This Low Carb Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole made with cauliflower rice is one of our new favorite dinners for the 21 Day Fix and for 2B Mindset!
You guys…this casserole. It’s what cheesy, comfort food casserole dreams are made of…so good, I literally had to take the dish away from my husband to make him stop.
He doesn’t even like broccoli, remember? Or at least this is what he claims.
But, if you are like me and you are keeping track, this is the THIRD recipe (Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli and Instant Pot Sausage Broccoli Pasta are the other two, btw) using broccoli that my husband is now obsessed with. Just saying.
I had a back up dinner ready when I made this the first time because, well, the broccoli, and because I used cauliflower rice instead of regular rice…and I didn’t know if that would really be pushing it.
Oh – and in addition to using cauliflower rice, I went against every instinct I had and used diced, raw chicken to this dish. I mean, I knew it would cook…but I was a little worried about the texture. But I am also not a fan of requiring precooked chicken for a dish because, if your life is anything like mine, I can’t aways run to pick up a rotisserie or prep chicken for my fridge.
There was really no reason to worry. It was perfection.
I mean, could anything NOT be perfect after being smothered by this amazing cheese sauce? It’s same deliciousness that I use for my Cauliflower Cheeseburger Mac. Have you made that one yet? Because you need that in your life, too.
Hello, lover. Now just bake it to bubbly perfection and it’s ready for you to devour. And hide from your husband if he is anything like mine.
If you make this one, be sure to give me a shout on social – I LOVE seeing all of your yummy creations!
Low Carb Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 cups cauliflower rice thawed if frozen (although I have done it from frozen in a pinch!)
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 lb chicken tenderloins cut into bite sized pieces
- 4 teaspoons rice flour or gf flour blend
- 4 teaspoons vegan butter, butter, or ghee
- 1 cup unsweetened original almond milk
- 1 1/3 cups shredded cheddar cheese use Daiya for dairy free!
- Himalayan salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray a casserole dish with cooking oil. Add cauliflower rice to the bottom of the dish and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt.
- Next, add the chicken and, again, sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Add in broccoli next. Set casserole dish aside.
- For the cheese sauce, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk together. Slowly whisk in the almond milk, and continue to whisk until the mixture comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Once thickened, remove sauce from heat and stir in 1 cup of cheddar cheese until fully melted, adding salt to taste.
- Pour cheese sauce over casserole, using a rubber spatula or spoon to spread out the cheese. Top with remaining cheese and place in the oven for 45 minutes or until cheese starts to bubble.
- Set to a low broil to brown the cheese for 4-5 minutes before removing from the oven.
Tracey Giambertone says
Easily 5 stars!!! So delicious! 😋 I used frozen cauliflower rice and frozen broccoli. I knew it may be a little watery. Nothing a slotted spoon can’t fix. Simple and delicious. Win win! My mother-in-law and hubby both loved it too! And my furbaby loved having a few bites. 😍🐾😂
Nancylynn says
I am so thrilled to hear it!
Megan says
This is worth it 100%!!! I really wanted to do regular rice instead, but stuck with the cauliflower rice. It did not disappoint! The cheese sauce is delicious and so easy to make.
It was super easy to throw together bc I prepped my chicken pieces and cut up my broccoli the day before. Next time, I would cut my chicken up smaller-I might have had a little too much. I also used more cheese than the recipe called for bc I am only loosely using the containers for dinner. So I am not overly concerned about too much blue.
I read in some other reviews that it was watery, so I tried to circumvent that by cooking my cauliflower rice first-it didn’t work. Lol it was also not just water, but a lot of the cheesey sauce too. Using a slotted spoon was a good recommendation.
Nancylynn says
Thank you so much for this feedback, Megan!
Kara says
Just had this—so good! (As all of your recipes are!). Only change I made was to cook everything in advance as well as 4 cups rice (to add a yellow) and mixed it all together. Then added some breadcrumbs to the top. So so good! Keep making amazing meals like this—they are so good and usually taste like “cheats.”
