Cheesy Pesto Chicken Bake With Squash
Cheesy pesto chicken bake with squash lets you enjoy all the favorites of pesto chicken – no noodles needed! 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 cheese!
Two different kinds for maximum indulgence despite being lower carb.
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.
And, you might not think about it, but pesto is a delicious addition to all that summer squash growing in your garden, making this cheesy pesto chicken bake with squash a perfect way to use up all that zucchini that you don’t quite know what to do with!
Ingredients
To make this, you’ll need:
- Chicken– Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of any fat and diced into chunks.
- 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 that’s what you have available.
- 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. Or substitute an Italian blend!
How to Make
This cheesy pesto chicken bake with squash 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 both sides with salt and pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
Then, evenly spread the chopped veggies out over the seasoned chicken.
Top the veggies with dollops of pesto sauce.
Then spread both cheeses evenly out over the chicken and veggies.
Pop the casserole 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!
Serving Suggestions
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, try:
- extra roasted or sauteed veggies- bell pepper slices would be delicious
- a big salad
- cauliflower rice
Storing Leftovers
Put any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 4 days.
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.
The pesto chicken bake will stay good for about 4 days after you cook it.
Tips and Tricks
- Use the cooking spray! While it doesn’t change the taste of the recipe, it does make clean up so much easier. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.
- 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.
- You could use other seasonings if you’d like as well. Lemon pepper and an Italian blend would both be delicious.
Other Squash Recipes You’ll Love
This cheesy pesto chicken bake with squash is a delicious way to use up your zucchini and get your family to happily eat their veggies.
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
If you’ve tried these CHEESY PESTO CHICKEN BAKE WITH SQUASH or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Cheesy Pesto Chicken Bake With Squash
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed of fat, and diced into chunks
- 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, in an even layer, and season it liberally with salt & pepper. Sprinkle the garlic powder & smoked paprika evenly out over the chicken.2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, salt & pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- Evenly spread the chopped veggies out over the seasoned chicken.1 medium zucchini, 1 medium yellow squash, 1 medium white onion
- Spoon the pesto sauce out over the veggies in dollops.1/2 cup pesto sauce
- Sprinkle both cheeses evenly out over the casserole dish.1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 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!
Notes
- Use the cooking spray! While it doesn't change the taste of the recipe, it does make clean up so much easier. Trust me, you'll thank me later.
- 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.
- You could use other seasonings if you'd like as well. Lemon pepper and an Italian blend would both be delicious.
Nutrition
recipe adapted from Easy Family Recipes
