This low carb and cheesy Broccoli Cauliflower Rice Chicken Casserole recipe is perfect for dinner and makes great leftovers. It’s also gluten free!
It may shock some people to hear this, but casseroles were never really a part of my childhood. Sure, there was the occasional attempt at making lasagna and maybe a hamburger helper type of dish, but that was rare. (Wait – are lasagna or hamburger helper even considered casseroles? No clue. See, that’s exactly my point.)
Though my family liked all the ingredients in the typical casserole, we didn’t like them all mixed together. We wanted the ingredients separate just so we could assemble them on our own plate. Think about it – rice, beans, cheese, a protein, salsa and corn tortillas. All those ingredients would make an amazing casserole. But instead we wanted to make our own thing like tacos, tostadas, sopes, you name it.
How to make Broccoli Cauliflower Rice Chicken Casserole {VIDEO}
Oh well. Those are pretty tasty, too. 😉
It wasn’t until I moved in with John that I realized the power of the casserole.
- Usually, very few pots and pans are required. Less dishes to wash equals a win in my book, because let’s get real – washing the dishes after getting home from work is the last thing John and I feel like doing.
- Most importantly, casseroles are often huge! Which means lots and lots of leftovers. If we didn’t feel like cooking the next day, no worries – we’ve got some leftover casserole. SCORE.
Like many people, John doesn’t always like eating vegetables. And because I love him and care about his health, I’m always trying to come up with new ways to incorporate more of them into our meals.
And that’s where cauliflower rice comes in. If you’ve never made “cauli-rice,” prepare to have your mind blown. Here’s what you do. Ready?
How to make cauliflower rice
- Grate a head of cauliflower using a large cheese grater, or lightly pulse cauliflower florets in a food processor.
That’s it! It’s a brand new way of enjoying cauliflower that kids even like! If you need more of a step-by-step tutorial, check out my recipe for Mexican Cauliflower Rice.
Aside from all the “hidden” veggies in this dish, my favorite part of this Broccoli Cauliflower Rice Chicken Casserole is all the cheese!
4 cups of shredded cheese to be exact. Some people may not think that’s enough, so if that’s you, go for it. Sprinkle some more in there.
More recipes you’ll love
- Mexican Cauliflower Rice
- Healthy Turkey Fajita Rice Bowl
- The BEST Mexican Carnitas Recipe
- Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
- Chipotle Turkey Zucchini Boats
- Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Fried Jalapenos
INGREDIENTS
- 2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 10-ounce bags frozen cauliflower rice (or 1 head of cauliflower, riced and cooked)
- 1 16-ounce bag frozen broccoli cuts
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- 3 cups, shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 cup shredded Italian blend cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a large 3-quart baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or olive oil. Set aside.
- Slice chicken breasts in half horizontally to make them thinner, lightly coat them in olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Liberally season with salt and pepper and bake for 20 minutes.
- While the chicken is baking, heat the bags of frozen cauliflower rice and broccoli according to package instructions. Discard any excess water or moisture.
- Remove chicken from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Carefully chop baked chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- In a large bowl, add cooked cauliflower rice, broccoli, chicken, eggs, mozzarella cheese, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and butter. Toss together until fully combined.
- Transfer casserole mixture to the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining Italian blend cheese.
- Bake for 50 minutes, until the cheese on top has fully melted and started to brown slightly. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
NOTES
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Kaila says
May 20, 2019 at 10:10 pmI made this for dinner tonight and it was SO GOOD! I tweaked it a bit though- I cooked the chicken for 15 min (rather than 20), used cheddar cheese (instead of mozzarella) and baked it for 40 minutes (instead of 50). It came out perfect. And there’s leftovers! Yay!
Andrea says
May 3, 2019 at 7:12 pmI just made this for dinner. It was so good!
VICKIE R ANDERSEN says
May 2, 2019 at 11:01 amCook the rice first. I’m not using instant.
Erinn Drake says
March 14, 2019 at 6:11 pmSounds good…about to make this…but not sure how to cook the cauli rice if I’m making it fresh. Guess I’ll saute it. 🙂
Isabel says
March 15, 2019 at 11:12 amHi, Erin! Here’s a tutorial on how to make cauliflower rice. I show you two options – either using a box grater or a food processor. Hope this helps!