Julia Hale says
So mine came out with a bunch of liquid. Does it need time to set up or did i do something wrong?
Nancylynn says
It will set up a little bit as it cools down, but also does have a bit of liquid. I just use a slotted spoon to dish it up- you didn’t do anything wrong!
Yvonne says
Delicious, this is a keeper!
Nancylynn says
Thank you for taking the time to rate and review the recipe, Yvonne!
Jaci Rogers says
Tried this one tonight and it was fantastic! We placed this on our repeat list. Thank you for creating so many healthy and delicious recipes!
Nancylynn says
Being placed on the repeat list is an amazing compliment, thank you! And thank you for taking the time to rate and comment!
MGG says
I made this using Quorn ‘chicken’’, and I used oat milk. I added white pepper and onion powder to the layers instead of salt. It was a little mushy bc of the cauliflower rice but very tasty. I will make it again.
Nancylynn says
That is excellent information for other readers, thank you so much for taking the time to comment!
Carrie Dunning says
This is so yummy! I doubled the broccoli cuz I had a ton of it in the fridge that had to be used up, omitted the cauliflower rice, and served it with a side of fresh steamed brown rice. It’s SO good! Amazing reheated as leftovers, too! Definitely will be making again and again!
Hayley says
When making one to freeze and then eat later do you recommend cooking it the entire way first? How long should it go into the oven to cook the second time? I was hoping to use this recipe as a meal to premake for someone!
Nancylynn says
Hi! If you cook it completely, I would thaw it completely in the fridge first, and then warm it up on 350 until the cheese sauce gets bubbly! You could also put it all together without baking – they can freeze, thaw, then follow the original baking instructions. Hope that helps!
Monica says
I love this recipe. The cheese sauce is so good and its a great way to get in extra veggies!
Risa says
Super yummy recipe and easy to make. It was watery, but I’m wondering if that is because I used microwave cauliflower rice. I cooked it before hand and it was watery coming out of the packet. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! And thank you so much for creating these delicious and healthy meals that are easy to make!
Theresa says
Just made this recipe tonight and it was very good! With Covid19, my groceries were a bit sparse so I modified and used 1/2c buttermilk and 1/2c unsweetened vanilla almond milk. I was worried about the “vanilla” but it’s such a small amount there was no vanilla taste to it in the end product. I also used a mix of Fat free, 2%, and full fat cheeses to make it a bit lighter yet still allowing the cheese to melt easily. I used frozen cauliflower rice (microwaved it first) and although I drained it it was a bit watery, but I noticed as it cooled down the water seemed to get sucked into the cauliflower a bit so in the end it didn’t really bother my husband or me when we ate it. Thanks so much!!
Erin says
I made this for the first time this week, and it was so delicious. Reheats well too, which is a giant plus in my book. The only issue I had was that the chicken didn’t cook all the way through (and I didn’t realize until it was on my plate), so I had to pop it in the microwave. Any idea what I might have done wrong? I used thawed cauliflower rice, so that wasn’t it. I’m wondering if maybe I had too much chicken? Regardless, I’ll be making it again soon!
Nancylynn says
Hmm…I guess it could have been that, but it’s a really long time to cook small pieces of chicken and have it not be cooked? Glad you enjoyed it anyway!
Patti Alexander says
YUMMY! We loved the “neutral” flavor of the cauliflower rice! My teenage daughter does not like cheese, so I’ll leave a portion “uncheesed” for her next time. My adult son did not like it because he doesn’t like cheese on broccoli or warm cauliflower. No problem – I’ll fix it just for me and hubby one evening.
Nancylynn says
Your kids sound like mine, lo!! But I am glad this worked for you and for your husband!!! Thank you for taking the time to rate and review, Patti!
Amy Wilson says
I am going to use your menu guide for my meals next week. Just joined WW. With the new plan ( green, blue, purple ) do you think the points would still be the same? I’m giving plan blue a try.
