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 by , (Photo) in Recipes, Main course, 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

  • 1 cup 225 ml heavy whipping cream or sour cream
  • 2 tbsp 2 tbsp green pesto
  • ½ ½ lemon, the juice
  • 30 oz. 900 g chicken thighs
  • 3 tbsp 3 tbsp butter
  • 1 lb 450 g cauliflower
  • 1 1 leekleeks
  • 4 oz. 110 g cherry tomatoes
  • 7 oz. 200 g (425 ml) shredded cheese
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

Instructions are for 6 servings. Please modify as needed.

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
  2. Mix cream (or sour cream) with pesto and lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper, and fry in butter until they turn a nice golden brown.
  4. Place the chicken in a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish, and pour in the cream mixture.
  5. Chop the leek and cherry tomatoes. Chop the cauliflower into small florets. 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.

Tip!

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.

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 step 3 in the instructions and you are good to go!

If you're short on time you can also use a rotisserie chicken. Take the meat from the bones and divide into bite-sized pieces before adding it to the baking dish.

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 dish is suitable for 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. When thawing and reheating this casserole the result may be a bit more liquid but the flavor will still be good.

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148 comments

  1. 101
    Susan
    December 10 2017
    Definitely a five-star recipe for me! I made it with boneless skinless chicken thighs, didn’t think about making it with the skin on? Don’t know if I should try it that way?
    The sauce was a little on the thin side, but so delish! Made it just as the recipe called for, and it’s delicious leftover heated up in the microwave. I’m so glad I found this website!
  2. 102
    Sarah
    December 12 2017
    So good! Loaded up on the lemon juice in the cream sauce and it really added some flavour.
  3. 103
    Lisa
    December 16 2017
    Been sitting on this recipe for a while now and finally tried it last night.
    Substituted cut up chicken breast for thighs as I am not a fan of thighs, did everything else to the letter and man sooo tasty, will most definitely be making again! Thank you so much for this recipe!
  4. 1 comment removed
  5. 105
    Reply to comment #67 by Robert
    Erin
    January 14
    OMG MyFitnessPal shows this as having over 1, 100 calories in one serving. That cannot be right?
    Replies: #115, #117
  6. 106
    mary
    January 21
    i LOVE this recipe just the way it is. its posted to my favourites list. I found everything cooked perfect.
  7. 107
    John
    January 30
    absolutely delicious!
  8. 108
    Reply to comment #62 by Mimi
    Laura
    February 4
    Thanks so much for your advice on this!
  9. 109
    Mary
    February 7
    I made a sundried tomatoes pesto and added to the cream. Steamed cauliflower, sauteed leeks. Used a rotisserie chicken, shredded. This is not a thick creamy sauce that I think we are expecting, but it still was tasty. Will make again.
  10. 110
    Robin C
    February 17
    I guess I won't be using anymore Diet Doctor recipes unless they update the nutritional values to show cals, fat, protein and net carbs! Love the recipe, but don't have time for the math.
    Reply: #142
  11. 111
    Joanna
    February 20
    Excellent family meal! I didn’t have any pesto so used a tbsp minced garlic instead. Also poured a bit of olive oil over the top and put on broiler for last 4 min just to give the cauliflower a more roasted look. Very tasty and filling.
  12. 112
    Claire
    February 21
    What an awful recipe. All of the instructions that actually make it work are in the comments like precookinf the leeks and cauliflower, cooking for longer under a lower temperature. It’s a good thing I was using leftover cooked chicken thighs or the meat probably wouldn’t have cooked.
    Reply: #145
  13. 113
    Kim
    February 24
    Just made this today. LOVE IT! I skinned my chicken thighs. Covered casserole dish and baked 40 min. Came out Excellent!
  14. 114
    Jeffrey
    March 5
    Tried to make the cottage cheese pancakes today- Pretty Bad!! Need help- anyone else try them? Just gross- no flavor- would not stay together.
    Reply: #137
  15. 115
    Reply to comment #105 by Erin
    Yvonne Hughes
    March 12
    FORGET the calories, my dahrlin... they are NOT RELEVANT.... old brainwashing... low carb high fat is key... calories in calories out need to be thrown OUT the window. Your Fitness Pal, as most of these type of things still think the old way and have LOW FAT on the brain... ignore it...
  16. 116
    Marla J Zywicki
    March 24
    You have recipes but portion amounts are not given. how to determine the amount of food to eat?
    Reply: #122
  17. 117
    Reply to comment #105 by Erin
    Shirley
    March 25
    "FORGET the calories, my dahrlin... they are NOT RELEVANT.... old brainwashing... low carb high fat is key... calories in calories out need to be thrown OUT the window. Your Fitness Pal, as most of these type of things still think the old way and have LOW FAT on the brain... ignore it." .. (Yvonne Hughes)

