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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 carnitas, chicken tostadas, sopes, you name it.
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
- Mexican Carnitas Recipe
- Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
- Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Fried Jalapenos
Broccoli Cauliflower Rice Chicken Casserole
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 kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 tablespoons unsalted 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.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was originally published in April 2016. It was retested, rephotographed, rewritten, and republished based on reader feedback in March 2018.
Made this tonight, I added fat free ricotta and sour cream to help it stick together a bit. I also sauted onion and garlic instead of using powders. It was really delish! Thanks so much!
Yum! That sounds delicious! I’m glad you liked it.
Does this freeze well?
Hi, Jan! I’m not quite sure – I haven’t tried freezing it, but I imagine it would be okay. To reheat it, I would recommend placing it in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or until it’s completely reheated.
Since its the middle of summer I wanted to make this on the stove top instead of the oven! I’m adding half of cup of chicken broth so it’s not so dry. Adding Parmesean cheese to the top at the last min and just putting it under the broiler to brown the cheese!!!
Yummy! That sounds awesome! How did it turn out?
I’m trying this tonight but using the frozen trader joes cauliflower rice. How do you think this will affect the cooking time? To use it normally I just heat it up in the skillet for a few.
Hi, Steph! I’m sorry I didn’t catch this comment in time. How did your recipe turn out with the Trader Joe’s frozen caulirice? I would think that it would cut down on cook time a bit because the cauliflower is already softened and somewhat broken down by being frozen. Maybe 35 to 40 minutes instead of 50? I’d love to know so I could put it in the notes of the recipe!
My mother used to make a ghastly but yummy version of this with yucky canned soup and regular rice. I’m thrilled to have a much healthier low carb version!! Thank you!!!
Aw, thank YOU for wanting to try this recipe! I’m happy that you found it!
Hello sounds delish! Can u tell me breakdown of nutrition facts. I’m starting a weight watchers diet and wanting to figure out points. Thanks so much
Hi, Sandra! Thank you so much for your kind words. I’m so flattered 🙂 It’s a big hit with lots of people so I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. As far as nutrition facts are concerned, I’m not quite sure what they are. For personal reasons, I don’t add that info to my recipe cards, BUT there are a ton of free sources online that you can use to get that information. If you just search for ‘recipe nutrition calculator’ in Google, you’ll find some websites that will let you input the recipe and calculate that for you. Good luck!
We are having this, minus the chicken, with dinner tonight instead of a starchy potato. I think I can sneak it in with the steak and asparagus. Hopefully, no one misses the carbs. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks, Kamarra! Taking out the chicken and using it as a side dish is a great idea! I can’t believe I didn’t think of that.
I love your blog… having said that.. this recipe is pretty okay, nothing more. I made it exactly as written. Id say a 6 out of 10. It needed some more healthy fats in it?
Hi Greg, thank you so much for reading the blog and trying my recipe! Your feedback is truly appreciated. I’m sad to hear that it was “okay, nothing more” but I understand. I quite enjoy this as a nice, healthy weeknight casserole for the family. I know some people would want MORE cheese in the recipe so that’s a route you could take – double the cheese. That’s not necessarily “healthy fats,” is it? Haha. I did actually consider adding in a whisked egg or two to help the casserole hold together a bit more so maybe that’s a possibility. Next time I make this recipe, I’ll be sure to do some more experimenting and get back to you. Thanks again for taking the time to comment.
Trying it now but it says nothing in the recipe about the rice so doing it my own way
The recipe doesn’t use normal rice but instead uses “cauliflower rice.” To make it, you grate a head of cauliflower using a large cheese grater (or lightly pulse cauliflower florets in a food processor) and that’s it!
OMG this looks amazing! I am so going to try to make this sometime!