• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Savory Lotus

simple clean eats + healthy treats

  • About
  • Recipes
  • Healthy Living
  • Resources
  • Safe Skincare
    • BEAUTYCOUNTER
    • PRIMALLY PURE
  • MEAL PLANS

By Katja Heino 19 Comments
Savory Lotus may receive commissions from purchases made through links in this post.

Creamy Chicken Broccoli Cauliflower Rice Casserole (dairy free)

Jump to Recipe

Creamy Chicken Broccoli Cauliflower Rice Casserole (gluten free, dairy free, paleo, casserole in white dish)

Who wants some healthy comfort food?

So looks like we’ve almost made it through the first month of the year.  How are your health goals going to far?  Hopefully you’ve started the year off with some positive health habits.

I love how motivated everyone gets at the beginning of the year.  All of my yoga classes are jammed packed.  I see tons of folks when I’m out for my morning hike.  People seem to dig all of my healthy recipes.  It’s like we are all united in our quest to be vital.  I love it!

And healthy living doesn’t have to feel like deprivation.  Especially when it comes to food. We don’t have to eat just salads and green smoothies. (Confession:  I RARELY eat salad in the winter.  It’s WAY to cold for me.) There’s room for a bit of comfort food in there.

Creamy Chicken Broccoli Cauliflower Rice Casserole (gluten free, dairy free, paleo, casserole in white dish with spoon)

Doesn’t that look good? Creamy, yummy deliciousness.

This creamy chicken broccoli cauliflower rice casserole may have a long name, but it’s super easy to throw together.  Once you’ve prepped your veggies, the only thing you have to make is the sauce.  The casserole just bakes itself after that.

The ingredients are surprisingly simple: chicken, cauliflower and broccoli.  All baked together in a creamy dairy free sauce.  The ultimate comfort food – without the junk.

Here’s cauliflower rice casserole highlights:

  • a ridiculously creamy (and slightly “cheesy” tasting) sauce that will soothe any soul.
  • loaded with cauliflower and broccoli, so you know you’re getting your daily dose of veggies.
  • good protein from chicken (or any other meat that makes you happy.)  I’ve used ground beef and bacon.  Both were delish.
  • happy family.  This recipe is family-approved.  Who doesn’t love a creamy casserole on a chilly winter evening?
  • makes great leftovers.  So good in the morning with a couple of perfect 6 minute eggs.
  • freezes well.  Freeze leftovers for a healthy lunch later in the week.  Or make a double batch and keep one in the freezer for a busy weeknight.

I think the biggest part of this recipe is making “ricing” the cauliflower.  Once you’ve done it, you’ll see how simple it is.  Here’s a few tips:

  • find the biggest cauliflower you can find.  You’ll need 6 cups of cauliflower rice for this recipe. One very large cauliflower should give you about 6 cups of cauliflower rice.
  • remove bottom stem and leaves, as well as any brown spots on your cauliflower.  Then chop it into 4 even sections. Cut out the super thick core from each piece and break up florets into even pieces.
  • pulse florets in food processor until resembles coarse rice.  You’ll want to do this in batches because if you fill your processor too full, you’ll end up with big chunks that didn’t get “riced.”

Creamy Chicken Broccoli Cauliflower Rice Casserole (gluten free, dairy free)

Creamy Chicken Broccoli Cauliflower Rice Casserole (gluten free, dairy free, in a white dish)

Stay cozy this winter!

xo,

Katja

Love cauliflower?

Roasted Curried Cauliflower

Curried Cauliflower + Kale Soup

Anti-Inflammatory Turmeric Ginger Broccoli Cauliflower Soup

DID YOU MAKE THIS AND LOVE IT? I WANT TO SEE YOUR CREATIONS. SHARE THE LOVE ON INSTAGRAM AND TAG @savorylotus AND USE THE HASHTAG #savorylotus FOR A CHANCE TO BE FEATURED. FOLLOW SAVORY LOTUS ON PINTEREST AND FACEBOOK TO KEEP UP WITH LATEST CONTENT AND UPDATES.

