Keto chicken casserole

Keto chicken casserole

Keto and casseroles go hand in hand, especially when it comes to this irresistible chicken recipe that will make your entire family swoon. The cream sauce is hearty, cheesy, and loaded with yummy pesto. Your oven will feel honored to bake this tasty goodness for you over and over again.
December 12 2015 recipe by , photo by , nutritional review by in Recipes, Dinner, Meal

Keto chicken casserole

Keto and casseroles go hand in hand, especially when it comes to this irresistible chicken recipe that will make your entire family swoon. The cream sauce is hearty, cheesy, and loaded with yummy pesto. Your oven will feel honored to bake this tasty goodness for you over and over again.
USMetric
6 servingservings

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup 180 ml heavy whipping cream
  • ½ cup (4 oz.) 120 ml (120 g) cream cheese
  • 3 tbsp 3 tbsp green pesto
  • 1 tbsp 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • salt and pepper
  • 1½ oz. 45 g butter
  • 2 lbs 900 g skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 6 oz. 170 g leek, finely choppedleeks, finely chopped
  • 4 oz. 110 g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ¾ lb 325 g cauliflower, cut into small florets
  • 2 cups (8 oz.) 475 ml (230 g) cheddar cheese, shredded
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Instructions

Instructions are for 6 servings. Please modify as needed.

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
  2. Mix cream and cream cheese with pesto and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. In a large pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and fry until they turn a nice golden brown.
  4. Place the chicken in a greased 9 x 13" (23 x 33 cm) baking dish, and pour in the cream mixture.
  5. Top chicken with leek, tomatoes, and cauliflower.
  6. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake in the middle of the oven for at least 30 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. If the casserole is at risk of burning before it's done, cover it with a piece of aluminium foil, lower the heat and let cook for a little longer.

Tips

Sauce too runny? To thicken the sauce, add some extra shredded cheese. This will give the dish even more flavor and consistency.

Green it up! A rich dish like this only gets better if you serve it with a side of fresh leafy greens. Dress with a generous drizzle of olive oil, some balsamic vinegar, and a sprinkle of sea salt.

Would like some extra heat? Spice things up with some red pepper flakes!

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💬 Have you tried this recipe?

What did you think? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!
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274 comments

  1. 251
    baltucha
    September 1 2020
    Made this this evening using sour cream instead of heavy whipping cream. It was very good, tho next time I won't use a 9x13 as my sauce was spread to thing and dried out. The leeks sliced thinly, cherry tomatoes and small cauliflower florets came out perfectly cooked. convinced myself not to go back for seconds in order to save some for lunch tomorrow! Has anyone tried this with bacon crumbles added? My husband suggested it for next time round.
    Reply: #252
  2. 252
    Reply to comment #251 by baltucha
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    September 1 2020

    Made this this evening using sour cream instead of heavy whipping cream. It was very good, tho next time I won't use a 9x13 as my sauce was spread to thing and dried out. The leeks sliced thinly, cherry tomatoes and small cauliflower florets came out perfectly cooked. convinced myself not to go back for seconds in order to save some for lunch tomorrow! Has anyone tried this with bacon crumbles added? My husband suggested it for next time round.

    Bacon crumbles sound fantastic for this dish!

  3. 253
    Kath
    September 19 2020
    I threw this together last night as I had 15 mins to get it in the oven before I had to pick up my daughter from work. I thought the pesto looked odd but thought nothing of it until I was clearing up. So folks, replacing the pesto in chicken casserole with green Thai paste is a winner. It was demolished by the family, who were none the wiser.
    Reply: #254
  4. 254
    Reply to comment #253 by Kath
    Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor
    September 19 2020

    I threw this together last night as I had 15 mins to get it in the oven before I had to pick up my daughter from work. I thought the pesto looked odd but thought nothing of it until I was clearing up. So folks, replacing the pesto in chicken casserole with green Thai paste is a winner. It was demolished by the family, who were none the wiser.

    Thanks for sharing! So glad it worked out for you!

  5. 255
    Suzette
    October 8 2020
    Sorry if this is an obvious question but how much is 1 serving?
    Reply: #256
  6. 256
    Reply to comment #255 by Suzette
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    October 8 2020

    Sorry if this is an obvious question but how much is 1 serving?

    There really isn't a serving size by volume or weight as it can cook down differently in different kitchens. If you make 4 servings, then 1/4 of the final dish is a serving.

  7. 257
    niki
    October 31 2020
    I used frozen cauliflower florets that I defrosted and chopped small and frozen leeks that were already chopped. I sautéed the leeks before throwing them into the casserole.
    Must try recipe.
  8. 258
    J
    March 2 2021
    Somehow this recipe changed from the original one that was on Diet Doctor. I much preferred the original with skin on bone in chicken thighs, no cream cheese (found the added cream cheese overwhelming). I wish that when DietDoctor change recipes they would leave the original online and create a new recipe or recipe V2 and keep the older one up. Luckily I had printed the original so I can still make it but I don't have the ability to scale it with servings.
    Reply: #264
  9. 259
    Reply to comment #228 by Susan
    noel
    April 21 2021
    I hope you were able to sort it out Susan and push through
  10. 260
    Sarah
    June 2 2021
    I modified this with ingredients I had - used chicken breast, broccoli instead of cauliflower and spring onions instead of leeks. Very tasty, but portions seem small - I guess I’ll have to get used to that!
    Reply: #261
  11. 261
    Reply to comment #260 by Sarah
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    June 2 2021

    I modified this with ingredients I had - used chicken breast, broccoli instead of cauliflower and spring onions instead of leeks. Very tasty, but portions seem small - I guess I’ll have to get used to that!

