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. 151
    Johanna
    October 7 2018
    Has anyone made this with Quorn? If so does Quorn and chicken weight similar amounts? Totally get the macros will be v different and the cooking time. Cheers
  2. 152
    Reply to comment #142 by Shelly
    Rose
    October 9 2018
    The nutritional info on here is wrong. They say this is 6g of carbs but every other place I calculate that its 8.6g carbs.
  3. 153
    Kris
    October 14 2018
    I thought this recipe was very bland and watery. I just did not like it at all. A waste of time and money.
  4. 154
    LG
    October 19 2018
    I love this recipe, easy to do and full of flavour! I add one teaspoon of psyllium husk to the cream sauce when preparing, which thickened it up.
  5. 155
    Meg
    November 3 2018
    Wow! This was delicious! I made it just as the recipe says. I literally can’t stop thinking about how great it tasted. Lovin’ Keto!
  6. 156
    Pat
    November 8 2018
    On week 2 of beginners .. made this tonight exactly as described, made own pesto, have to say both myself and husband loved it, so tasty..?served with Brussels sprouts sautéed in butter ..
    will repeat..
  7. 157
    Trish
    November 30 2018
    This recipe was amazing. I added some red pepper flakes to make it a bit spicy. This was a huge hit with the entire family. Restaurant quality!
  8. 158
    Chloe
    January 4 2019
    Anyone have a link to the pesto recipe? It would be much appreciated! 😊
    Reply: #159
  9. 159
    Reply to comment #158 by Chloe
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    January 4 2019
    Any pesto recipe will work (mostly it's olive oil, basil, garlic and pine nuts) or you can frequently find it in your grocery store near the spaghetti sauce.
  10. 160
    Kathryn
    January 6 2019
    I make this recipe often because I LOVE it. The only think I do differently is omit the leek, since I don’t like them.
  11. 161
    Ab
    January 7 2019
    I loved this, I left out the leek and added chopped spinach. I’m sure it contributed to the wateryness of this dish. But still very good
  12. 162
    linda
    January 8 2019
    i love this recipe, i use chicken breast, i stir cauliflower in sauce, before baking..
    we love it...
  13. 163
    Lori
    January 10 2019
    I added bacon and a bit of basil. DELISH!
  14. 164
    Cristina
    January 11 2019
    Which is the allowable weight per portion?
    Reply: #165
  15. 165
    Reply to comment #164 by Cristina
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    January 12 2019
    This dish makes 6 servings.
  16. 166
    Melody
    January 14 2019
    Loved this recipe! Very flavorful. I used sour cream thinned with a little heavy cream and Asiago cheese. Delicious. Even my hubby loved it and he claims he hates cauliflower. In his words, "I did everything but lick the plate".
  17. 167
    Glen Munro
    January 15 2019
    Are the thighs skin on/bone in?
    Reply: #169
  18. 168
    Michael
    January 16 2019
    Is everyone using bone in skin on thighs. And what cheese is everyone using?
    Reply: #170
  19. 169
    Reply to comment #167 by Glen Munro
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    January 16 2019
    Boneless is best as this is a casserole.
  20. 170
    Reply to comment #168 by Michael
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    January 16 2019
    Boneless is best as this is a casserole.
  21. 171
    Sheila
    January 17 2019
    Are the chicken thighs supposed to be cut up, or whole?
  22. 172
    Ann
    January 17 2019
    How much can you eat at one sitting?
    Reply: #173
  23. 173
    Reply to comment #172 by Ann
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    January 18 2019

    How much can you eat at one sitting?

    This recipe makes 6 servings. You can eat to your hunger level, which may be more or less.

