, photo by Naomi Sherman
, nutritional review by Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE
in Recipes, Dinner, Meal Keto pesto chicken casserole with feta cheese and olives
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs 650 g boneless chicken thighs
- salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp 2 tbsp butter or coconut oil
- 1⁄3 cup (2¾ oz.) 80 ml (80 g) red pesto or green pesto
- 1¼ cups 300 ml heavy whipping cream
- 3 oz. (2⁄3 cup) 85 g (150 ml) pitted olives
- 5 oz. (1 cup) 140 g (220 ml) feta cheese, diced
- 1 1 garlic clove, finely choppedgarlic cloves, finely chopped
- 5 oz. (2½ cups) 140 g (600 ml) leafy greens
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add butter or oil to a large skillet and fry the chicken pieces in batches over medium-high heat until golden brown.
- Combine pesto and heavy cream in a bowl.
- Place the fried chicken pieces in a baking dish together with olives, feta cheese and garlic. Add the pesto/cream mixture.
- Bake in oven for 20-30 minutes, until the dish turns bubbly and light brown around the edges.
Tips
A number of low carb, store-bought varieties of pesto are available in most grocery stores.
Red pesto is typically made with basil leaves, tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, pine nuts, and garlic. Green pesto is typically made with basil leaves, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, pine nuts, and garlic. Look for ones with real olive oil, not soybean oil or canola oil, no sugar, and less than 5 net carbs per serving.
A simple side dish of field greens or crunchy romaine lettuce complements the rich flavors. Lightly sautéed asparagus or green beans work, too.
If you feel like making this dish even heartier you can pair it with cauliflower rice, roasted cauliflower or fried broccoli.
Meal prep
This dish can be prepared by frying the chicken ahead of time. You can assemble the entire casserole and keep in the fridge for a day before baking it. Just make sure you let it come to room temperature before placing in the oven. It's also good to give it a stir since the pesto can sink to the bottom.
If you have chicken or turkey leftovers, they are perfect for this dish. Just skip the first 3 steps of the instructions and take it from there. If you're short on time you can also use a rotisserie chicken. Take the meat off the bones and divide it into bite-sized pieces. Follow the instructions from step 3.
Storing and reheating
If you intend to eat the casserole within 2-3 days you can store it in the fridge. Otherwise it's better to place the casserole in the freezer where it will last up to 3 months. Make sure your casserole dish is suitable for freezing.
If freezing, let thaw in the refrigerator the day before you plan on serving it. Don’t place a cold baking dish straight from the fridge into a hot oven as this can cause your dish to crack. Reheat the casserole in the oven at 300°F (150°C) until thoroughly warm.
457 comments
Yes, this is a pretty flexible recipe and sausage would work well!
Think this one needs updating!
Thanks
Diet Doctor uses the USDA nutritional database to calculate the nutritional value of our recipes. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/ We encourage you to calculate the nutritional information with the ingredients you use.
It has not been tested in an instant pot. If you try it, stir in the heavy cream at the end.
Very delicious dish!
I am so glad you enjoyed this one! I know homemade pesto make it extra special.
Yes, kcal is basically the same as calories. The actual serving size may fluctuate depending on how much the total dish reduced across the different cooking steps. The recipe, as written makes 4 servings, so a serving size is 1/4 of the total dish.
Yay! I am so glad you loved this one and was able to personalize it.
Oh, no! So sorry this recipe didn't work for you!
I had the same experience with the smell! I couldn't wait to try it!
So sorry this one didn't work out for you, Sarah!
Will definitely being doing this one again!!
Ade - Sudbury, Suffolk, UK
Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed this dish so much!
Thank you
The pesto is a key element in this dish. Are you able to tolerate any nuts? If so you can use that nut to make your own pesto. Otherwise, you may try adding a layer of fresh basil and an extra drizzle of olive oil.
Great! So glad you enjoyed it!
Hi, Gerry! That should be fine! If it's frozen, I would let it thaw some before reheating.
Awesome! I am glad it's a family favorite.
The default for this recipe is 4 servings which require 83 grams of pesto.
The nutrition information provided reflects the net carbohydrates for the entire meal.
We haven't tried that, but I imagine it would work well. Let us know if you try it out!
I substituted the heavy cream for coconut milk, and baked the dish in the cast iron pan used to sauté the chicken. It was a delicious result! I highly recommend doing both!
Great job using what you have!
It never thickened up. Did I do something wrong?
I'm not sure. There are many factors that could be at play including using a lower fat milk or cooking at a lower temperature.
Sounds great!