Cheesy Zucchini Bacon Casserole
Against All Odds and Ends…
This delicious and hearty Cheesy Zucchini Bacon Casserole comes together in minutes and utilizes ingredients that are often on hand, making it the perfect dinner choice for busy weekends or last-minute bring-a-dish invites!
Zucchini Bonanza…
If you’re like me, this time of year you have zucchini practically coming out of your ears — whether you have your own garden patch or not. In fact, it’s sometimes worse if you don’t have a garden, since, then, you’re more likely to be a recipient from multiple sources.
Thus it was, a few weeks ago, when I hadn’t been grocery shopping for more than two weeks, I found myself staring at a slightly over-large zucchini wondering how to turn it into something my family would deem acceptable dinner fodder.
The Remains of the Day…
As it turned out, I had the remains of the previous evening’s baked chicken breasts in the fridge, so I grabbed that. If I hadn’t, I would probably have grabbed a can of Costco chicken. This would also be a great recipe for using up the remnants of a rotisserie chicken…
At any rate, I grabbed my chicken, started some pasta cooking, realized I had somehow run out of that all-time denizen of the last-minute casserole — the Campbell’s cream of soup parade, and, instead grabbed a brick of cream cheese.
I peeled my zucchini, quartered it long-ways into four long, skinny sticks, and then sliced each one into thin (1/8″ or so) chips. I think a small can of diced green chilies, a 1/4 cup of finely diced red bell pepper, or 8 oz. of sliced mushrooms would be great additions, as well. Or even a little diced fresh tomato.
But I didn’t have any of those things — and, you know what? Cheesy Zucchini Bacon Casserole is creamy, satisfying, and delectable just the way it is! Even my kid who gives most veggies the stink eye loves it!
Cheesy Zucchini Bacon Casserole
Ingredients
- 8 oz. wide egg noodles
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1 sweet onion finely diced
- 2 cups cooked chicken diced
- 8 strips bacon cooked and crumbled
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp Johnny's Garlic Spread & Seasoning (or garlic powder)
- 1 tsp Penzey's Chip & Dip Seasoning (or your favorite seasoning salt)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 medium to large zucchini peeled and diced
Instructions
- Cook noodles to package directions, reserving some of the cooking water.
- Into a buttered 9"x13" casserole dish place cream cheese (diced into approximately 1" cubes) and diced onion. Add hot noodles, plus 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water, stirring until melty (does not need to melt completely).
- Add additional ingredients, reserving 2 cups of the shredded cheddar, and stir well to combine, adding up to another 1/2 cup of cooking water if it seems dry. Top with remaining 2 cups of shredded cheddar.
- Bake at 375F for 35 minutes.