Mary Beth Martinez says
March 11, 2019 at 6:44 pmI’m reading the directions for this Broccoli Cauliflower Rice Chicken casserole and the total cooking time with the chicken is 70 minutes? This seems like a long time and will overlook the chicken. Is this correct?
Susan Lampasona says
February 24, 2019 at 12:46 pmThis recipe is amazing! The change I made was I used ground chicken (it was what I had on hand) and added a packet of Frank’s Red Hot Ranch Seasoning. Cane out delish with a nice kick!
Lisa says
February 13, 2019 at 5:47 pmI made this tonight. Cut the recipe in half due to just myself and hubby eating it. Used sharp cheddar and monterey jack because that is what I had. Also, added approx 3 Tbls of full fat cream cheese. Dash of cayenne. Delicious!
Julie says
February 11, 2019 at 1:51 pmFirst time making this… I used chicken tenders and used Wegmans basting oil to bake them. Only baked them for 15 min. Used garlic salt in lieu of salt and powders. And baked at 400 for about 30 min after mixing it all together; everything was still warm from precooking it. Also, cooked the cauliflower rice according to pkg directions but then put it in a strainer and used a spatula to push excess water out. I also dumped it all in a 9×13 greased pan. Excited to try! This is my lunch meal prep for the week!
Pamela says
February 1, 2019 at 10:29 amTried this for the first time last night and it was delish! The whole family loved it…to prevent from burning the top, I added the Italian blend cheese to the top 5 minutes before it came out of the oven. Thanks for recipe!
P says
January 31, 2019 at 6:56 pmVery bland. Followed directions and was overdone & dry. Should lower temperature to maybe 350 degrees when you put the casserole in the oven
Karen says
January 29, 2019 at 1:02 pmDelicious! I bought a rotisserie chicken and chopped it up instead of cooking chicken to save some time, and it was great.
Karen says
January 28, 2019 at 6:55 pmIsabel,
Thank you for posting this recipe. It was easy to follow and my family loves it! Deserves 5 stars!
Isabel says
January 31, 2019 at 2:23 pmThank you so much, Karen!
Cindy says
January 22, 2019 at 10:10 pmVery, very good and easy recipe. I did add more cheese and used garlic salt instead of powder to add a little more wow! Loved it, will be making this again!
Isabel says
January 27, 2019 at 2:22 pmThanks for letting me know, Cindy. I’m so glad you liked it!
Kam says
January 11, 2019 at 3:19 pmI’ve made this twice now. It is good every time! This second time, I only used 12oz of homemade cauliflower rice. I also boiled the chicken breasts for 30 minutes, trying to make it less dry. Unfortunately this time I wasn’t watching the casserole and when the timer went off at 50 minutes, the cheese on top was burnt. Still a big hit at my house, even for my husband who is not doing Keto with me.
Jessica says
January 8, 2019 at 8:19 pmIt looks and sounds amazing, but smells and tastes terrible! 🤮
Chris says
January 31, 2019 at 4:27 pmYou need to tune up your taste buds!! This is delicious!!!
Mary Skidmore says
December 31, 2018 at 8:24 pmHi Isabel,
Finally had the whole family together, so made this recipe. 5 stars from all the grown-ups and the little ones even ate several bites. I made about 1-1/2 times your recipe for 9 adults and 4 toddlers and no left overs!
Happy New Year from our family to yours and safe travels!
Julie says
December 14, 2018 at 12:07 pmI made this last night and it was delicious! I used already-grilled chicken breast from Costco instead of from-scratch, and it was fine. We like a little spice, so next time I’ll add some Tabasco or cayenne to it. And there will definitely be a “next” time!
cathy LaValley says
December 4, 2018 at 9:09 amI made this recipe yesterday and Loved it! For the 2 teaspoons of garlic & onion powder, I used 1 teaspoon each of garlice and onion salt and one of garlic and onion powder….just to kick up a little more flavor. This will be a regular recipe for me as it is filling, substantial, tasty and low in calories. a real winner!
Isabel says
December 5, 2018 at 10:15 amI’m so glad you liked it, Cathy!