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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.
I cut up my chicken and cooked it in oil with seasoning and added crushed garlic. I also added a can of cream of chicken soup. I did not put cheese on top but added more
Pepper and Parmesan cheese before serving. It’s a good weeknight meal.
Tried this recipe tonight and everyone loved it! Super easy, I replaced some of the rice with frozen cauliflower and it was so good! Definitely will make this again! <3
I made this last night and it wasn’t something I would make again. Family didn’t like it much either. The two teaspoons onion and garlic powder was too much. It just really affected the flavor competing with the cheese. I think maybe cream cheese or sour cream or heavy cream for some moisture and less seasoning good make it nicer.
Can this be made ahead and put in the fridge, to later cook for supper?
Hi Andrea! Yes that should be fine!
Thank you so much for this recipe! It was really easy and delicious! I did do some modifications because I am one for plenty of seasoning. The chicken I seasoned with Tony catchers original creole seasoning instead of the salt and pepper and I added a little to the mixture for extra flavor 😉. I also excluded the butter and baked at 350 for 30 minutes. Definitely making this again!
Can you just use frozen cauliflower heads instead? Also, can you premake and freeze? Thank you.
Yes, you can use cauliflower heads for this recipe. You can also premake it and freeze it!
This recipe is delicious! I have made it several times. My family enjoys it a lot, including two toddlers! I feel good because it includes very healthy ingredients! Thank you!
I made this tonight and it was delicious! It had plenty of flavor for my family’s taste. I even decreased the garlic powder and onion powder to 1 teaspoon each instead of two. Since 50 minutes on 400 degrees seemed a little too much, I reduced the oven temperature to 375 degrees and baked for 35 minutes. Cheese was just beginning to brown on top and it wasn’t dry at all. Loved it!
This recipe was SO easy and it tastes AMAZING!!! i dropped the oven temp to 375 to cook the casserole and cooked it for 38 minutes and it was so perfect!!! will 100% make it again. thank you!!
I made this tonight. I halved the recipe as there are only two of us. I used chicken tenders that I coated in cajun seasoning and only cooked for 10 minutes. I also added chilli flakes to the mix and then only cooked everything for about 30 minutes. My partner, who doesn’t like vegetables, really enjoyed this dish. We might try making it next time we have his daughter, only without the heat. Thank you!