    Those sound like great substitutes. One easy way to adjust recipes to have a larger serving without increasing the carb count is to increase the amount of protein that you use per serving. Rather than 2lbs chicken, you could use 2.5 or even 3lbs of chicken. If this results in more leftovers, then bonus, you've got lunch figured out for tomorrow as well!

  12. 262
    Paula
    August 18 2021
    I struggle with the portion size too. So good to know I can add more protein next time to a recipe if the portion leaves me hungry. Thank you for the question, Sarah and your answer, Kristen Parker.
  13. 263
    Jason
    September 21 2021
    Used breast instead of thy, but only because I had breast that needed to be cooked. Also puréed a can of butter beans with a quarter cup of chicken broth and added it to the sauce to thicken. Amazing result! Thank you!
  14. 264
    Reply to comment #258 by J
    Laurie
    October 8 2021
    Could you share the original recipe? I love skin on chicken thighs!
  15. 265
    Reply to comment #240 by Meghan K.
    Cammi
    October 19 2021
    All ingredients are not created equal. You could be using different heavy cream, different cream cheese, etc. The macros are not all the same across all brands.
  16. 266
    Annie
    November 5 2021
    I made the recipe as written but I found it was pretty bland. Although I love leeks, I feel this casserole should have a more assertive vegetable than leeks as the primary vegetable. I think adding half a shredded, lightly sauteed green cabbage, would be more flavorful than leeks, or even in addition to the leels and cauliflower. The pan size is also a bit large because it was filled less than halfway before baking.
    Reply: #267
  17. 267
    Reply to comment #266 by Annie
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    November 5 2021

    I made the recipe as written but I found it was pretty bland. Although I love leeks, I feel this casserole should have a more assertive vegetable than leeks as the primary vegetable. I think adding half a shredded, lightly sauteed green cabbage, would be more flavorful than leeks, or even in addition to the leels and cauliflower. The pan size is also a bit large because it was filled less than halfway before baking.

    Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!

  18. 268
    Meryl Dickey
    January 21 2022
    Delicious.
    Leeks were not in season in NZ when I found this recipe so I added a spinach and spring onion substitute.
    It's a keeper!
    Reply: #269
  19. 269
    Reply to comment #268 by Meryl Dickey
    Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor
    January 21 2022

    Delicious.
    Leeks were not in season in NZ when I found this recipe so I added a spinach and spring onion substitute.
    It's a keeper!

    Sounds great! So glad you enjoyed it!

  20. 270
    Gudrun
    February 22 2022
    I'm going to try this tonight. Found it on you app but came back over to the website to watch the video. It is not working properly on the app I can only hear the music with a black screen😊
    Reply: #271
  21. 271
    Reply to comment #270 by Gudrun
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    February 22 2022

    I'm going to try this tonight. Found it on you app but came back over to the website to watch the video. It is not working properly on the app I can only hear the music with a black screen😊

    Apologies for that! The recipe team is working to fix the videos in the app.

  22. 272
    Victoria
    April 13 2022
    Made this tonight was delicious even my partner was impressed he said he would eat that again
  23. 273
    Evon
    August 29 2022
    Followed the recipe to the T & the result was another scrumptious meal…. 👍
    Reply: #275
  24. 274
    Donna Askins
    August 29 2022
    Made this tonight using a one pan method since my pans can go in the oven. Cooked chicken and then added the cauliflower to pan to brown a bit, then added the sauce and topped with the leeks and cherry tomatoes and the cheese. It came out excellent.
    Reply: #276
  25. 275
    Reply to comment #273 by Evon
    Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor
    August 29 2022

    Followed the recipe to the T & the result was another scrumptious meal…. 👍

    So glad you enjoyed it!

  26. 276
    Reply to comment #274 by Donna Askins
    Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor
    August 29 2022

    Made this tonight using a one pan method since my pans can go in the oven. Cooked chicken and then added the cauliflower to pan to brown a bit, then added the sauce and topped with the leeks and cherry tomatoes and the cheese. It came out excellent.

    Sounds great! Love a one-pan method!

  27. 277
    Lynda
    September 2 2022
    Had friends coming for lunch so decided to experiment with a new recipe for me. I prepped all the parts before they arrived then assembled once they arrived. Very simple. I used a mature cheddar. It was delicious. Everyone enjoyed it and our friends requested the recipe. I will definitely make this again.
    Reply: #278
  28. 278
    Reply to comment #277 by Lynda
    Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor
    September 5 2022

    Had friends coming for lunch so decided to experiment with a new recipe for me. I prepped all the parts before they arrived then assembled once they arrived. Very simple. I used a mature cheddar. It was delicious. Everyone enjoyed it and our friends requested the recipe. I will definitely make this again.

    Awesome! So glad everyone enjoyed it!

  29. 279
    Terry
    January 27 2023
    This was very good. The 9x13 casserole dish must be a typo. I made it in a 7x11 and next time I use my 3qt. oval casserole dish. Leeks are expensive and all I had was onions. I sautéed the onions, and one small clove of garlic, in the butter and added them to the browned chicken. After I browned the chicken, I lightly fried the cauliflower and cherry tomatoes and added to the top as instructed. I didn't have any problem with burning. This was very filling.
  30. 280
    IVK Golden
    March 16 2023
    Delish. Great flavours... the pesto and the leeks - yum!
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