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    Home » Main Dish Recipes » Casseroles » Keto Pesto Chicken Casserole

    Keto Pesto Chicken Casserole

    5 Ingredient RecipesGluten & Grain Free RecipesLow Carb & Keto RecipesTrim Healthy Mama Recipes

    Published: Jan 12, 2022 by Taryn

    This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.
    Print Recipe Jump to Recipe
    pinterest image for keto pesto chicken casserole

    This amazing Pesto Chicken Casserole has only 5 ingredients and mixes up in 5 minutes. It is a great weeknight dinner. I used chicken I had cooked, cubed, and frozen and no one could even tell. This is the best keto casserole recipe. It’s so delicious and easy to make!

    mozzarella & pesto chicken casserole topped on zucchini noodles on a plate set net to a platter of more zucchini noodles and casserole dish

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    This is a delicious keto dinner recipe that you can cook in less than 30 minutes. It’s a low carb comfort food that will make you forget about pasta, rice, and potatoes. You’ll love how flavorful the pesto is and how creamy the cheese becomes when baked in the oven.

    Make this pesto chicken casserole tonight and enjoy the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

    extreme close up on plate filled with zucchini noodles topped with mozzarella & pesto chicken casserole

    Ingredients

    Cooked Chicken - Any cooked chicken works in this. If you are using frozen cooked chicken make sure to thaw it first.

    Cream Cheese - I use full fat cream cheese but you can sub in low fat cream cheese, ricotta cheese, or mascarpone cheese if you pefer.

    Mozzarella Cheese - I use both cubed mozzarella in the casserole and shredded mozzarella on top.

    Heavy Cream - The amount you use will vary the sauce. More cream makes a thinner sauce, less cream a thicker sauce.

    Basil Pesto - I make my own pesto when possible but any jarred pesto will work as well.

    How to Make Pesto Chicken Casserole

    Step One: Mix together the ingredients for the creamy pesto sauce.

    sauce in a large mixing bowl

    Step Two: Mix the chicken into the sauce and transfer to a greased 9x13 baking dish.

    chicken pieces marinaded in mozzarella and pesto sauce filled in a casserole dish

    Step Three: Top with shredded cheese and bake until hot, bubbly, and golden brown.

    Expert Tip: For perfect golden brown cheese on top of your casserole broil them for 2-3 minutes after baking. Make sure not to leave the kitchen, set a timer, and watch them. The cheese can go from golden to burned in seconds.

    casserole dish full of mozzarella and pesto chicken casserole

    Variations

    Sauce - You'll see in the ingredients that I have a range of measurements for the heavy cream. If you use the lesser amount the creamy pesto sauce will be thick. For a thinner sauce to put over veggies use the whole amount.

    Vegetables - You can add some veggies right into this casserole like steamed broccoli or green beans, caramelized onions, or grape tomatoes. My favorite variation is adding cooked onions and cherry tomatoes. I just cook the onions right in the casserole dish with a little olive oil before adding the other ingredients. I add the tomatoes raw and they cook a bit while the casserole bakes.

    Spices - Since this has pesto it doesn't need much in way of spices but you can add some crushed fresh garlic or garlic powder, minced onion or onion powder, or a bit of an herb like thyme or sage to change up the taste.

    Common Questions

    What Pesto Should I Use?

    As a rule of thumb, when I make sauces and dressings that call for pesto I reach for a basil-based pesto. I used a nut-free fresh basil pesto in this recipe but you can use any variety of pesto sauce. It's great with this almond pesto. It is also fantastic with sun-dried tomato pesto and artichoke pesto. Any pesto packed with flavor can be used to flavor this sauce. Kale or spinach pesto are other choices.

    What Do I Serve This With?

    I served this over zucchini noodles for dinner and had it over lightly sauteed fresh baby spinach the next day for lunch. I can't decide if I liked this better over zoodles or spinach. I want to try over mashed cauliflower next time. My kids like a side of penne pasta with it. They love the way the sauce clings to the pasta.

    Can I Use Frozen Cooked Chicken in Casserole?

    Yup! Aren't easy dinners the best? Since I used frozen cooked chicken for this (I thawed it first) the prep time was really only 5 minutes. To thaw cooked frozen chicken breasts, place them in the refrigerator for a day. Place the frozen breasts in a cutting board and use a chef knife to cut into bite-sized pieces.

