This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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.
This was absolutely delicious! I altered the cheese dramatically as I can’t have lactose. I mixed in 2 large beaten eggs and 3/4C full fat mayo, along with red pepper flakes and garlic seasoning, and topped with about 1/2C shredded Parmesan. I also quickly stir fried the chicken with some salt and pepper and fresh garlic at the end of cooking the chicken, to get a nice brown sear, but only for about a minute or two so there was still some slight pink so it’d stay moist during cooking. I also threw on some diced salami on top and it came out beautifully and held together solidly without all the cheese. I feel like this would amazing with some cooked bacon and ranch seasoning. Oh, and the addition of the egg didn’t make it the least bit eggy. Just nice and creamy with the mayo, like a soft, melty cheese.
How do I figure the carbs for this recipe?
What do you think about boiling the chicken, instead of cooking in oven first?
Hi Jen, I think that would be just fine! I feel like boiled chicken can be surprisingly juicy so go for it.
You have wonderful recipes. My suggestion would be, seeing as so many people are involved in ketogenic diets, Adkins diets, Whole30 diets, (what does that say about we humans, huh? LOL) You need to include the nutritional information to help those who follow your recipes. Thank you
Made for the first time tonight and it was delicious! I’ll add more cheese next time tho 🙂 The only concern/question is that there was quite a bit of moisture in the bottom of the pan. Do I need to cook it longer or squeeze the moisture out of the cauliflower?
I’m so glad you liked it! I would cook it a little longer and see if that helps.
How many weight watchers points would a portion be. It looks delish.
Okay! Obviously not enough coffee this morning. I’m guessing the cauliflower IS the rice.
Disregard previous comment please 🙂
Haha, sorry about that Natalie! I’m going to read over this recipe and make sure it’s clear. I’m happy you figured it out, though!
This sounds AMAZING and plan to make it tonight. QUESTION : Where are the directions for the rice? Quantity is not listed in ingredients. Should it be pre cooked? When how should it be added?
Thanks
I just made this tonight and it was soooo delicious. I had a bag of frozen cauliflower and frozen broccoli but both bags were smaller so I just halved the recipe and it was perfect! I wasn’t sure what to do since the cauliflower was frozen but I just threw it in out of the bag and cooked the whole thing for 30 min since it was a smaller (but still pretty big) size and it was perfect!
That’s awesome! Love finding little time-saving tips. I’m so happy you liked it!
OMG, YUM! I just made this and had my first bowl and I LOVE it! I made a few tweaks:
– I added some chicken bone broth, because I’m trying to get more of it in our diet and I add it to just about everything I make.
– I whipped up an egg and added that in, plus, just for kicks because I had it on hand, a nice dollop of plain yogurt.
– I only did 1 tsp of salt, and no onion powder because I’m out of it.
It’s incredible!! I slightly undercooked the chicken, and there’s no dryness here at all. Everything is moist and tasty. This was also my first time making cauliflower rice and I can’t believe how well it all turned out. This one is going on the rotation for our family – THANK YOU!
PS – I found your site through my husband Andy, from AdThrive. He sent this recipe to me and said it looked tasty, and he was right! Now I’m off to dig around and find other recipes on your site I can pin for the next time I go shopping. 🙂 You rock!
Kelly, I’m so so happy that you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂 Thank you so much for detailing the tweaks you made. I think they’ll be helpful for others, I know they’re helpful for me! Also, hooray for Andy! I just got AdThrive up and running and I’m loving it. I’m super excited for the future and some doors that AdThrive can open up.