overgrown garden zucchini sitting on my kitchen counter. It certainly hit the spot!

On occasion, we do enjoy a creamy baked meal using REAL cream cheese at our house.

This might only happen a handful of times each year…but we sure do enjoy it!

My favorite brand of cream cheese is pasture-raised “Organic Valley.”

For this recipe, I REALLY do recommend using the real full-fat cream cheese, but Plain Greek yogurt also works.

Let us know how your family likes this recipe!

6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp avocado oil or olive oil, plus extra to grease your baking dish

• 2 Tbsps ghee or grass-fed butter, divided

• 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-sized cubes

• 4 fresh garlic cloves, minced

• 2 large zucchini, cut into bite-sized cubes

• 1 large red bell pepper, diced

• 1-2 red chili peppers, seeded and chopped

• 2 Tbsps Arrowroot powder or cornstarch

• 1 cup chicken bone broth

• 2/3 cup full-fat coconut milk or grass-fed whole cow’s milk

• 1/3 cup cream cheese, room temperature

• 1 cup shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese

• sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

• a handful of freshly chopped parsley, to garnish

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees f.

Very lightly spritz or rub a large baking dish with avocado oil or ghee/butter to lightly grease your dish.Add 1 Tablespoon of oil and 1 Tablespoon of butter/ghee in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in your chicken cubes, lightly season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper then cook, stirring occasionally, until nicely golden brown, about 7-8 minutes.

During the last minute, stir in your minced garlic. Transfer your browned chicken to your prepared baking dish.

In the same preheated skillet, add zucchini, bell pepper, and chili peppers. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 3-4 minutes.

Transfer veggies to the dish with your chicken and stir to combine.

In the same skillet melt the remaining tablespoon of butter/ghee over low heat. Add in the Arrowroot powder or cornstarch and stir continuously for 1 minute.

Gradually and slowly drizzle in both the broth and milk, stirring continuously until it starts to bubble and there are no visible lumps.

Stir in your room-temperature cream cheese and the shredded cheese and season this sauce to your taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Pour this sauce over the chicken and veggies in the baking dish using a spatula to get every last drop.

Bake in your preheated oven until golden brown and bubbly, around 20 minutes.

Garnish with chopped parsley.
Enjoy!
Rachel

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