    If you know you are planning to use the cooked chicken for a casserole, soup, or salad, I recommend cutting it up before freezing it.

    Can I Use Rotisserie Chicken?

    Yes, using rotisserie chicken is another great choice. I prefer white meat in this casserole but you can use the dark meat too if you want. The key is cutting it into small bite-sized pieces or shredding it before adding it to the sauce.

    close up on plate filled with zucchini noodles topped with mozzarella & pesto chicken casserole

     

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    mozzarella & pesto chicken casserole topped on zucchini noodles on a plate set net to a platter of more zucchini noodles and casserole dish

    Pesto Chicken Casserole

    This Pesto Chicken Casserole has only 5 ingredients & mixes up in 5 minutes. It is low carb, keto, & gluten-free.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Course: casserole, dinner, Main Course, main dish
    Cuisine: American, Italian
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 377.1
    Author: Taryn

    Ingredients

    • ¼ cup pesto
    • 8 oz cream cheese softened
    • ¼-1/2 cup heavy cream
    • 4 oz mozzarella cubed
    • 2 lb cooked cubed chicken breasts (I weighed this after cooking)
    • 8 oz mozzarella shredded
    US Customary - Metric
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    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 400. Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray.
    • Combine the first three ingredients and mix until smooth in a large bowl. Add the chicken and cubed mozzarella. Transfer to the casserole dish. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella on top.
    • Bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve with zoodles, spinach, or mashed cauliflower.

    Notes

    Nutrition: The nutrition facts are for â…›th of the casserole. I just eye it up when cutting through the cheese. There are 2.8 NET carbs per serving.
    Sauce: use ¼ cup cream for a thick sauce and ½ cup for a thinner sauce

    Nutrition

    Calories: 377.1 | Carbohydrates: 2.9g | Protein: 29.7g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 13.8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6.7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 130mg | Sodium: 531.6mg | Potassium: 391.7mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 1.6g | Vitamin A: 959.3IU | Vitamin C: 1.1mg | Calcium: 264.1mg | Iron: 0.7mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @joyfilledeats or tag #joyfilledeats!

    I hope you enjoy my Easy Mozzarella & Pesto Chicken Casserole!

    And then come back and try these other chicken casseroles:

    Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole

    Chicken Divan Casserole

    Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

    Keto Pizza Casserole

     

    Originally Published April 17, 2017. Revised and Republished January 12, 2022.

     

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Deanna Blackwood says

      January 21, 2022 at 11:11 am

      This looks delicious! Can’t wait to try!

      Reply
    2. Jennifer Fox says

      January 20, 2022 at 6:38 pm

      Looks so good and is simple with real ingredients, can’t wait to try it!5 stars

      Reply
    3. rana durham says

      January 20, 2022 at 5:48 pm

      I really like the idEA OF CHICKEN pesto casserole because i really enjoy pesto so anything with pesto is something I can ejoy. It is a fast recipe and something I know the family will enioy 5 out of 5 stars5 stars

      Reply
    4. Nichole says

      January 20, 2022 at 2:23 pm

      This sounds soooo good! I can’t wait to try it! 😋🤤5 stars

      Reply
    5. Jen says

      June 05, 2021 at 10:25 pm

      Looks delicious! Do you have a recipe or recommendation on how to make zoodles? Are they served raw, cooked or sautéed?

      Reply
      • Taryn says

        June 06, 2021 at 4:41 pm

        All of those ways. I prefer them lightly sautéed for recipes like this.

        Reply
    6. Kim says

      June 29, 2020 at 6:42 pm

      Is the 8 oz mozzarella suppose to be a block cheese or the soft mozzarella real cheese?

      Reply
      • Taryn says

        June 29, 2020 at 10:17 pm

        I typically used the block but fresh mozzarella is great in this too.

        Reply
    7. Kathleen Macdonald says

      May 13, 2020 at 8:39 pm

      This is amazing! I used Jasmine rice as suggested, maybe 2.5 cups of broth and covered tightly for 50 minutes. I also added a can of canned Italian style tomatoes (drained) and about 2/3 cup of Grana Pandana pesto because that what I had on hand.