Print
clock clock icon cutlery cutlery icon flag flag icon folder folder icon instagram instagram icon pinterest pinterest icon facebook facebook icon print print icon squares squares icon
Creamy Chicken Broccoli Cauliflower Rice Casserole (gluten free, dairy free, paleo, casserole in white dish)

Creamy Chicken Broccoli Cauliflower Rice Casserole

★★★★★ 5 from 4 reviews
  • Author: Katja from Savory Lotus
  • Prep Time: 20 min
  • Cook Time: 45 min
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Print
Pin

Scale

Ingredients

FOR THE CASSEROLE

  • 4 cups cauliflower rice (about one very large head of cauliflower.  You will use the leftover “rice” for the creamy sauce)
  • 4 cups of broccoli florets
  • 2 cups of leftover chicken, chopped (any pre-cooked meat will work here)

FOR CREAMY CAULIFLOWER SAUCE

  • 1 tbsp butter, ghee, or coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup onion, chopped
  • 2 cups cauliflower rice
  • 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 and 1/2 cups broth (bone broth OR veggie)
  • 1 cup milk of any kind (I used full fat coconut)
  • 5 tbsp nutritional yeast (I use THIS brand without synthetic additives)
  • pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp arrowroot powder (like this)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400’F.  Liberally grease a 9×9 pan.
  2. In a large bowl, combine 4 cups of cauliflower rice, broccoli florets, and shredded chicken. Place mixture into prepared baking dish.  Set aside while you prepare sauce.
  3. TO MAKE CREAM SAUCE: In a medium pan, melt fat of choice over medium heat and add onions.  Cook for 3 minutes to soften. Add two cups cauliflower rice, garlic, and salt and cook for another 4-5 minutes.  Remove from heat and add broth, milk, nutritional yeast, and pepper. With an immersion hand blender (or regular blender), puree sauce until creamy smooth. Scoop out about 1/2 cup of the sauce into a cup and whisk in arrowroot powder until completely smooth.  Reheat remaining sauce until steaming but not boiling and whisk in arrowroot powder mixture.  Continue whisking for a couple of minutes as the sauce begins to thicken.
  4. Pour thickened sauce over casserole and shake baking dish to evenly disperse. You may need to fold mixture a bit to get sauce to evenly coat veggies.
  5. Bake for 45 minutes, until bubbly and golden.

Notes

  • You will need 6 cups of cauliflower “rice” for this recipe.  One very large cauliflower yields about 6 cups.
  • This casserole is very versatile.  Feel free to add any flavors that you like.  I’ve added fresh basil with the broccoli.  I’ve added cumin and chili powder to the cream sauce.
  • And if cheese is your thing, this casserole is uh-may-zing with a bit of Parmesan.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @savorylotus on Instagram and hashtag it #savorylotus

Click HERE to PIN THIS!

Creamy Chicken Broccoli Cauliflower Rice Casserole (gluten free, dairy free) - www.savorylotus.com

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Posts you might also like

Filed Under: Main Course Tagged With: broccoli, cauliflower rice, creamy chicken broccoli cauliflower rice casserole, dairy free

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Adel de Weever says

    January 25, 2018 at 12:56 pm

    Can I omit the arrowroot powder? Would it make a big difference do you think?

    Reply
    • Katja Heino says

      January 26, 2018 at 11:57 am

      You can totally omit the arrowroot. Your sauce will just not be as thick and your casserole will be a bit more wet. But it will be delish. 🙂

      Reply
  2. January says

    January 25, 2018 at 8:22 pm

    Looks amazing! I want to make, but I have a question. You use pre-cooked chicken right?

    Reply
    • Katja Heino says

      January 26, 2018 at 11:55 am

      Yes, the chicken is pre-cooked. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Jen @ Keto Recipes says

    February 5, 2018 at 2:48 am

    This sounds so freaking scrumptious! I love this recipe. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Katja Heino says

      February 6, 2018 at 11:37 am

      Thanks, Jen!

      Reply
  4. Lisa Johansson says

    July 26, 2018 at 1:36 pm

    Do you cover the casserole when baking it??

    Reply
    • Katja Heino says

      July 30, 2018 at 7:59 am

      No, I do not cover it. 🙂

      Reply
  5. Maureen says

    September 4, 2018 at 10:09 am

    Do you have nutrition info for this?

    Reply
    • Katja Heino says

      September 6, 2018 at 7:54 pm

      HI, Maureen. I don’t calculate, but you can use this is you want to know —-> https://www.myfitnesspal.com/ 🙂 Hope that helps!

      Reply
  6. Amy says

    April 2, 2019 at 9:31 am

    Help! Love it and have made it many times but this time I have no veggie or bone broth. Can I use chicken??

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Katja Heino says

      April 4, 2019 at 9:16 am

      Do you mean chicken broth? yes, of course. Any kind of good quality broth will do. 🙂

      Reply
  7. Kelly says

    December 30, 2019 at 7:34 pm

    So delicious! I think next time I will cover because the broccoli was a little to crunchy and blackened (which my kids don’t like the look of). My family loved it though.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Katja Heino says

      January 15, 2020 at 3:10 pm

      Ha! I totally get that. I have one kiddo who doesn’t like anything too browned. She picks it all off. I have to be careful not to over-brown. 🙂

      Reply
  8. Jess says

    February 11, 2020 at 10:35 pm

    Can I make this the day before I cook it? Any texture difference if it sits in the fridge overnight?

