This one dish meal is great for a busy night! Chicken, tomato sauce, pesto, goat cheese and mozzarella cheese combine for a flavorful Italian casserole.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Classico Riserva for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.
One of the most common dinnertime dilemmas I hear from my readers is that they just don’t have the time to come up with ideas and cook dinner when they come home from a long day at work.
That’s why I love casserole dishes like this. They are so quick and easy to mix together, with ingredients you probably already have in the house.
This dish is one of my favorites for an easy dinner! I came up with it a few months ago by just throwing together random ingredients I had in the house. Now it’s on the regular meal rotation in our house!
I had the opportunity to try the new Classico Riserva Pasta Sauce for this recipe. This new line up of pasta sauce is available in 4 delicious flavors: Marinara, Eggplant & Artichoke, Roasted Garlic, Arrabbiata and Puttanesca. I love that these sauces are made with no artificial flavors or added sugar.
This sauce was perfect for this dish! It added so much flavor. I used the Puttanesca variety and loved how it has actual pieces of olives in it. My husband thought I had added olives to the dish this time and was really impressed with the sauce.
This recipe makes a great dinner for a busy night. It’s so easy to mix everything up in the casserole dish and stick it in the oven. You can add a side of sauteéd veggies to complete the meal.
I’ve made this dish when we have friends over as well. It’s really easy to make a big batch and feed a bunch of people. It’s a really inexpensive meal, too.

Tomato, Pesto and Goat Cheese Casserole
This one dish meal is great for a busy night! Chicken, tomato sauce, pesto, goat cheese and mozzarella cheese combine for a flavorful Italian casserole.
Ingredients
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cut in cubes
- 1 24 oz jar Classico Riserva Pasta Sauce (any variety)
- 1/4 cup pesto
- 4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9x13 inch casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside. Cook the jasmine rice according to the directions on the package.
- In the prepared casserole dish, combine the cooked rice, chicken, Classico Riserva pasta sauce, pesto and goat cheese. Mix until everything is combined.
- Sprinkle the casserole with mozzarella cheese. Baked for 30 minutes or until the chicken is done and the sauce is bubbling.
Watch the video below to learn more about the NEW Classico Riserva Pasta Sauce!

Enter to win VIP coupons!
Want to try Classico Riserva Pasta Sauce for yourself? Leave a comment below sharing how you would use the new Classico Riserva Pasta Sauce to elevate your recipes. Two winners will be chosen to win VIP coupons!
Liz says
This looks delicious! pesto + goat cheese is such a droolworthy flavor combo!!
Jenna Owens (@aSavoryFeast) says
I am loving pesto and goat cheese together lately! It’s such a great combo.
Rebecca @ Strength & Sunshine says
The sauces sound lovely! And I LOVE the rice in here! Such a creative use!
Jenna Owens (@aSavoryFeast) says
We don’t eat a lot of pasta, so rice is a great alternative.. This was sort of like a pasta dish, but much healthier!
Abby says
I love easy meals like this, and Classico is my favorite jarred pasta sauce. This looks like such a perfect combination of flavors!
Jenna Owens (@aSavoryFeast) says
You will love this recipe! The new Classico flavors are soooo good.
Joanna @ Everyday Made Fresh says
I love Jasmine rice! It’s the only rice that I can cook, ha! As you know I love dishes like this one, although I have never tried goat cheese, so I definitely wonder what flavors it lends.
Jenna Owens (@aSavoryFeast) says
Jasmine rice is the best! And I think you will love goat cheese. I love it’s creamy texture.
Cristina says
Pesto and goat cheese are a classic pairing, this looks sooo yummy. I love how you used rice instead of pasta for a twist!
Jenna Owens (@aSavoryFeast) says
Pesto and goat cheese are amazing together! I bet you would enjoy this casserole even without the tomato.
Julia Fain says
yum! I love the idea of using goat cheese, and rice instead of traditional pasta
Jenna Owens (@aSavoryFeast) says
I try to use rice instead of pasta whenever I can, since it’s much better for you. This dish gives you the taste of a pasta dish but without the white flour!
Rachelle @ Beer Girl Cooks says
I love all the different flavors going on here! I’ve never thought to combine pasta sauce and pesto, but it certainly sounds delicious! You just can’t go wrong with a casserole on a busy weeknight and goat cheese is always a win in my book!
Jenna Owens (@aSavoryFeast) says
Pesto and pasta sauce go so well together! I think you will love this dish.
Jeffrey Lammers says
I would use the Classico Riserva Arrabbiata Pasta Sauce to make a Lasagna for my next family gathering. I like sauce with a hint of spice, it wakes up the tastebuds!
jlammers002 at woh dot rr dot com
Jenna Owens (@aSavoryFeast) says
I bet that sauce would taste soooo good in lasagna!
Laura Jean Gilleland says
The variety of flavors this sauce comes in looks so good! There are so many options to try. And you are very right, coming up with grocery lists and meals along with making them after work is tiring. It is nice to have some recipes in my back pocket for busy days!
Jenna Owens (@aSavoryFeast) says
This is one of my favorites for busy nights. It’s so easy to throw together!