yesterday, i asked marshall what he wanted for dinner last night and his reply was, “i want a casserole.” i love that guy. who says that? my husband, that’s who.
i wanted to use on-hand ingredients but i also wanted to come up with something new. this is what i had on-hand:
- chicken breasts
- broccoli
- garlic
- spinach & artichoke hummus
- homemade pesto
- parmesan cheese
- greek yogurt
- various seasonings
i thought i could whip up some sort of garlic parmesan pesto chicken casserole. i know, what a long name, right?! i should work on shortening that. i stopped by the store on my way home from my niece’s soccer game (which was awesome, by the way, she is 4 years old and cute as a button) and i picked up the following:
- whole wheat farfalle (that is bow tie pasta, FYI)
- 6 oz jar of artichoke hearts
- one packet of simply organic pesto sauce
that is all i needed to create marshall’s requested casserole! i also snagged a small loaf of whole grain bread from the bakery to make some garlic bread.
garlic parmesan pesto chicken casserole
ingredients:
- 2 chicken breasts, diced
- salt, pepper, dried basil & dried oregano (to taste)
- ~2 cups roughly chopped broccoli, steamed
- 6 ounces chopped artichoke hearts
- 2 TB basil pesto, homemade or jarred
- 1/4 cup hummus (i used spinach artichoke sabra)
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1/4 cup greek yogurt
- 1 packet pesto sauce (plus the 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/2 cup water needed to prepare)
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- ~3 cups cooked pasta (any shape is fine, i used whole wheat farfalle)
directions:
put a pot of water on to boil. once boiling, cook pasta al dente and set aside.
dice chicken and season with salt, pepper, basil & oregano. cook in sauté pan.
once the chicken is cooked through, let it cool a bit. dice the cooled chicken up into very small pieces, as shown below.
dice the artichoke hearts and steam the broccoli.
in a bowl, combine chicken, broccoli and artichokes. 
add 2 TB pesto. mix well.
prepare the pesto sauce according to package.
when it is done, add your greek yogurt to the sauce.
add noodles, 1/2 cup of the parmesan, the pesto yogurt sauce, hummus and garlic to the bowl. mix well.
put mixture into a casserole dish.
top with remaining 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until warmed through. for the last 5 minutes, take off the foil so the cheese can get golden brown.
serve with a side of garlic bread and enjoy! 
this was really delicious! marshall liked it, too. sometimes i forget that you can use a starch other than rice in casseroles. noodles, potatoes and other grains work just as fabulously!
the best thing about casseroles are they are better the next day, don’t you agree? today for lunch, i ate some leftover casserole mixed with 1/2 cup of cottage cheese for added protein. it was soooo delicious. and then i ate two cookies. because cookies make things better.
yeah, i have been eating cookies to feel better and i will be honest and say i haven’t worked out in a week. i have had some personal and emotional things going on in my world that aren’t blog-appropriate but they have led to day after day of non existent workouts and cookie baking and eating. hope to get back into the swing of things soon so i can ramble about some moves!
Qs~
1. what foods do you think taste better the next day?
2. i need some inspiration and motivation.. what was your most recent workout?
xo. janetha g.
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I am not a huge fan of casseroles but I agree that they taste better the next day! This is also weird but I really like mashed potatoes the next day – heated up with some milk to make them creamy again!
I hope you’re doing ok…if you ever need to “talk” you know my email address. I’m going through some stuff too, so we could probably lean on each other ;) This dinner looks incredible. mm mm comforting! I love a good pasta bake/casserole. And that bread is the perfect side. I’ve never seen sabra spinach and artichoke hummus- I must find this!
1. what foods do you think taste better the next day? Most italian dishes and soup/stew!!
2. i need some inspiration and motivation.. what was your most recent workout? Ran 6 miles outside! The weather is perfect in the AM in SC right now for running. Rock it girl!
thank you so much, erica! you’re a great friend. i will have to shoot you a note. you hang in there with your issues!!
I sometimes think I am the only one that loves cold leftovers. Casseroles are good cold leftover the next day. See, I am weird. I love making spaghetti casseroles or egg casseroles with beans as a starch.
Aww ‘my husband.’ I love the sound of that. A reader sent me that pouch of pesto mix…I totes want to make this now.
PS I hope your day got better…I love you, J!! I’ve been eating lotsa carbs lately too. Blah. Keep your head up.
haha, i hardly use the term husband because it is so weird! but i like it. thanks for being there, allie :)
I love how you made a casserole with hummus!
Hope you feel better soon. My last workout was speedwork on the treadmill for 3.5 miles, alternating a fast 400m with a slower 400m.
you can’t go wrong with the quick/slow routine. thanks for your support :)
Sending good vibes your way – hang in there xoxo
thank you liz! you are always SO supportive!
