This Keto Tuscan Chicken Casserole Recipe with creamy sun-dried tomato sauce on top of tender chicken and covered with provolone is incredible. You would never know how easy this is or that it has less than 10 ingredients.
This creamy Keto Tuscan Chicken Casserole is amazing. I enjoy my recipes (or I wouldn't share them) but this was over the top good. I would serve it for dinner company I wanted to impress any day of the week.
One of my favorite things ever is the sun-dried tomato sauce at Olive Garden. In my vegetarian days, I loved the Portobello Mushroom Ravioli there. I would dip my breadsticks in the sauce and sigh in satisfaction.
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I don't eat ravioli anymore. I don't love pasta enough to try any of the homemade low carb versions out there so I decided to make a similar sauce for chicken. The sun-dried tomato sauce was always the best part of that dish and it is the best part of my Keto Tuscan Chicken Casserole as well. I had to refrain from licking the casserole dish as I was putting away the leftovers. I did scrape every bit I could off with the spatula. Which I did lick. Repeatedly.
If you love those mushroom ravioli as much as I did make sure to check out my Tuscan Stuffed Mushrooms!
This easy creamy Tuscan garlic chicken recipe is low carb, keto, gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free, and Trim Healthy Mama friendly.
Ingredients
- Chicken tenderloins - Chicken tenderloins are the best value for money. You don't have to worry about them having a strange texture like many chicken breasts in stores nowadays. They're low in fat and high in protein, so they make a great addition to any diet.
- Sun-dried tomatoes - Sun-dried tomatoes are tasty, flavorful, and they look great as a garnish for salads, appetizers, and main dishes.
- Cream cheese - Cream cheese is an American dairy product. It's usually made from milk and cream, but can also be made with non-dairy milk. In the United States, it's used in a variety of recipes ranging from baked goods to main courses
- Fresh basil leaves - Fresh basil leaves are an excellent seasoning for chicken, salads, pizza, and vegetables. They are one herb that I always recommend buying fresh instead of dried.
- Garlic powder - If you're looking for a spice that's got the best taste, the most unique flavor, and aroma, look no further than roasted garlic powder. It is has a more intense flavor than regular garlic powder.I use it in almost every savory recipe I make.
- Baby spinach - A common mistake is thinking that baby spinach and mature spinach are the same things. The biggest difference between baby spinach and mature spinach is that baby spinach leaves are smaller and lighter in color. They cook faster and are more tender.
- Provolone cheese - Provolone cheese is a solid choice for keto Tuscan chicken. It adds the perfect amount of flavor to your dishes, and it's delicious by itself too!
How to Make Keto Tuscan Chicken
Step One: Bake the chicken tenderloins and drain any excess cooking liquid. Stir together the ingredients for the sundried tomato cream sauce.
Step Two: Pour the sundried tomato sauce on the chicken and spread it evenly. Top with the cheese.
Step Three: Bake until hot, bubbly, and golden.
Variations
Chicken - I make this Tuscan chicken recipe with fresh chicken tenderloins but you can use chicken breasts or even chicken thighs. You can even use leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken.
Shrimp - This sauce is also amazing on shrimp. Just lightly sautee it in a large skillet and add the sauce and spinach right to the pan!
Creamy Garlic Sauce - You can swap out the sundried tomatoes for roasted garlic cloves for an amazing sauce that is great on chicken, zucchini noodles, or even salmon.
Common Questions
Can I prepare this ahead of time?
Once the casserole is prepared you can wait to bake it. I prepped it in the early afternoon, put it in the fridge, and then baked it right before dinner. You will need to increase the final baking time if it is cold when you put it in the oven.
Can I use frozen chicken?
Yes. Just cook the chicken, drain the liquid, and then add the sun-dried tomato sauce, spinach, and cheese.
Can I use leftover cooked chicken?
You can also just make this keto creamy Tuscan chicken recipe with leftover cubed or shredded chicken or thinly sliced chicken breasts. Just proceed with the sauce recipe and adjust the cooking time as needed.
What should I serve with Keto Tuscan Chicken?
I normally serve this with steamed or roasted vegetables but cauliflower rice, mashed cauliflower, or a green salad are also great choices. You can even make some keto breadsticks to help mop up the delicious creamy sauce.
How do I store leftovers?
Put them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4-5 days. You can freeze this for longer storage. Just cook the chicken, add the sauce, spinach, and cheese and place into the freezer at that point. Thaw overnight and then bake.