Nancylynn says
Hi! Yes, so from what I understand, the blue plan is the old freestyle.
Nelly says
Really delicious and so simple! I’ve made this recipe a couple of time and it’s definitely a keeper!
Nancylynn says
I’m so happy to hear this, Nelly!
Nancy says
The ingrediets say 4 tsp (teaspoons) of ghee. Is that correct, or is it tablespoons?
Nancylynn says
That is correct!
Michele Astone says
Can this be made with frozen broccoli florets? Does that alter the timing at all?
Angelle says
I have the same question!!
Nancylynn says
Yes, you can use frozen, but it may contribute to a little more liquid in the bottom of the finished dish. You could try partially steaming the frozen broccoli first to help prevent this. Let us know how it goes! And cook time can stay the same!
Randi Meth says
I can’t have butter. Would I can’t believe it’s not butter work, and if so the same amount? Or is there another substitute? Thanks!
Nancylynn says
I use Earth’s Balance vegan butter and it works great!
Katie says
Could I use regular rice? Cool it beforehand? Or use dry? Thanks!
Nancylynn says
Hi – you would need to use cooked rice in this because there won’t be enough liquid to cook it!
Mama/Wife/Teacher says
This was really delicious!! We just used a
baster to remove the little bit of water that accumulated from the cauliflower rice and we were good to go. So rich and creamy – hubby and I both think it’s a keeper!! I’m fact, every recipe of yours that we have tried turns out great! Keep them coming please! ?
Nancylynn says
That’s a GREAT idea – thank you for sharing! And I am SO happy you guys enjoyed this that that the other recipes are working for you, too! Nothing makes me happier❤️.
Alissa says
Can I make this in the Instant Pot?
Nancylynn says
I have not tried! I am sure it can be, but I think it’s almost easier to do this one in the oven.
Jill says
Does it have to be rice flour or would whole wheat flour be too overpowering in taste?
Nancylynn says
You can use whatever flour you have!
Christina says
Love it! I doubled all the veggies and it took a lot longer to cook the chicken. This satisfied all my pregnancy cravings and my husband loved the cauliflower rice! I will definitely make this again! Thank you!
Nancylynn says
Hi! Beans or corn would work great! You can add 2 cups total and this would give you one yellow per serving!
Adrianne Sharp says
Can I bake without the meat ? How long would
I cook it ?
Nancylynn says
Sure! You can bake it for 30 minutes or until the broccoli is tender!
MJ says
When using frozen riced cauliflower do you adjust anything?
Nancylynn says
I don’t!
Steph says
It’s really good but the cauliflower made it really watery. So I didnt have a creamy cheese texture.
Nancylynn says
When we make this it’s always so cheesy! I am sorry it wasn’t the same for you!
Taylor says
The bottom of mine was watery but when I transferred the food to a plate, the water was not a problem at all. This recipe is absolutely AMAZING, thank you!
Nancylynn says
That’s awesome, Tammy! Nothing a slotted spoon can fix, right? 🙂 So glad it worked out for you!
Julie says
I’m so excited to try this! How long should I cook this if I’m using rotisserie chicken?
Nancylynn says
Hi! I would cook it until the cheese starts to bubble and brown!
Tish says
Can you premake this and freeze it?
Nancylynn says
Yes!
Christie says
If I made this ahead of time and froze it, what would be the best way to reheat it without overcooking the chicken? Thank you!
Nancylynn says
Hi! I would thaw it completely in the fridge first, and then warm it up on 350 until the cheese sauce gets bubbly!
Tiffany says
Can you use regular butter?
Nancylynn says
Yes!
Kadee stone says
I am alergic to almond milk. What can i use as a substitute?
Nancylynn says
You can use whatever milk you have in the fridge!
Casey says
Hi- do you use raw chicken or do you cook it first?
Nancylynn says
Raw chicken!