Wishing you happy thoughts…and hoping things get better fast!
me too :) thanks!
I know we don’t know each other, but I just read this and wanted you to know I was praying for you. I can totally understand going through really hard stuff. I love reading your cute stories about cooking up things for Marshall. Walk with those adorable pups and your man—that might encourage you and help with the workout aspect! P.S. I show pics of your dogs to my husband all the time because they are so stinking cute. Oh, and I think chili is always better the next day.
lauren, your comment and prayers mean more than you know. thank you! i have a penny laying on me as i type this :) dogs are so therapeutic!
This looks awesome!!!! I’m not the biggest fan of casseroles but this one I would be all over! :)
every time i hear the word casserole, i think of 1950 haha. that aside, yours does look delish! i think everything tastes better the 2nd time around especially chili or soups-the flavors get to mingle :) ::hugs:: to you! my last workout was this morning and i just did a quick 2.4mi run around my neighborhood as the sun was coming up. it was very peaceful even if it was already 72F
props for running in the morning AND in the heat. i need to buck up and do that myself. thanks for the hugs!
That looks amazing and I wish you lived closer to me so I could enjoy these creations! (Plus I’d get to hang out with you more and I wouldn’t forget that you were playing Rummikub). My chocolate chip cookies and carmelitas are better the next day… the flavors mingle better… and I think Italian food is better the next day. Now I want some of mom’s chicken cashew casserole… comfort food for sure!
I forgot to say I love you! You are an amazing person and I am so glad you are my sister and friend.
<3
When we go through rough times it’s important to remember to take care of ourselves, when possible. I don’t know your situation, but if you can get in the gym for some “me” time, even for half an hour here and there it might make you feel better! :)
Hope everything works out okay.
thanks, maria! i really should go sweat it out. (as i eat peanut butter from the jar…)
Yum! That looks so tasty. I am excited for fall/winter and hearty casseroles.
Mmm, yummo.
ive never really been a fan of casseroles, why do i have to bake it? everything is already cooked
haha, i know, i was taking bites of it as i was preparing it.. it was hard to wait for it to bake! but it was worth the wait because the flavors all melded together and it was incredible.
I am a huge ‘leftover’ fan and think so many things taste better the next day when it gets a chance to marry; spaghetti is one. :) Hmm, nothing too exciting for me in terms of working out as I hurt my shoulder recently and can’t do weights or yoga, so just regular ‘ole cardio for me.
I hope you are feeling better soon!
thank you! and i hope your shoulder gets feeling A-OK!
The casserole looks delicious! And I’m sorry to hear you haven’t been feeling great. Sometimes we all need a break to take care of ourselves. Hope things are better.
thank you for the reminder, i will try not to feel so guilty over the missed sweat sessions!
YUM!!! That looks so stinkin’ good! Great job wingin’ it and coming up with such a delicious looking result. I agree with you about casseroles being better the next day. I feel like soups are that way too!
I’m still trying to crawl my way out of a bit of an exercise rut after getting some scary news about my dad’s health. It’s tough to get my groove back but I just try to push myself a tiny bit everyday and it’s getting easier now. Sorry you’re going through a tough time!
oh my goodness, i hope your dad’s health improves! thank you for relating to me–i am not alone in this non workout boat ;)
Works for me! Did you get that hummus at Costco cuz I need to get some pronto!
(Of course you also know you can email me anytime. Big hugs)
thanks tiff, i should. i am just so mentally exhausted right now from thinking about it :P YES i got it at costco! they dont have the sun dried tomato one anymore but this one may be better!
Janetha, sounds like you’ve been stressed out because when I’m stressed out and going through emotional difficulties, I don’t workout and I cook and eat comfort food. I hope it’s nothing serious and it gets better soon.
I think chili tastes better as leftover!
workout inspiration? Spinning class!
SPINNING. that is so smart. i can just show up and be told what to do! i may have to do that this week. thanks, coco! you are such a great friend! are you going to foodbuzz this year?
Was JUST ‘telling’ you about my spinning experience in my comment below before reading through others. I am so with you… It’s nice to get that good of a work out and NOT have to think. Love that. Work out on… brain off HAHAH! ;)
Whoa. Hummus and broccoli in the same dish? I’m sold.
You and Marshall are too adorb for words. Love it.
Casseroles rock, I love them. Especially since I live alone so I can eat leftovers for literally a week
Anything Asian, pasta and soup tends to taste better the next day. Love it.
Well, I’m running all. the. time. but I did a Body Pump at home thang last week that was fun.
Love this casserole idea! I am a pesto fiend.
I’m all about healing my knee right now so I’m trying to work on strengthening my glutes, hamstrings and shins. Lots of deadlifts, one leg lifts, leg presses, and stretching. I really like focusing on different muscle groups on different days. Hopefully stronger thighs will help my knees. (I hate my thighs they are huge! Muscular but still huge. Blech.)
