Miss Scarlett Cooks! Chicken and Zucchini Casserole

Welcome to the Hobby Haven, everyone! How are you enjoying these last few weeks of summer?

Oh man, you guys. Usually I do about one recipe post a month, but I just made this and it was so good that I had to post it *now.* Now, I don't know about you, but everyone I know has been having zucchini bumper crops all summer long, and we've had them foisted off on us just about every week. There's only so many times you can eat them as a side vegetable or shred them up for bread and such. So I went looking for a new recipe to use them in and found this casserole.

It's incredibly simple, and surprisingly filling. Everything you need to know is after the jump!

Now, here's the thing to keep in mind; you can cook the chicken and cube the zucchini ahead of time. (I actually made chicken and dumplings the night before I made this, and cooked the chicken for this dish along with the chicken for the dumplings.) So you can prep for this meal while cooking dinner the night before. Or you could even use leftover chicken from another dish!

The ingredients:

• 1 package boxed stuffing mix
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 chopped onion
• 4 cups of diced zucchini**
• 2 cups of cooked, cubed chicken***
• 1 small can of cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup sour cream

**My mother made a variant of this with broccoli substituted for zucchini, and it turned out pretty well! You can try subbing in other vegetables if you want.
***That's about two or three chicken breasts (depending on size).

The tools:

• Cooking spray
• A 13 x 9 inch pan
• 1 large bowl
• 1 small bowl
• A mixing spoon
• 2 cutting boards
• 2 chef's knives
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• A large pot or skillet
• A stove/oven

How to make it:

• First off, set the chicken breasts on the cutting board and cut them into cubes. I try not to cut them into cubes any larger than a walnut (so about 2 inches square, give or take). Place the pot or skillet on the stove on medium heat, place the chicken cubes in it, and cook until slightly golden brown. Remove from heat.
• On a separate cutting board, dice the zucchini.
• Take the large bowl and add the stuffing and melted butter together. Set aside about 1/2 cup of this mixture in the small bowl.
• Add the rest of the ingredients to the large bowl, mixing well.
• Use the cooking spray to grease the 13 x 9 pan, and then spread the mixture in the large bowl into the pan. Sprinkle the stuffing mix in the small bowl overtop.
• Bake the casserole for about 40 to 50 minutes at 350 degrees.