I’m figuring out how to eat healthier. Since I couldn’t find a recipe that called for all the things I wanted in my muffins, I came up with one. They taste great and contain lots of nutritious components. 12 mini-loaves or 24 muffins can be made using this recipe.
| Prep Time: | 25 mins |
| Cook Time: | 35 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr |
| Servings: | 8 |
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 cups sliced yellow squash
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 2 cups shredded or cubed cooked chicken breast
- 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- 16 saltine crackers, crushed
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons dry ranch dressing mix (such as Hidden Valley Ranch)
- ground black pepper to taste
- 2 cups herb-seasoned stuffing mix (such as Pepperidge Farm)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (Optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add squash and onions and cook just until softened, 7 to 10 minutes; don’t overcook. Remove from the heat and stir in chicken, Cheddar cheese, and crushed crackers.
- Whisk mayonnaise, eggs, ranch dressing, and pepper together in a bowl; gently stir into squash mixture, then spread into the prepared casserole dish.
- Combine stuffing mix and 1/2 cup melted butter in a separate bowl. Sprinkle over squash mixture, pressing down slightly.
- Bake in the preheated oven until set and lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 615 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 24 g |
| Cholesterol | 164 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Protein | 19 g |
| Saturated Fat | 18 g |
| Sodium | 705 mg |
| Sugars | 2 g |
| Fat | 50 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
Added ham and sour cream instead of chicken
I added about 8 oz. of fresh mushrooms and used an 8″ square glass baking dish. We loved it…very moist and flavorful/
Very good.
Taste is good but really dry. Not sure what it needs. Added broth maybe?
We had to make some substitutes (didn’t have dry ranch dressing packets or stovetop stuffing mix), but it still came out fantastic. We like our squash a little firm so undercooked them in the saute phase. Unfortunately, when cooking time was up the sauce was dry and the ingredients hadn’t really come together cohesively. We added about a cup or so of water (by drizzling it around the perimeter of the dish). 10 additional minutes and it was picture perfect! The chicken we used was grilled with the old time vinegar and poultry seasoning rub and everything came together beautifully! Did sprinkle some red pepper flakes into the crust mix with some paprika for color. Delish!
My son told me that this was one of the best dishes he ever had. Yes, there was some prep time, but well worth it. I was surprised since he doesn’t even like squash.
Delicious! But a lot of work! I made 3 changes. I used cornbread stuffing mix because that’s what I had on hand. I increased the cheddar cheese from 1 cup to 2 cups. I reduced the butter that is added to the stuffing from 8 tablespoons to 6 tablespoons (still too much). Next time I make this, I will stick with the cornbread stuffing. But instead of 2 cups I will use the entire box (3 cups). And I will definitely prepare some of the ingredients in advance.
This one I will make again and again. Having the leftover chicken and squash already waiting in the fridge, made this recipe sing – Make me!!!! I’m glad I did.
We both liked this casserole! I made half a recipe and was very careful not to overcook the squash on top of the stove. The casserole did not get “weepy” with the water from the squash and the taste was excellent!
My wife and I made it a team effort as there are so many “moving parts.” The result was worth the effort. Delicious and even better the next day. Winner, winner, chicken casserole. . .
I made it, as written, with cubed chicken breasts, with the exception of substituting the stuffing (crushed) for the cracker crumbs. Very tasty, but a bit dry…overall, a definite make again, just a tad more liquid…VERY tasty!