What’s not to love about this easy-to-make Chicken Cauliflower Casserole? It’s full of chicken, veggie, and cheesy goodness for a high-protein meal that’s low in carbs, calories, and fat.
Cauliflower is nutritious, versatile, low in carbs, high in fiber, and has a mild enough flavor that it can blend perfectly into just about any dish. It adds nutrients and bulk to a meal while taking on the flavor of whatever you pair it with – without adding a lot of calories.
Did you know that an entire medium head of cauliflower has fewer than 150 calories?
Unfortunately, I feel like cauliflower tends to be a little ignored in the vegetable world. People like to focus on green veggies like kale, spinach, and asparagus, or other colorful veggies like carrots, peppers, and squash. Cauliflower comes across as a little bland or even less nutritious because of its pale white color.
That couldn’t be further from the truth! Cauliflower is an excellent and vitamin-rich vegetable choice, and it plays a big role in this delicious cauliflower casserole recipe.
How to make chicken cauliflower casserole
This low-carb casserole is super easy to prep and makes such a great choice for dinner or even lunch. The cheesy cauliflower base really takes it to the next level!
Step 1: Place cauliflower rice in a skillet with ¼ cup water over medium heat and cook until softened (about 5 minutes).
Step 2: Preheat oven to 375F (190C) and grease a 7.5×11” baking dish lightly with extra virgin olive oil.
Step 3: Remove the cauliflower rice from the heat and drain as much excess liquid as you can to prevent sogginess.
Step 4: Place the cauliflower in a mixing bowl with the egg and 1/3 cup shredded cheddar. Mix until the egg and cheese are well-combined.
Step 5: Transfer the cauliflower mixture to the prepared baking dish and smooth into an even layer.
Step 6: Bake 20-25 minutes until set (test the crust with a fork to test consistency).
Step 7: While the cauliflower bakes, add the bell peppers to a skillet and sauté for 4-5 minutes until soft.
Step 8: Add the shredded chicken, paprika, cumin, sautéed bell peppers, and salsa to a mixing bowl and gently mix it all together.
Step 9: Once the cauliflower is done baking, spread the chicken mixture over the crust and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of cheese over the top.
Step 10: Bake at 375F for 7 minutes to warm the chicken mixture and melt the cheese.
Step 11: Serve immediately with limes and cilantro.
Nutrition per serving
This delicious low-carb casserole makes four servings that are packed with protein but are low in calories, carbs, and fat. Each serving has:
- 288 calories
- 15 g carbs
- 41 g protein
- 3 g fat
It’s such an easy and healthy meal with plenty of protein to fill you up. The crust makes it taste like a hearty casserole, but you can feel great about eating it!
With such great macros, delicious flavor, and simple steps to prep, this casserole may just become a lunch or dinnertime favorite.
Do you make the cauliflower rice?
You absolutely can! You can see how to do it in this video from Downshiftology:
You can also use this cauliflower rice recipe from The Diabetic Foodie.
Alternatively, cauliflower rice is available either fresh and frozen in most major grocery stores, including many online stores (Target, Vitacost, etc.) if you don’t feel like making it yourself!
Storage
You can make this dish ahead of time, but be aware that it will get a little soggier as it sits because the salsa will begin to work its way into the cauliflower base. However, it will still taste amazing! The flavors will even deepen a bit as the casserole sits overnight.
This dish can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Other healthy cauliflower recipes
Cauliflower is such a versatile veggie, there are so many different kinds of recipes you can use it in! Here are a few of my favorites that I think you’ll enjoy:
You can also check out this roundup of my favorite low-carb cauliflower recipes for even more ideas!
When you’ve tried this dish, please don’t forget to let me know how you liked it and rate the recipe in the comments below!
Chicken Cauliflower Casserole (Low Carb)
Ingredients
- 1 lb. cooked chicken, shredded
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 2 cups salsa
- 3 cups cauliflower rice
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cups low-moisture cheddar, shredded
- 2 tbsp. low-moisture cheddar, shredded
- 1 tsp. cumin
- ½ tsp. paprika
- Limes & cilantro for topping
Instructions
- Place cauliflower rice in a skillet with ¼ cup water over medium heat and cook until softened (about 5 minutes).
- Preheat oven to 375F (190C) and grease a 7.5×11” baking dish lightly with extra virgin olive oil.
- Remove the cauliflower rice from the heat and drain as much excess liquid as you can to prevent sogginess.
- Place the cauliflower in a mixing bowl with the egg and 1/3 cup shredded cheddar. Mix until the egg and cheese are well-combined.
- Transfer the cauliflower mixture to the prepared baking dish and smooth into an even layer.
- Bake 20-25 minutes until set (test the crust with a fork to test consistency).
- While the cauliflower bakes, add the bell peppers to a skillet and sauté for 4-5 minutes until soft.
- Add the shredded chicken, paprika, cumin, sautéed bell peppers, and salsa to a mixing bowl and gently mix it all together.
- Once the cauliflower is done baking, spread the chicken mixture over the crust and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of cheese over the top.
- Bake at 375F for 7 minutes to warm the chicken mixture and melt the cheese.
- Serve immediately with limes and cilantro.
Omg……sooooo good……I only had a jar of peach salsa I got at a farm over the summer last yr……nice !!!!
lydia
My family loved this and it was even better the second day!