      Took out of oven, rice wasn’t quite done, so left uncovered to cook for 10 minutes. Then topped with 2 sliced fresh mozzarella balls. Baked for 10 then put on the broiler for a few minutes to brown up.
      Topped with fresh basil and took pictures, it was
      So beautiful! Wish I could post the pics!
      AMAZING!!!!!! Thanks for this keeper of a recipe!5 stars

      Reply
      • Taryn says

        May 14, 2020 at 9:29 am

        Are you commenting on the right blog? lol. This doesn't call for rice.

        Reply
    8. Jess says

      September 08, 2019 at 8:47 am

      Do you have a suggestion for what to use instead of cream cheese? I always want to make these types of casseroles but my husband doesn’t like cream cheese and can taste it no matter what I do. Thanks in advance!

      Reply
      • Taryn says

        September 08, 2019 at 11:02 am

        Cottage cheese, ricotta, or mascarpone should work.

        Reply
    9. Melodie Angerer says

      June 14, 2019 at 8:38 am

      How many servings is it? And thank you for posting this looks yummy 🙂

      Reply
      • Taryn says

        June 14, 2019 at 9:39 am

        Servings are listed at the top of the recipe card. It can be a little hard to find. This has 8.

        Reply
        • Cathi says

          February 08, 2021 at 10:11 am

          I know it is a total of 8 servings, but how much for 1 serving?? A cup?

        • Taryn says

          February 08, 2021 at 3:11 pm

          I don't measure that way. I just eye up the portions. For a more exact measurement just weigh the casserole dish empty and then full. Then divide the difference in the weight by 8.

    10. Jo says

      June 19, 2018 at 8:52 am

      How much longer would you have to cook the dish in the oven if the chicken isn't pre-cooked?

      Reply
      • Taryn says

        June 19, 2018 at 9:19 am

        Using raw chicken will make the sauce watery. I would suggest cooking the chicken for 20 minutes (cut into bite-sized pieces) then draining the liquid and adding the other ingredients. Cook again until the cheese melts. Temp the chicken to be sure it is 160.

        Reply
        • Kelsey says

          December 26, 2018 at 11:28 am

          So how many chicken breasts would you cook to begin with?

        • Taryn says

          December 26, 2018 at 1:09 pm

          The size of chicken breasts varies a lot. Start with 2.5 to 3 pounds raw. Lately, the chicken breasts at my grocery store are humongous. That could be only 3-4 pieces.

        • Kelsey says

          December 26, 2018 at 1:38 pm

          Great, thank you

    11. Carrie K says

      March 16, 2018 at 8:13 pm

      This looks delicious. What size casserole dish?

      Reply
      • Taryn says

        March 16, 2018 at 8:44 pm

        It's about 9 x 13. You can really use any medium to large sized casserole for this recipe.

        Reply
    12. Sharon says

      February 06, 2018 at 5:33 pm

      Seriously amazing! I halved the recipe & left out the mozzarella cause I had none & used whipped chive cream cheese. Sauteed my zuuchini noodles with a bit of coconut oil & then halfway through added the sauce instead of cooking in oven. Added cubed chicken last just to heat. Rich, creamy & soooo delish! Using leftover sauce tomorrow over spinach.5 stars

      Reply
    13. Shelley says

      January 23, 2018 at 6:57 pm

      This is good enough to serve to company! Loved it!5 stars

      Reply
    14. Kendray says

      August 27, 2017 at 5:33 pm

      Are you sure the nutrition facts are right? I input them into MFP and got drastically different numbers. I understand there will be variations based on using different brands, but mine is waaaaaay different.

      Reply
      • Taryn says

        August 28, 2017 at 11:38 am

        I just double checked and you are correct. I'll update the post later. It turned out that my original calculations had 8 oz of cream cheese as 30 calories. There was an error in MFP. I do always recommend my readers checking the nutrition facts if their diet depends on them. I do not personally use them but try to provide them as a courtesy. Thanks for letting me know 🙂

        Reply
      • Stephanie Johnson says

        February 18, 2018 at 4:16 pm

        So what were your results?

        Reply
        • Taryn says

          February 18, 2018 at 5:11 pm

          The current nutrition should be correct. I did update this 🙂

    15. Venessa says

      August 08, 2017 at 2:42 pm

      This was DIVINE! I topped with crispy bacon crumbles!

      Reply
    16. Joanna says

      June 12, 2017 at 1:42 pm

      So good!!

      Reply

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