    Reply
    • Katja Heino says

      February 18, 2020 at 12:22 pm

      This can be made the day before. I might cook it just a bit less so you can heat it up nicely the next day. Hope that helps.

      Reply
  9. danielle says

    August 23, 2020 at 11:06 pm

    Absolutely delicious. I didn’t add chicken as was using it as a side dish to rissoles but 1yo, 3yo and fussy husband loved it and asked for seconds

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  10. Betsy says

    December 29, 2020 at 1:45 pm

    My family loved this! I used chicken broth and almond milk, and I sustitued corn starch for the arrowroot. I also added 1 T of tumeric to the sauce. Instead of 4 cups of cauliflower rice and used rice cooked in chicken broth. Next time I will use more broccol and add mushrooms. Thanks so much for the great recipe.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Katja Heino says

      January 5, 2021 at 3:54 pm

      I love the idea of adding turmeric. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hi I’m Katja!

And this is how we do healthy in our family. Just REAL food. Simple. Easy. Gluten free. More about Savory Lotus

Follow Me on Instagram

creating recipes is my favorite part of what i do creating recipes is my favorite part of what i do • testing out a nordic nut + seed bread 🍞🍞• no flour • no yeast • no kneading • no proofing • and just 10 minutes to prep • like a dense European/Scandinavian style loaf 🇫🇮🇫🇮 • perfect for open faced sandos • testing mine with goat cheese + sprouts • turned out so dang good • recipe coming soon ❤️
veggie loaded turkey meatballs 🥕🥦🌿 • th veggie loaded turkey meatballs 🥕🥦🌿 • the ultimate make ahead meal prep recipe • life just got a little bit easier • meatballs may not be the most glamorous things you make in your kitchen, but they sure can be a lifesaver when life gets busy • make a big batch, freeze ’em, and simply reheat and eat when it’s time to get dinner on the table 🙌

recipe link in bio —> https://www.savorylotus.com/loaded-veggie-turkey-meatballs/
weekend dinner inspiration • NEW POST: LEMON HER weekend dinner inspiration • NEW POST: LEMON HERB SPATCHCOCK CHICKEN 🍋🌿 • spatchcock chicken is hands down the quickest + easiest way to cook a whole chicken • if you’ve never tried it, it’s a real game changer • the chicken comes out super moist on the inside and crispy on the outside • always a crowd pleaser 🙌 especially when you add the extra lemon herb pan sauce 

recipe link in bio:
https://www.savorylotus.com/lemon-herb-spatchcock-chicken/
how do you start your day? 💪🏃‍♀️🧘🏽‍♀️🚴🏽‍♂️☕️

mindset mindset mindset 🧠🧠• having a morning routine allows us to set an intention for the day rather then just letting the day run away from us • it helps determine our mind set and the tone for the rest of the day ✨✨

things like meditation, journaling, yoga, exercise, and other self-care practices can help us start the day feeling calm and inspired 🧘🏻 • consciously selecting the thoughts we have, the foods we eat , and the news/social media/images we see matters • a solid morning routine can reduce stress, boost energy, increase mental clarity, and leave us feeling 🤩

creating a morning routine looks different for us all • routine comes easier for some than others • we all have different priorities, time limits, physical needs/abilities, and health concerns there • are no rules • find what works for you 

i know that i feel better when i stick to my morning routine • i know that i feel better when i don’t engage with my phone or social media the first hour or two after waking up • i know i feel better when i consciously select what i bring into my head space first thing in the morning, including the thoughts that i have 

my morning routine currently looks like this:  10 minutes of quiet meditation, some form of elimination pathways opening like Gua Sha, coffee e nema, an epsom salts bath, or a sauna, yoga/workout, and a big green juice 🥬🥒🍏

👉👉 do you have a morning routine?  i’d love to hear how you start your day • leave me a comment below ⤵️⤵️
Load More... Follow Me!

Follow Me on Pinterest

Don't Miss These!

  • Everyday Gluten Free Bread (dairy free + egg free)
  • dry heels, cracked heels, how to heal, DIY Easy Home Remedy for Dry Cracked Heels
  • Simple Coconut Flour Cake (gluten free, grain free, nut free, paleo) | savorylotus.com Simple Coconut Flour Cake (gluten and grain free, paleo)
  • Simple Gluten Free Sourdough Bread

Clean Swaps

Clean Swaps

My Cookbook!

My Cookbook!

Footer

Get More Recipes on Pinterest

Visit Savory Lotus' profile on Pinterest.

Get More Recipes on Facebook

The Savory Lotus on Facebook

Stay Connected

Copyright © 2021 Savory Lotus    ·    Affiliate Disclosure     Disclaimer     Privacy Policy     Terms of Service