    Erin, If you are really abiding by the LCHF rules, weight will literally fall off of you. I started on the 1st of January and have lost 35 lbs. I have high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood sugar. I can't wait until my next lab test. I should have another 35 lbs off before then. I use fitness pal's online version. I hate that I have to manipulate what I've eaten in order for it to allow me to complete my entries. I just use it to keep track of my carb intake.

    Forget the calorie count.

  18. 118
    Susan
    March 25
    I have written in before about how much I love this recipe, just as the recipe is written. I make it
    About once a week. Tonight I chopped up a couple chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, and mixed them
    In with the cream sauce and oh my!!!! Awesome!
  19. 119
    gibsae02
    March 26
    This was delish! I have to admit that I was a little doubtful when I tasted the sauce prior to putting it in and baking, but when all the ingredients came together it was wonderful. I took the suggestions from other comments and steamed the cauliflower in the microwave and sautéed the leeks (adding some garlic and a few mushrooms) before putting them over the chicken. I also added the combo of 1/4 c heavy cream, 1c sour cream, 2 tbsp cream cheese and some parmesean cheese the sauce, which helped thicken it a bit. I will absolutely be making this again soon! There seem to be endless ways to customize this recipe in order to keep it exciting. Thanks for sharing!
  20. 120
    Annb
    March 26
    Can something else be instead of leeks and pesto?
  21. 121
    Tyler
    April 6
    Just used this one. Subbed mushrooms for the cauliflower and used mozzarella cheese (I also didn't eat lunch). Also, not a big fan of chicken thighs and so I used breasts instead. It was amazing.
  22. 122
    Reply to comment #116 by Marla J Zywicki
    Tyler
    April 6
    Eat until you are satisfied is what the videos says.
  23. 123
    Jane
    April 30
    Annb, I used green salsa (Aldi) and white onion. It was delicious.
  24. 124
    Marta
    May 5
    Just made this casserole, didn´t change anything, so delicious and easy to make! Thank you!
  25. 125
    Tom
    May 14
    It would be nice to have a button that would give us the recipe on a printable format.
    Reply: #134
  26. 126
    Hillary
    May 15
    This is delicious! My family loves it. I have not baked it with the cheese on top. Instead, I bake it without the cheese and when it is done, I serve it with shaved parmesan on top. Very good!
  27. 127
    James
    May 18
    I'm trying to understand the nutritional information. Taking this recipe as an example, if I add up the grams as written, I get a total of 100 grams/serving. How, then, does 56 grams of fat equate to 75%? I'm having trouble understanding the numbers. Can anyone explain?
    Reply: #128
  28. 128
    Reply to comment #127 by James
    James
    May 18
    Nevermind. :-) I think I figured it out.
  29. 129
    Holly
    June 7
    I made this last night and we really enjoyed it. Usually I try the recipe 'as is' the first time, then tweak it afterwards, but due to all of the conflicting comments I changed it up a bit. I tossed the chicken and veggies with some olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roasted on a sheet pan until nicely done (30 minutes at 400 degrees worked perfectly), then topped with sauce and cheese and returned to the oven for a few minutes to get nice and melty. I used 4 oz cream cheese and 1/2 cup heavy cream in the sauce because I wanted it to be thick and creamy. Delicious and so easily customized for different vegetables and seasonings!
  30. 130
    Judy
    June 9
    Yum yum
  31. 131
    Chris
    June 11
    Need to know how much is a serving. As only eating 20 carbs per day for now.
  32. 132
    Richard
    June 13
    This meal was INCREDIBLE!!! When I walked in the house, I knew that I was in for a real treat, because it was like walking into an Italian restaurant. The pesto made everything smell so great, and the flavor was amazing... I just couldn't get enough! Luckily, there was enough for us to enjoy it as lunch the day after... Just goes to show that you don't need crazy carbs to eat like royalty!
  33. 133
    Suzy
    June 19
    Made this today and after reading these comments I think I may have done something wrong. The sauce was very watery, soup/like. It didn’t resemble a casserole at all. Any suggestions?
  34. 134
    Reply to comment #125 by Tom
    Fats
    June 24
    It would be nice to have a button that would give us the recipe on a printable format.

