Keto Italian Chicken Casserole

The words “Italian food” always remind people of pasta, and carbs. But you can get the wonderful taste of Italian food without all the carbs in this Keto Italian Chicken Casserole. In this delightful recipe, the pasta is replaced with cubed cooked chicken. The sauce and cheeses remain the same and there’s even some bacon for added flavor.

While the recipe calls for cooked chicken breast, any leftover cooked chicken you have should work just as well. It doesn’t all have to be breast meat. If you have some leftover rotisserie chicken you can cube that up and use it instead.

I was so excited to receive a copy of Easy Keto Dinners by the outstanding author, Carolyn Ketchum of All Day I Dream About Food, I couldn’t wait to share a recipe with you.

By couldn’t wait, I mean it. This cookbook came in the mail just yesterday! That’s how excited I am about it. Carolyn is an incredible low carb influencer who is also the author of The Everyday Ketogenic Kitchen, another fantastic resource for anyone following a keto diet.

There are pepper flakes called out in the recipe to give it a little spice. If you don’t want to use pepper flakes, but still want a little extra flavor, you can substitute some smoked paprika for a subtle, smokey flavor. Basil is added to the marinara sauce to enhance the flavor, if you don’t have basil you can substitute Italian seasoning or just leave it out all together.

Keto Italian Chicken Casserole is a delicious, easy recipe your whole family should enjoy. So, next time you have some leftover chicken and are craving Italian food, this casserole should hit the spot.

When I say the dinners in this cookbook are easy, I mean EASY. But they are in no way recipes that are just for beginners. Easy Keto Dinners is full of 50+ crowd pleasing recipes that are made with ingredients you already have in your fridge and pantry.

With all of life’s hustle and bustle, what could be better than healthy, low carb, delicious meals that you can whip right up and serve to your family? Carolyn gets it, and she NAILED it.

The recipe I’m sharing today is a fun, keto spin on one of my favorites from my higher carb days. Chicken Parmesan.

Ingredients

• 4 5-ounce (150 gram) boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• Salt and pepper, to season
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 fire roasted pepper, (fire roasted capsicum), chopped
• 15- ounces 425 grams crushed tomatoes, OR tomato puree (Passata)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste, garlic and herb flavoured if possible
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes OPTIONAL
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley, to garnish

Instructions

1. Arrange oven shelf to the middle of the oven. Preheat broiler (or grill in Australia) on medium heat.
2. Season chicken with 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning, paprika, onion powder, salt and pepper.
3. Heat oil in a pan or skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken on both sides until browned and cooked through (about 8 minutes each side). Transfer to a plate; set aside.
4. Cook the onion in the same pan until transparent (about 3-4 minutes) scraping any browned bits form the bottom of the pan, then add in the garlic and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add the fire roasted pepper (or capsicum), crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, crushed red pepper flakes (if including) and remaining Italian seasoning. Give it a good stir to mix well.
5. Bring to a simmer and allow the sauce to thicken while stirring occasionally (about 4 minutes).
6. Arrange the chicken in the sauce and top each breast with 2-3 tablespoons of mozzarella cheese per breast. Transfer to the oven to broil for 1-2 minutes, or until the cheese in browned and bubbling.
7. Garnish with parsley and serve.