Cheesy chicken cauliflower rice casserole
A low-carb take on chicken and rice casserole, with cauliflower rice, broccoli and a creamy cheddar sauce that bubbles up golden.
- 45 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $3.38 a serving
- 550 calories
- Good the next day
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1 lb 4 oz frozen cauliflower rice
- 2 cups frozen broccoli
- 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2½ cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar, divided
- 2 stalks green onions, sliced (optional)
From your pantry
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 550 calories, 38 g protein, 14 g carbs and 39 g fat, and costs about $3.38 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No frozen cauliflower rice? Riced cauliflower works.
- No frozen broccoli? Broccoli works.
- No sour cream? Plain Greek yogurt works.
- No shredded cheddar? Cheddar cheese or Mexican blend cheese or Monterey Jack cheese works.
- No green onions? Chives work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven to 400°F.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Cook the frozen cauliflower rice and broccoli in a large dry over medium-high heat 7 to 8 minutes, , until thawed and the water has cooked off.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Medium-high heatTimer: 7 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: Cooking off the water now is what keeps the casserole creamy instead of soupy.the cream cheese, sour cream, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl until smooth.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Add the cauliflower and broccoli, the chicken and 1 cup of the cheddar and until everything is coated.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Spread it in an 8- or 9-inch baking dish and scatter the remaining cheddar on top.
20 to 25 minutes, until bubbling and on top.
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Timer: 22 min
Food safety: Rotisserie chicken, deli meat, canned tuna and cooked shrimp are already cooked. Keep them cold until you use them, and heat them until steaming hot if the recipe warms them.
Let it sit 5 minutes, then scatter the green onions over the top.
Timer: 5 min
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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