    Tom, there is a print button directly under each recipe and they print beautifully with nice clear large print and photos. Have printed many.

    Reply: #149
  35. 135
    Ruth
    July 4
    Is this boneless or bone in chicken thighs? I've made it a couple of times but with boneless and it was lovely. Got some bone in, skin on thighs I want to use up, guess I'll need to cook for longe? Advice pls.
  36. 136
    Liz
    July 16
    Like Suzy I found this very watery. I used half cream and half sour cream for the sauce. Will thicken sauce tomorrow night for the leftovers. Tasty though.
  37. 137
    Reply to comment #114 by Jeffrey
    Donna
    July 18
    Hi Jeffrey,
    I sub the cottage cheese for ricotta. No sticking to pan (used butter and spray) and they turned out pretty good.
  38. 138
    Melinda Hooton
    July 19
    With the Keto Chicken Casserole is there anything else I can use in place of the green pesto? I'm feeding a group and one of them says they are allergic to basil. The only green pesto I can source is basil pesto. I could really use some advice on this! Thanks.
    Reply: #148
  39. 139
    Chris
    July 23
    It states (shredded cheese) what type of cheese??
  40. 140
    Fiona
    August 14
    Loved this recipe - very tasty. I used a covered dish from the outset in the oven and left it in for 1 and a half hours to make sure the chicken was cooked. I did check it after 40 mins but it was still very raw. However, its well worth the wait - it was delicious!
  41. 141
    Jane
    August 17
    The veg were uncooked - pre-cook if you don’t like squeaky leeks etc ... !
  42. 142
    Reply to comment #110 by Robin C
    Shelly
    August 24
    They do show all the nutritional facts - down at the bottom of the recipe you need to click on the + and it will show you. This particular recipe per serving?

    6g carbs
    56g fat
    36g protein
    675 calories

    Reply: #152
  43. 143
    Mike
    August 26
    I'm a little confused as to the nutritional information on the side tab. Why do they count "net carbs" when they explicitly say elsewhere on the site to beware of anything that has "net" carbs in the info?
    Reply: #144
  44. 144
    Reply to comment #143 by Mike
    Peter Biörck Team Diet Doctor
    August 27
    Hi Mike!

    We don't count the fiber because it doesn't increase your blood glucose.

    But commercial products that states few net carbs in their nutritional info are often highly processed and also often uses potentially unhealthy sweeteners.

  45. 145
    Reply to comment #112 by Claire
    Lisa
    August 29
    Hello. it says to cook the chicken before you bake it!
  46. 146
    Sonya
    September 3
    This was lovely. I got tomato pasto instead of the green one, but it was still lovely.
  47. 147
    kerstin
    September 10
    Just tried this recipe. I love the flavor. I did exactly what the recipe instructed. I know that these types of dishes tastes better the next day,when reheated. My family was a bit disappointed because the sauce was very thin. Next time I think I will make it with sour cream 3/4 cup, and heavy whipping cream 1/4 cup. I also think the size pan that they recommended is too long/big. The chicken thighs kind of shrink in the dish and then just sit in the sauce, plus the toppings just slide off. With that said I'll use a smaller dish, mix all the toppings together, including the sauce, and then just pour it over the chicken. Also... too much leek.. adjust the recipe to a half and soak it for about 30 minutes before mixing it together should do the trick.
  48. 148
    Reply to comment #138 by Melinda Hooton
    Kim
    September 10
    Cilantro is the alternative to basil. Either can be used when making pesto.
  49. 149
    Reply to comment #134 by Fats
    Andrew
    September 12
    Control P and you can print it on many computers
  50. 150
    Deborah
    October 6
    Made this for dinner tonight exactly as per the recipe. It was delicious!! Used heavy cream, skin on/bone in thighs and smoked Gouda cheese. The sauce is quite runny but still delicious- no leftover sauce on the plate.
    I discovered halfway through that the Smoked Gouda was not melting, but rather getting toasted and crunchy- ops. I took it out and grated some cheddar over it to try to “save” it. The end result was super tasty as had a nice little crunch from the Gouda. Happy mistake. 😋
  51. 151
    Johanna
    October 7
    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
  52. 152
    Reply to comment #142 by Shelly
    Rose
    October 9
    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.
  53. 153
    Kris
    4 days ago
    I thought this recipe was very bland and watery. I just did not like it at all. A waste of time and money.
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