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📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lb chicken tenders
- 2 tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes
- 3 tablespoon warm water
- 12 fresh basil leaves
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon roasted or regular garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 oz cooking liquid from the chicken or chicken stock
- 5 oz fresh baby spinach
- 12 slices provolone cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Cook the chicken tenders until cooked through. I cook mine in a covered casserole dish for 30 minutes at 350. Reserve 3 oz of the cooking liquid and drain the rest.
- In a small blender or food processor puree the sun-dried tomatoes and warm water until they are pureed. Add the basil and process until it is chopped.
- In a medium bowl mix the sun-dried tomato puree, cream cheese, garlic powder, salt, and cooking liquid or chicken stock. Once it is pretty smooth, mix in the spinach.
- Spread the sauce on top of the chicken tenders. Top with the provolone cheese. Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Originally Published September 7, 2016. Revised and Republished November 18, 2021.
Michele says
Was great , delicious. Used sun dried bruschetta- only type Whole Foods had. Was easy , no mixing , already chopped up. Had no basil leaves , used 2 tsp dried , looked up conversion. Used chicken thighs . Was so tender , best chicken dish I’ve made , thanks to recipe. Husband jealous, he doesn’t like thighs , Will use the tenders next time for him . The thighs always more tender to me . Thanks , will definitely be making this a lot. 👍👍😄😄
Tammy says
I just made this tonight for dinner. It turned out great and I did two short cuts ... I used sun-dried tomatoes in oil, so no need to add warm water to them. I diced them and the basil. No need for me to puree them. Also, I layered the casserole -- chicken, then baby spinach, then cream-cheese mixture on top of that. Also, I put the provolone cheese on top the last 5 minutes of baking. Absolutely delicious. Thank you.
Kate says
I'm going to try this but with cooking the chicken sous vide first. Looking forward to how it turns out.
Sue says
Sounds great!
Mama Mazz says
This was DELICIOUS!! And so easy to make! I followed the recipe to a T (and I usually don’t haha) and it came out perfectly. My husband, kids AND I loved it. Thank you SO much for sharing this wonderful recipe!!!
Tami Sisemore says
This was totally amazing!!!!
Armandie says
Made this tonight and it was absolutely amazing! I used fresh tomatoes instead of sun-dried - loved it. Thanks for sharing this
Brittney says
My family really enjoyed this recipe, even my picky eater 2 year old. Lots of leftover as well! Thank you for sharing!
Alli H says
So incredibly delicious! My sauce ended up being pretty liquidy but that didn't affect the taste. Next time I'll just add less cooking liquid. Only change I made was I used chicken breasts cut into strips and seasoned them with a sprinkle of garlic salt before baking. My husband and I were so impressed!
Janet says
How many servings per recipe?
Taryn says
Hi Janet, it is listed at the top of the recipe card. This has 8 servings.
Jennifer says
Could the sun dried tomato sauce be made ahead of time and possibly be frozen?
Taryn says
Yes, I think so.
Jamielyn says
This looks amazing! Love to have low carb dinner options!
Linda says
Creamy, cheesy and full of sun-dried tomato flavor - I'm in! I love easy dinners and this sounds like the perfect last minute weekday dinner.
Nic says
I really loved the combination of flavors in this--however the ratio of ingredients seemed off to me. There was no way I would've been able to add that much spinach and still had anything resembling a "sauce" so I stopped at about 3oz. As it was, the sauce had all but disappeared in the finished dish. And this is probably the only time I'll EVER say this, but the amount of provolone was a little overwhelming!
Overall, with some tweaks (maybe 2 lbs of chicken, less spinach, sauteed mushrooms for some extra flavor/texture), this will be a solid addition to my recipe collection.
Chris says
Do you use sundried tomatoes in oil or just regular sundried tomatoes
Taryn says
The regular ones are fine.
Katie says
Excited to try this! Do you think you could freeze this? And if so, would you bake then freeze or freeze raw? Thanks!
Taryn says
I've had readers freeze both before and after baking with my other casseroles. This should work fine too. Enjoy!
Claire says
I made this last night for dinner and it was a hit with the whole family!!!
Both my boys asked for second!
Such a great family meal but also delicious enough for guest.
Thank you
Nellie Tracy says
This is such a great weeknight recipe! I've been looking for more good ones to add to my list, and this is perfect!
Brandi Crawford says
Sun dried tomatoes sauce over everything sound absolutely amazing! Espessialy delicious if it’s over chicken in casserole.
Olivia says
My kids loved this dish; that tells you everything! It’s not as heavy as I thought and so flavorful. I seasoned the chicken with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning before I baked it. I served the chicken over orzo with basil and parsley for my husband and kids. I had mine with zucchini noodles. I will definitely be adding this to the dinner rotation 😁