People love puppies. It’s a fact. How can you not? I introduced my new puppy, Max, on Instagram, and everyone fell in love right along with me! He received the most likes ever, on any picture I’ve ever posted. Clearly people like puppies more than food. Poor Tyson (my Doberman) was sooo lonely after Belle (our Labrador) passed away. He’s always had Belle to play with and keep him company, so we knew it wasn’t fair for him to be on his own. We headed to the SPCA not expecting to find a dog that day, but rather just to look. I instantly wanted to adopt ALL the dogs. I can’t stand seeing dogs in cages! Sweet Belle will always have a piece of my heart, but now I can only smile when thinking of her and all the memories we made over the years. Fate took over, and we adopted a puppy that day. This little guy melts my heart, and Tyson is so happy again! Everyone, meet Max!
Anyway, back to food! I know, not as exciting as puppies, but this recipe is so good! I’ve always loved casseroles, and something about them brings me right back to my childhood. Plus I LOVE homemade pesto (who doesn’t?!). My Pesto Chicken “Pasta” was a huge hit and got great reviews on Instagram, and this dish is a different take on it! This recipe is extra awesome, because not only can you make it ahead of time and bake it whenever you’re ready, but also the leftovers are really good eaten cold! Hope you enjoy this one as much as my family did! Happy cooking!
Pesto Chicken Casserole
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
For the casserole:
- 1 medium to large spaghetti squash
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
- ½ cup sun dried tomatoes
- ¼ cup pine nuts
For the pesto sauce:
- 4 cups packed basil leaves
- 4-5 garlic cloves
- ¼ walnuts or pine nuts
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Cut the spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise. Place the squash face down on a baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the skin is soft and the threads of the squash come out easily with a fork. Once the squash is cooked, take it out of the oven and turn the heat down to 350 degrees.
- While the squash is baking, let’s make the quick pesto! Add all of the pesto ingredients to food processor or blender (including the eggs) and pulse until well combined. Set aside.
- Melt the coconut oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken and sauté until cooked through. Turn off the heat.
- Remove the threads of the squash using two forks, and add to the pan with the chicken. Add the pesto sauce and stir well to combine. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and stir once more.
- Pour the mixture into a 9” (or 8”) square baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Add the pine nuts to the top of the casserole, and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the middle of the casserole is slightly firm to the touch.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Slice and enjoy!
This looks wonderful. What could I use instead of the spaghetti squash? I’m from the UK and haven’t actually come across one as yet sadly!
Hmmm, good question, Debbie! I think any other type of squash would work, you could shred it and cook it in a pan prior to baking, or just slice it thin. Zucchini would work well I would just suggest really “salting” it beforehand to get out all the moisture, that way you don’t end up with a watery casserole. Check out my Pesto Chicken “Pasta” for the salting method 🙂
wow this looks amazing, sweetie!
Thanks so much, Meg! <3
nom nom nom. I love any type of casserole with spaghetti squash. Always a win.
Agreed! 🙂