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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 made this with ground turkey and ate with a side of homemade cranberry sauce and thought this would be a great idea for thanksgiving leftovers!
That sounds amazing! Such a good idea!
Hiya, can this recipe be frozen?
I will be using fresh veg as it needs used up and soya sub for chicken as we’re vegetarian.
Yes! It can be frozen. Just make sure to place it in a freezer-safe bag or container and remove as much of the air inside the container or bag as possible. It should keep for 3 months frozen.
I made the recipe almost as is; I used chicken thighs and it turned out fantastic! I was a bit concerned my teenage sons wouldn’t eat it because it was cauliflower rice, but they just thought it was quinoa and scarfed it down. This was definitely a win in our house. The only thing I would do differently next time is cover the dish for part of the baking time so the cheese on top doesn’t burn; but we like it that way so perhaps not.
I’m so happy you liked it! Thank you! And I also like a little burnt cheese, haha. It’s just so good!
How do I cook the cauliflower if I riced it from the head or do I skip the precooked cauliflower part?
Hi, Rachel! You can cook the cauliflower rice in the microwave. Just place it in a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 5 minutes, stirring halfway through. That’s it! You can also just place the rice in a pot and cook over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes.
Alright so I must confess, I am 8mo PP and my SO and I have been going low carb this whole month, and he suspects nothing. He seriously has no idea that we’ve been on a diet. The both of us! So when I made this dish tonight, I thought for sure he’d suspect the rice tasted a little off. Believe me when I say, he is an expert at detecting these things. I made ground turkey sausage in his daily breakfast bowls one week without telling him and he asked me if I used plain ground BEEF because it tasted “so nasty”. I thought it tasted fine. His taste buds are like a pregnant woman on steroids. Anyways, back to the point, this recipe was so amazingly clever that even the Hells Kitchen critic/chef, Gordon Ramsay of my household, said it was amazing. For a comfort dish such as this one to be so much healthier, yet still so amazing brings tears to my eyes. The only thing I did different was put shredded colby jack cheese on top, and substituted 1lb of the mozzarella cheese for about 4oz of cream cheese.
Haha, yes! I’m so happy to hear that I helped trick your SO into eating low carb! 🙂 I love it. My husband is the same way – he knows exactly when there’s healthier ingredients in something.
I intend to make these as muffins so my family of vegie haters dont notice so much and they are eating a healthy meal without relising it.
I love this idea so much! I never thought about doing it this way but it’s genius! I’m going to have to give it a try. Thanks for letting me know!
My son is allergic to eggs. Could I replace with flax eggs? Thanks!
Yes!
I made this tonight, really liked it! I halved the recipe like I saw other people stated. I baked the chicken 15 minutes on 375. Baked the casserole 30 minutes added the Italian cheese and only baked another 8 minutes. Came out perfect! I used the riced cauliflower, microwaved it according to package and drained and used frozen broccoli, cooked and drained. I did use a little more cheese than what half would have been. My hubby ate it also and really liked it! Something i will be making again! Thanks for sharing the recipe and for everyone’s input.
Would this reciepe freeze well?
Yes, I think so! Just make sure the casserole has cooled down before transferring it to freezer bags or freezer-safe storage containers.
I’m not doing dairy so replaced the cheese with 1 can of coconut milk & 3 tablespoons of tapioca flour. Turned out great!