  24. 174
    Lauren
    January 20 2019
    I love this recipe and almost all of the ones I've tried. My only problem is that there needs to be more specificity in the ingredients. For instance 30 oz of chicken thighs, skinless, boneless, boneless with skin. Just say 2 lbs no one buys 30 oz of meat. What kind of cheese is best, make a recommendation, what does cut up mean? Large chunks, rough cut, diced, etc. Not everyone cooks well and I really believe it would make the recipes easier to follow, I am a good cook so I figure it out but not everyone is good at it.
  25. 175
    Ulrika Charlotta
    January 22 2019
    Excited to try this dish this week I have made several of the casseroles that are displayed on this site.
    But I have a major issue with my carb count is completely off for some reason I get 11g of carbs seems leeks for ex have a completely different carb count depending on if it’s cooked or raw since I put it in raw that’s what I used but it will come out cooked so should I used the original weight but choose cooked ?
    Help this is what was planned for dinner this week since we have a busy schedule I cook a big dish of something but now I have barely any carbs left for the rest of the day every day this week :( also 1 leek or as for 8 portions 1 1/3 leek - would love to have an actual measurement that I can enter :)
    Thank you for all the wonderful recipes !
  26. 176
    Ivy
    January 22 2019
    My fav dish to make ever! But I added double the chicken and mushrooms! Make this twice a week at least & have it frozen in my freezer
  27. 177
    Kirsten
    January 24 2019
    Very tasty but is a quite runny.... maybe the recipe needs to be tested a little more - less cream perhaps?
  28. 178
    Moira
    January 25 2019
    I noticed on each recipe it has the number of servings it also gives the option to change the servings at the top left on the green band above the ingredients
  29. 179
    Margaret
    January 27 2019
    How do I add a recipe to my weekly planner?
    Reply: #180
  30. 180
    Reply to comment #179 by Margaret
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    January 28 2019
    The easiest way is to favorite it by clicking the heart icon. Then, from your meal planner page when you are editing the meals, you can click on the Favorites tab.
    https://strongmetabolism.fit/low-carb/meal-plans/my-meal-planner%3C/a%3E%3C/div%3E
  31. 181
    Lynda
    January 30 2019
    Definitely would make this again, except I would us chicken breast. We did not like the texture of the thighs.
  32. 182
    Dianna
    February 12 2019
    I made this substituting pickled artichoke hearts instead of the leek. It makes the the sauce they yummiest thing ever. Definitely spiced it up, if it's too bland for you. I think of these recipes as the base, and them we add on them.
  33. 183
    Sara Gray
    February 25 2019
    Can this be done in a slow cooker?
    Reply: #184
  34. 184
    Reply to comment #183 by Sara Gray
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    February 25 2019

    Can this be done in a slow cooker?

    That may work, but we have not tested this for a slow cooker.

  35. 185
    Ann M Heltzel
    February 27 2019
    This is Fantastic and So Easy for a weeknight dinner. Most of the cleanup is done while the casserole is in the oven. I skipped the leek and lemon because I didn't have any on hand and it was still great! Thank you so much for this great recipe!
  36. 186
    Randi
    March 1 2019
    I know I’m late to respond to this recipe but it’s beyond delicious! I used half heavy cream and half sour cream. No pesto. Added fresh Parmesan cheese to the sauce. I also used frozen cauliflower and cooked this for an hour long. It will be on rotation in my house going forward!
  37. 187
    Shannon
    March 10 2019
    The ingredient list made me want to try this recipe. I will change the recipe as found it bland and way too much runny. I will use sour cream next time as is thicker or use a thickener wit the cream and more pesto then in the recipe and I would chop the leek finer then I did.
  38. 188
    Julia F Berntson
    March 21 2019
    Do you use skin on or skinless chicken thighs?
    Reply: #189
  39. 189
    Reply to comment #188 by Julia F Berntson
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    March 22 2019

    Do you use skin on or skinless chicken thighs?

    These were written with skinless chicken in mind.

  40. 190
    Yolima
    April 3 2019
    How do you measure 1 serving if you are making a 6 serving recipe?
    Reply: #191
  41. 191
    Reply to comment #190 by Yolima
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    April 3 2019

    How do you measure 1 serving if you are making a 6 serving recipe?

    You can divide onto 6 plates/reusable plastic dishes or you can visually divide the dish into 2x3 columns and dish out one rectangle.

  42. 192
    MC
    April 5 2019
    From all the recipes I have tried, so far this is the only one I did not like. Well, the taste was OK, nothing out of this world. I guess it was the amount of prep work did not equal to the result....in other words...not worth the work. 🙄
  43. 193
    Heridia
    April 7 2019
    When stating the nutrition it doesn't say what the serving size is...
    Reply: #194
  44. 194
    Reply to comment #193 by Heridia
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    April 8 2019

    When stating the nutrition it doesn't say what the serving size is...

    The serving size by volume may vary depending on how much your batch reduces...or doesn't, while cooking. The most accurate way to list servings is to give the number of servings a dish makes.

  45. 195
    Vicki
    April 10 2019
    When you change the recipe to 4 instead of 6 , it has added cream cheese. Is there a reason for this?
    Reply: #198
  46. 196
    sharon
    April 10 2019
    i just made this last night and my husband and i loved it! i had read in some of the comments that it was too runny so i used less cream and added a little more cheese and it came out perfect!! will definitely be making this again!
  47. 1 comment removed
  48. 198
    Reply to comment #195 by Vicki
    Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    April 11 2019

    When you change the recipe to 4 instead of 6 , it has added cream cheese. Is there a reason for this?

    When you change the number of servings, it will call for an extra amount of all of the ingredients to make enough for the extra servings.

  49. 199
    Lisa
    April 17 2019
    Cream cheese was not in this recipe previously. I wonder if that was part of the update on April 5?
  50. 200
    Katie
    April 24 2019
    I substituted leeks for artichokes hearts and spinach to increase fiber value and lower net carb count. Also, I made my own pesto sauce. This time it was delicious and the family did not leave me any leftovers.
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