Keto chicken casserole
Ingredients
- ¾ cup 175 ml heavy whipping cream or sour cream
- ½ cup 125 ml cream cheese
- 3 tbsp 3 tbsp green pesto
- ½ ½ lemon, the juice
- salt and pepper
- 1½ oz. 40 g butter
- 2 lbs 900 g skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 1 leek, finely choppedleeks, finely chopped
- 4 oz. 110 g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 lb 450 g cauliflower, cut into small florets
- 7 oz. 200 g shredded cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Mix cream and cream cheese with pesto and lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste.
- 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.
- Place the chicken in a greased 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) baking dish, and pour in the cream mixture.
- Top chicken with leek, tomatoes and cauliflower.
- 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.
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Sauce too runny? If you'd like an even thicker 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!
Cleaning and slicing leeks
Start with rinsing the leek and patting dry with a paper or kitchen towel. Use a sharp knife to cut off the darker green end. Thinly slice the leek into rings and you're ready to go!
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 off 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.
Meals
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227 comments
Great recipe, had slightly smaller portion with some fried cabbage and spinach on the side.
1000000% Amazing!
That is not necessary, it will soften as the dish bakes.
This would be 75g cream cheese.
http://www.cookitsimply.com/measurements/cups/cream-cheese-0070-080l....
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Have made it twice now, excellent both times. Second time did half sour cream, half HWC and some cheese to thicken, but felt the time when I used sour cream only was best (in addition to the cream cheese).
Interesting to read some comments above are similar to what we discussed last night. One guest suggested sundried tomatoes would go well - I agree, but feel the cherry tomatoes really excelled here. Feel 50% more cherry tomatoes could be used if you're not too strict on carbs. The bacon addition suggested above I feel would wreck the dish.
Someone above mentioned precooking the cauliflower. It will come out fine without precooking, but make sure you don't over cook the chicken during browning (i.e. use higher heat). That'll give the cauliflower enough time to go al-dente with out overcooking the chicken. And definitely don't sub for breasts. Smaller florets help here too of course, but too small and you lose the nice bite they have.
Precooking the leek, again not needed. Not saying it was the case here, but using too much of the leaves will lead to this - they're tough and should be discarded - just chop the cylinder portion.
Yes, in step 3, you will cook the chicken before adding it to the dish.