Mixing yogurt, pesto and hummus for a sauce. I like it. I like it a lot. And I like you, but that is a whole other story.
1. Anything with quinoa. I prefer quinoa eaten cold in salad form, so it’s best after sitting in the fridge overnight!
2. I went to an Ashtanga Yoga class at my gym today and it was faaaabulous. My first two months in Toronto I didn’t do any yoga and I noticed the rest of my workouts suffered as a result. It’s really important for me to get light activity in between all the hard workouts I do, otherwise I just burn out. Been doing lots of walking too :) Also, I am loving my new weight lifting split. Have you decided on one yet? So far it’s been 30-40 minutes of lifting, with a little bit of cardio here and there to make a 60 minute workout. I feel like it’s a lot more efficient and I am so much more sore the next day after working just a couple muscle groups!!
Did you say you’re going to Foodbuzz??
chili is yummy the next day! i sometimes make it the day before we’ll eat it for that reason
Sorry to hear things haven’t been tops for you–hope all is well! My workout today was a 4-mile (35-minute) tempo run and I loved it! I did 10 minutes @ 9:13 pace; 10 minutes @ 8:57 pace; 8 minutes @ 8:41 pace; 2 minutes @ 8:57; and 5 minutes @ 9:13. Good luck getting back into the swing of things!
I think lasagna tastes better the second day. Funny you should ask about workouts. I just completed my first 25 minute run without stopping!! I am so proud of myself. I have been working toward my 5k and this is quite an accomplishment for me. I hope I can keep it up. Hope you feel better. Sometimes it’s good to take a break. We all need it once in awhile.
Hugs :).
Sorry to be so MIA! Chloe has been keeping me very busy. :) All I could think about when I saw this casserole was, “Holy yumballs!” You always create the best-looking recipes…I have to make this sometime! I love the fact that your meals always seem pretty easy to make, too. I definitely need that now!
I hope married life is treating you both well! XOXO
WOW Janetha, that casserole looks just delightful! :) I did the p90X YogaX today. And I already have doms. Maybe something relaxing like yoga will help you! I’m just getting into yoga and I can already tell my mood is better! Oh and last night I tried Caitlin’s (from healthy tipping point) quinoa crunch casserole! It was sooo good! But I agree, it was even better today after all the ingredients were all mushed together! Hang in there lady!
Hahaha – hey sometimes ya feel like casserole I guess!
My most recent workout was a 90 minute vinyasa class. But it was just meh…sorry not doing a great job on the motivation part of that question! LOL
Have a great night, girl :)
That casserole looks absolutely delicious! I havent made a casserole in ages – perhaps now is the time to try out a veggie version?
“non existent workouts and cookie baking and eating. “–that’s totally ok. Who cares!
What I am worried about though, is you! Hopefully you are okay emotionally. If you need an ear, I am here :)
Things better the next day, any kind of sauce like a marinara or anything where you want the flavors to really marry and blend.
Honey, worried about you now…
xoxo
I love that these darling ladies are so caring – their comments are comforting!
I too have been hitting the comfort food ie. ice cream and buttered popcorn – gads I’ll be rolly polly before long!! But hey we can always hit the gym tomorrow, right?!?
Your casserole looks so yummy!
xoxo
Delicious! I love mac and cheese the day after. I recently did a Chalene TurboJam dvd. It was tougher than I though it would be.
That looks amazing!! I think anything cheesy always tastes good the next day. Casseroles, lasagna, baked ziti…yum!
Hi! New commenter but long time reader :). First, that casserole looks so good! Second, I’m sorry you’re having life problems and sometimes a cookie or two does make things feel a little better as much as the media tells us that’s a “bad thing”. As for your questions…
1. I really like cold rice the next day because it gets all sticky and delicious yummm! (weird?..oh well!)
2. I had a great weights workout this morning! I walked for about 20 minutes and then instead of my usual heavy lifting I decided to lift lighter weights for more reps until my muscles were fatigued. It was definitely a good change up!
Hope everything works out for the best!
Oh dear! I hope things calm down for you. Sending prayers and happy thoughts your way.
My last workout was a yoga flow off of Netflix watch-it-now. It was surprisingly good – my arms are sore! After hiking over the weekend, I needed something to stretch me out.
My family’s go-to dish, black beans and rice, is always better the next day! Also, Indian food!
What is it with guys and casseroles? Nick loves them too! And I need to make this one. I LOVE the idea of using pesto + hummus. Yum!
I feel you on the not-so-much-with-working-out-lately-cuz-life-is-doing-stupid-things tip. I finally went to yoga last night though and am relishing my sore muscles this morning! Hope whatever it is passes quickly for you!
