Pesto Chicken Bake with Veggies {5 Ingredients, GF, DF}

Sheet pan dinners are one of the easiest things to make ever. 5 ingredients – pesto, chicken, asparagus, red peppers and mushrooms is all you need for this simple and healthy low carb pesto chicken bake recipe that makes for the ultimate low fuss weeknight dinner. Gluten Free + Dairy Free too. Sheet pan dinners are perfect when you’ve been feeling lazy and uninspired when it comes to preparing dinner? Well it’s about to get even better with one of my easiest recipes for sheet pan dinners – aka this pesto chicken bake.

What are sheet pan dinners, exactly? Pretty much the happiest thing an overworked and tired person could come across on a weeknight.

You basically mix up a handful of ingredients, toss them together in a bowl and throw them onto a baking tray/sheet/pan, you get the idea.

Let the oven do all the work as you sit back, have a glass of red (we are having chicken after all) wine, and feel the aromas spread throughout the kitchen.

Your sheet pan dinners can have a mix of any ingredients you like. For this pesto chicken bake sheet pan recipe, I went with asparagus, mushrooms and red peppers. Any specific reason for a selection of those three?

Yep – it’s exactly what I had in the fridge.

You could make sheet pan dinners with the addition of tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, – any of those will work too (especially tasty if you use cherry tomatoes).

I also happened to have a package of Spicy Italian chicken sausage, from which I removed the casings and cut into smaller pieces. If you have boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs those will work wonderfully in this recipe too. Just cut them up into bite sized pieces and you’re good to go!

For extra flavor I naturally had to add my all time favorite vegan basil pesto. Everyone needs to have a batch of this patiently waiting in the fridge at all time as is pretty much the equivalent of infusing your recipes with magical fairy dust.

That’s how anything tossed in pesto starts to taste, especially this pesto chicken bake.

Toss the veggies in a large bowl with pesto and additional garlic if you just can’t have a normal serving of garlic and need that extra garlicky kick at all times.

If you’re ever looking for me, I can usually be found in the kitchen mincing garlic. I’m starting to realize I might be eating way too much garlic daily for one person. Any other garlic overdoers out there? Tell me it’s not just me.

Everything tastes better with a clove (or 4) of garlic added in.

Now that those veggies are mixed, lay them out on a sheet pan, leaving some space, and add in the chicken sausage (or cut up chicken breasts/thighs).

If you have chicken breasts or thighs instead, cut those up and toss them in the bowl with the pesto for spreading on the baking sheet.

Bake for 30-40 minutes and then broil on high for a few to get a bit of additional sizzle and crunch on everything. Is the broiler your favorite oven feature too?

I use it almost every day. And I’m always at risk on setting my food, or the aluminum foil on fire because I insist on using the uppermost shelf to really get a nice char of everything.

It’s always a fine balance, which normally ends with someone running through the house shouting – something’s burningggg!

But really though, I know you are going to absolutely love making sheet pan dinners from now on, especially this low fuss pesto chicken bake. You literally only need a cutting board, mixing bowl and baking sheet. Minimal clean up gets serious extra credit on a weeknight. There’s also nothing to manage or constantly look over with this recipe. Mix everything up, pop into the oven and go for a walk.

This low carb and high protein veggie packed dinner is bound to be one of your new favorite weeknight dinner recipes for sheet pan dinners.

Aren’t one pot and pan meals the best? If you’re looking for more, be sure to check out my one pan Mediterranean rice with sausage lemons and olives,  one pot sausage rice with squash and peas, and one pot rice and sausage dish.

Other chicken recipe favorites include Gluten Free Chicken Thigh Recipes with Crispy Paprika Honey and Ground Chicken Recipes for Pumpkin Chili Chicken with Roasted Veggies. If you’re looking for a side to serve this recipe with my Chicken Salad with Cucumber and Mustard Dressing and Vegetable Biryani make for great sides!

How to make my pesto chicken bake:

2.4 from 10 votes

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5 Ingredient Pesto Chicken Bake with Veggies {GF, DF}

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Total Time

50 mins

 

5 ingredients - pesto, chicken sausage, asparagus, red peppers and mushrooms is all you need for this simple and healthy low carb pesto chicken bake that makes for the ultimate low fuss weeknight dinner. Gluten Free + Dairy Free too.

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, gluten free, Healthy, lowcarb

Servings: 4

Calories: 123 kcal

Author: Vicky

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 pounds Spicy Italian Chicken sausage gluten free
• 1 bundle asparagus tough ends cut off and discarded, rest cut into three segments
• 2 8 ounce contains baby bella mushrooms halved
• 2 red peppers seeded and cut into large pieces
• 3-4 tablespoons vegan basil pesto
• 1 tablespoons minced garlic optional
• salt/pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl combine asparagus, red pepper, mushrooms, salt and pepper, garlic and pesto. Toss until mixed.
3. Place veggies on large aluminum foil lined baking sheet, in single layer.
4. Remove casings from chicken sausages, and using your hands break each sausage up into three or four pieces. Place on baking sheet, in between the veggies.
5. Bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring once.
6. Broil on high for a few minutes for crispier veggies and sausage.

Recipe Notes

Instead of chicken sausage you can also used boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs cut into 2 inch long pieces 

Nutrition Facts

5 Ingredient Pesto Chicken Bake with Veggies {GF, DF}

Amount Per Serving

Calories 123 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 15mg5%

Sodium 328mg14%

Potassium 350mg10%

Carbohydrates 8g3%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 2195IU44%

Vitamin C 78.6mg95%

Calcium 26mg3%

Iron 0.9mg5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.