Cheesy Chicken Pesto Squash Bake
Cheesy chicken pesto squash bake lets you enjoy all the favorites of the Italian classic in a lower carb dish you’ll love! Featuring tons of flavor from pesto and a blend of spices and cheese, this dish will get everyone to eat their veggies happily!
Pesto is the best isn’t it?
It’s so yummy with all its garlic basil flavor.
And you wouldn’t believe how delicious it tastes on this chicken squash bake!
Of course, it’s even better because it’s got a blend of two cheeses.
That alone is enough to get my brood to eat this dish without complaining that there is no pasta or rice to go with it.
Ingredients
To make this, you’ll need:
- Chicken– Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of any fat.
- Spices– Salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika give the chicken so much flavor!
- Squash– This uses both a chopped zucchini and chopped yellow squash. Don’t have both growing in your garden? You can substitute all zucchini or all yellow squash if you desire.
- White onion– Dice it up.
- Pesto– You can use your favorite store bought brand of pesto sauce or a homemade version.
- Cheese– Both shredded mozzarella cheese and shredded Parmesan.
Ingredients
This dish is so easy to make that you can throw it together on even the busiest of weeknights!
To do it, lightly spray a 9×13″ casserole dish with non stick cooking spray.
Add the prepared chicken to the dish, and season it liberally with salt & pepper on both sides. Sprinkle the garlic powder & smoked paprika evenly out over the chicken.
Then, evenly spread the chopped veggies out over the seasoned chicken.
Top the veggies with dollops of pesto sauce and then finish by spreading both cheeses evenly out over the dish.
Pop it in the oven and bake the dish at 375° for 45 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown, the veggies roasted, and the chicken is cooked through.
Carefully remove the dish from the oven, and let it rest for 2-3 minutes.
Serve and enjoy!
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes, you can definitely make this ahead of time or even make it as a meal prep dish.
If you do, you can either reheat it right in the baking dish or dole portions out into airtight containers for an easy grab and go lunch all week.
Just store the cooked recipe in the fridge for up to 4 days.
What to Serve with It
We aren’t a low carb family so we like to pair it with a side of steamed white or long grain rice.
If you do watch your carbs, a side of extra roasted veggies or a big salad would go nicely with this.
Tips and Tricks
- Prepping the pan with cooking spray isn’t really essential since nothing will stick without it; however, it does make cleanup a breeze.
- Baking this on the middle rack of the oven will yield the best results.
- The chicken is cooked through when it reads 165 degrees on a meat thermometer.
Other Squash Recipes You’ll Love
This cheesy chicken pesto squash bake is one of my family’s favorite ways to use up all our summer squash. Add it to your meal plan and enjoy!
Looking for other savory squash recipes? Try these:
- Tomato Feta Zucchini Muffins
- Crispy Garlic Parmesan Squash Chips
- Stuffed Pattypan Squash
- Sautéed Summer Squash with Bacon & Onions
- Baked Gnocchi with Zucchini & Tomatoes
- Sausage & Zucchini Casserole
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Cheesy Chicken Pesto Squash Bake
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed of fat
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 medium zucchini chopped
- 1 medium yellow squash chopped
- 1 medium white onion diced
- 1/2 cup pesto sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Lightly spray a 9x13" casserole dish with non stick cooking spray.
- Add the chicken to the dish, and season it liberally with salt & pepper. Sprinkle the garlic powder & smoked paprika evenly out over the chicken.
- Evenly spread the chopped veggies out over the seasoned chicken.
- Spoon the pesto sauce out over the veggies in dollops.
- Sprinkle both cheeses evenly out over the casserole dish.
- Bake the dish at 375° for 45 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown, veggies roasted, and the chicken is cooked through.
- Carefully remove the dish from the oven, and let it rest for 2-3 minutes.
- Serve & enjoy!
Nutrition
recipe adapted from Easy Family Recipes
