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.
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- Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
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- 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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Alli says
What if I sautéed my chicken first rather than putting it in the oven? Would that still turn out well? I’m not a huge fan of baked chicken.
Sara says
From my knowledge of cooking chicken both of these ways, I would just make sure it’s done all the way through but just barely. Like, to ensure it doesn’t overcook by being baked altogether afterward. Maybe marinating it prior would help!
Ruthie says
Made this for dinner, and it was great! Changes for me would be a little less on the salt, but if I add more broccoli it may balance it. My chicken was not dry or bland, I chopped it up in bite sizes before cooking, therefore didn’t need to cook as long. But I will add the pepper flakes next time for a little heat..
rachael hilton says
This was a huge hit with my family! I only had one bag of cauli rice and I used 1/2 of the bag of broccoli. I used the same amount of cheese and two eggs and seasoned well….I also used a little bit of steak seasoning on the veggies. I only cooked for 30 minutes and only steamed the veggies for 2-3 minutes. I crumbled Italian chicken meatballs and it was delicious! My picky eaters had no clue they were eating cauliflower!
Linda says
We love this recipe. My only tweak was adding heat with small peppers and broth to moisten. My husband asked me to put on “regular” list.
Whitlee says
Have you tried not cooking the rice and broccoli first? If it’s in the oven for so long perhaps it could all cook together?
K says
Has anyone ever tried this? It would definitely make it an easier recipe.
Judie says
If you dont get rid of the excess water it makes the casserole soupy and sometimes it makes the cheese separate. It’s not pretty.
Kate Robb says
I don’t eat a lot of cheese so only put one cup of Mozza in the mix and sprinkled the Italian blend cheese to cover the top. I added nutritional yeast to the mix to add flavour as I’d used less cheese.
Didn’t have any garlic powder so chucked in a blob of minced garlic instead.
Turned out great. Seasoning the mix is a must!
Paula says
It was too dry and bland. I added 1/2 cup of chicken broth, 1/4 cup of cooking sherry, 2 tbs cayenne pepper, 1/4 cup heavy cream, 1/4 cup Parmesan and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Then topped it off with Mexican blend cheese. It was yummy!
don says
Im going to use rotisserie chicken
for the people who have made this is it dry
I might try using chicken broth
LC says
Can you make ahead and put in the fridge for baking the next day?
Isabel says
Yes!
Nikol says
Hi! This sounds like a wonderful recipe. If I left out the eggs (allergy), do you know if it’d still turn out ok?
Isabel says
Hi Nikol,
I’ve never made it without eggs so I’m not sure, but I think it would turn out okay. I added in the eggs to hold together some of the ingredients, but it shouldn’t affect the flavor too much.
Carol says
I’m confused on how much cheese… Your blog says to use 4 cups but the recipe says one?
Isabel says
Hi Carol, the recipe says 3 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese and 1 cup of shredded Italian blend cheese.
Wanda says
For those wanting to avoid “dry chicken”, try using chicken thighs instead. It’s a little more work, but 👍🏽 I also used fresh chopped garlic/onion and also added 4 oz. of cream cheese. Pepper flakes is a nice touch for an added kick. 😊
Sam says
When ever I use chicken breast I always brine them first. Never risk a dry chicken breast again.
Crystal says
Baby bella mushrooms would work well if your looking for bulk.
Rona says
This recipe is quite good with some modifications. I read through the reviews so I took a few changes for different reviews. First I used a blacked chicken rub then only had the chicken in the oven for 15 mins. Then I did 2 teaspoons of garlic onion powder, 2 teaspoons of garlic salt and about a teaspoon and half of red chili flakes for a little kick(but next time I’ll add a little more for more of a kick). Last thing I changed was I added 2 cups cheddar cheese and 1 cup mozzarella cheese then baked it for 40 mins, I did do about 25 mins covered in tinfoil and the last 15 uncovered. IT WAS SO GOOD! I’ll actually will probably even add more broccoli next time I make. It was so amazing with so much flavor!
Kaila says
I 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!
Joscelyn says
Do you have to use eggs??