This recipes sounds FANTASTIC! Marshall is a lucky guy ;)
I’m sorry to hear things have been rough. Hopefully you’re working them out and will be back to your old self soon. I haven’t been working out much either lately and feeling kinda bluh far too often. Maybe something is in the air…
i’m feeling the workout blues too! i hope people give you some good tips haha but i suck because i way overslept today and now i’m all off kilter needing serious amounts of caffiene here at work!
the simply organic guacamole mix is AMAZING. you need to try it
i feel your pain about being away from the gym for too long…you’ll be alright, darling, keep your chin up! i hope whatever issues are causing you pain subside, and QUICK. i’m here if you ever need anything :) your casserole looks delicious, on a positive note!
1. i think roasted vegetables are REALLY great the 2nd time around. especially if they’re marinated, because it gives them a lot of time for the juices to really soak in!
2. my most recent workouts have been insanity! i LOVE it, and i think you would too, actually! lots of jumping around. shaun t himself is inspiring and motivating!
xox.
I’m sorry to hear you’ve got some tough things going on. To be trite, life can be so poo sometimes! If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to shoot me an e-mail, gorgeous girl!
So sorry to hear you’re going through a rough patch my love. You know my email address. Please feel free to ramble to your favourite Brit whenever you like. I heart you.
On another note, that casserole looks amaze-balls delicious! You are super good at coming up with original recipes – I admire that!
I have a free pass to a week of hot yoga so bikram was my last workout! Super intense and wonderful. I recommend trying something completely new to jump out of a rut. I also just bought a one piece swim suit so I can get into swimming! xoxx
Adding hummus to a casserole is a brilliant idea! This looks fantastically delicious. :-)
I’m really sorry to hear that things are a little out of balance…Maybe try mixing things up with a fun exercise class at the gym–like zumba. I also find that yoga and pilates are rejuvenating.
You’re in my thoughts and prayers. xoxo
That looks like SUCH a delicious casserole! My hus says he doesn’t like pesto… but I have a feeling he would love this!
Casseroles are SO good the next day. So is lasagna. But I guess that’s kind of like a casserole, no?
I completely understand the emotional eating thing… don’t worry about it, you’ll jump back on the bandwagon in no time! We all go through stuff :)
I have been doing a LOT of quick [20 mins or less] super HIIT workouts for the whole body… this one I did today was only 12 minutes but I was totally sweaty and out of breath by the end of it… crazy! I love Bodyrock.tv’s workouts. Once you get past the fake boobs Zuzana is a genius :P
xo
Kris
awww ! Miss Janetha!! I am sad to hear that things aren’t well :( I hope things start getting better really soon. ;) *sending hugz*
Your casserole is genious! As the weather starts cooling off (did it warm up here?) I tend to want to make more soups and casseroles. LOVE your use of hummus here. I think it makes sauces extra creamy w/o the cream.
Things that taste better the next day… LOOOOOTs of stuff in my opinion. Soups, stews, salsa, things from the crockpot, enchilada’s, casseroles (wink, wink) ;), stir fry’s, meat sauce, marinara sauce.. pretty much anything that has simmered …
My last workout was what I call a home weight circut. I blast the music, get out my free weights, yoga mat and ball and get to work. I usually do a pretty full body work out… going as fast as I can with no breaks for 30 minutes. I’m not really a work out guru, so i won’t type out what I did bc its all pretty basic and I’m sure other’s have way fancier ideas ;P My workout before that was a spin class. Oh how I LOVE spinning. I took my first class last tues and took the same one two days ago and am loving it. I also ride my bike outside, so maybe that’s why I like it so much. After my first class, I rode with Brian on the street and he said I am so much faster ?! Already ?!?! YES!
Lasagna always tastes better the next day!!
My last workout was kind of boring – but it was 3mile/28 min HIIT (6.0- 8.0 mph) & 45 mins legs workout for both slow and fast twitch muscles.
1) Squats of Smith Machine 3 sets x 20 FAST reps w/20#(plates)
2) Seated Calf Raises 3 sets x 15 reps (1st set fast, 2nd set slow, 3rd set fast) w/45#
3) Deadlifts 3 sets x 20 reps w/ Short BB (25#??)
4) Lunges 2 sets x 30 reps
5) Stretched those hamstrings
6) Abs – straight set, no rest – 40 leg lifts, 150 crunches, 50 side touches, and for the ultimate challenge 30s 45 degree hold
Hope everything works itself out.
This looks so good. I can’t wait to give it a try!! Thanks for sharing! :)
PS – If you want a REAL workout – challenging but fun – check out my Saturday “Goodbye Bra Fat” (aka Pushup/Pullup) workout here ya go – http://mangiarebuonoviverebello.wordpress.com/2010/08/29/what-it-is-to-be-a-girlyman%e2%80%a6/
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