Dump-and-Bake Pesto Chicken
You only need 4 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep for this easy Dump-and-Bake Pesto Chicken! It's a healthy dinner for your busiest weeknights!
Course Dinner
Cuisine Italian
Keyword crock pot chicken, pesto chicken, pesto chicken thighs
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings
6
people
Calories 435.1 kcal
Author Blair
Ingredients
list of 4 items
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 (8.1 ounce) jar prepared pesto sauce (or about 1 cup homemade pesto sauce)
1 (0.7 ounce) packet Italian dressing and recipe mix (just the dry seasoning — NOT prepared)
½ cup chicken broth
list end
Instructions
OVEN BAKED METHOD:
list of 3 items
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Place chicken breasts in prepared dish. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, cover with pesto and pour chicken broth over top.
3. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40-45 minutes for thighs (or about 1 hour for breasts), or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165
degrees F.
list end
SLOW COOKER METHOD:
list of 2 items
1. Spray insert of slow cooker with cooking spray. Place chicken in the slow cooker. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, cover with pesto and pour chicken
broth over top.
2. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or on LOW for 6-8 hours. Slice the chicken or use two forks to shred the meat.
list end
Recipe Notes
Write list…
• NOTE: Nutrition facts provided include all of the sauce in the dish. You will likely NOT actually consume all of the sauce, so nutritional content in
the dish will vary depending on how much pesto you actually enjoy.• You can use either boneless, skinless chicken thighs or boneless, skinless chicken
breasts. If you’re cooking the chicken in the Crock Pot, I suggest using chicken thighs — they stay much juicier than the breast meat over the longer cooking
time.• Prep ahead! You can make this a freezer meal by combining all of the raw ingredients in a baking dish or in a large Ziploc bag. Wrap tightly and
freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and then bake or dump into the slow cooker and cook according to recipe instructions.• Have
leftovers? You can freeze this cooked pesto chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Use the cooked, shredded meat on top of pizza, tucked
inside panini sandwiches or on top of a salad.
Nutrition Facts
Dump-and-Bake Pesto Chicken
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 435.1 Calories from Fat 278
% Daily Value*
Fat 30.9g48%
Saturated Fat 3.3g21%
Cholesterol 106mg35%
Sodium 1300.2mg57%
Potassium 240mg7%
Carbohydrates 7.3g2%
Fiber 2.7g11%
Sugar 1.3g1%
Protein 30.2g60%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
From the seasoned mom
_._,_._,_
You only need 4 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep for this easy Dump-and-Bake Pesto Chicken! It's a healthy dinner for your busiest weeknights!
Course Dinner
Cuisine Italian
Keyword crock pot chicken, pesto chicken, pesto chicken thighs
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings
6
people
Calories 435.1 kcal
Author Blair
Ingredients
list of 4 items
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 (8.1 ounce) jar prepared pesto sauce (or about 1 cup homemade pesto sauce)
1 (0.7 ounce) packet Italian dressing and recipe mix (just the dry seasoning — NOT prepared)
½ cup chicken broth
list end
Instructions
OVEN BAKED METHOD:
list of 3 items
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Place chicken breasts in prepared dish. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, cover with pesto and pour chicken broth over top.
3. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40-45 minutes for thighs (or about 1 hour for breasts), or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165
degrees F.
list end
SLOW COOKER METHOD:
list of 2 items
1. Spray insert of slow cooker with cooking spray. Place chicken in the slow cooker. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, cover with pesto and pour chicken
broth over top.
2. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or on LOW for 6-8 hours. Slice the chicken or use two forks to shred the meat.
list end
Recipe Notes
Write list…
• NOTE: Nutrition facts provided include all of the sauce in the dish. You will likely NOT actually consume all of the sauce, so nutritional content in
the dish will vary depending on how much pesto you actually enjoy.• You can use either boneless, skinless chicken thighs or boneless, skinless chicken
breasts. If you’re cooking the chicken in the Crock Pot, I suggest using chicken thighs — they stay much juicier than the breast meat over the longer cooking
time.• Prep ahead! You can make this a freezer meal by combining all of the raw ingredients in a baking dish or in a large Ziploc bag. Wrap tightly and
freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and then bake or dump into the slow cooker and cook according to recipe instructions.• Have
leftovers? You can freeze this cooked pesto chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Use the cooked, shredded meat on top of pizza, tucked
inside panini sandwiches or on top of a salad.
Nutrition Facts
Dump-and-Bake Pesto Chicken
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 435.1 Calories from Fat 278
% Daily Value*
Fat 30.9g48%
Saturated Fat 3.3g21%
Cholesterol 106mg35%
Sodium 1300.2mg57%
Potassium 240mg7%
Carbohydrates 7.3g2%
Fiber 2.7g11%
Sugar 1.3g1%
Protein 30.2g60%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
From the seasoned mom
_._,_._,_
