Cheesy Chicken Cauliflower Bake

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This flavorful, cheesy Chicken Cauliflower Bake is fantastic addition to your family dinner rotation! It’s easy to make ahead and a great way to get more veggies into your dinners too.

This cheesy and flavorful Chicken Cauliflower Rice Bake is a rich, hearty, and comforting low carb dinner your whole family will love. It starts with tender chicken that you simply roast in the oven and then shred. Next the rich, creamy, and tangy cheese sauce is made with onion, garlic, cream cheese and shredded cheese. Finally, everything is combined with the cauliflower rice and baked to a cozy perfection.

Cauliflower rice has a mild, slightly nutty flavor that works well as a low-carb substitute for traditional rice. It’s a great option for cutting back on some of the carbs and bringing forward more veggies. The chicken adds a savory and protein-rich component to the dish, which balances the flavors and makes the casserole more filling and substantial. The result is a delicious and healthy meal.

By the way, check out another delicious cauliflower recipe, my Cheese Cauliflower Rice Recipe for a delicious low carb side dish!

Jump to:

• One-Pan Dinners for Busy Weeknights!
• Simple Ingredients and Substitutes
• Simple Equipment for Chicken Cauliflower Bake
• Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps
• Cook This Chicken Cauliflower Rice Bake
• Variations on this Chicken Cauliflower Rice Bake
• Chicken Cauliflower Bake Recipe FAQs
• Want More Easy Casseroles for Dinner?
• Chicken Cauliflower Bake Recipe
• Comments

One-Pan Dinners for Busy Weeknights!

One-pan dinners with a complete meal in one pot or pan like this make weeknight dinners so much easier! You can usually make these types of recipes ahead and easily reheat, saving you time with a super easy dinner on the busy weeknight. It also means less pots and pans to clean…woo hoo!!

Want more tips for making busy family dinners easier?  Click here for my Free Printable 5 Simple Steps to Easy Family Dinners!

Simple Ingredients and Substitutes

Quick note!  This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you purchase from them.  This commission is what helps me keep this blog afloat :).  I also share these links because I have used the products, genuinely love them, and want you to know exactly what I used. 

Chicken Ingredients

• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts – I used boneless skinless chicken breast, but you can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs. Easier yet is using a rotisserie chicken already cooked! I always have raw chicken breasts in the freezer ready for chicken recipes as they can last up to 12 months if in an airtight container or packaging. Check out all of my tips on Prepping and Storing Chicken for Easier Dinners.
• Olive oil (not in image above), Salt, Ground Black Pepper – For roasting the chicken, I use a small amount of oil just for the pan. Then season the breasts simply with salt and pepper. You can use any other seasonings you like for roasting, such as garlic powder, paprika, poultry seasoning, or dry herbs such as thyme or oregano.

Casserole Ingredients

• Head of Cauliflower (or 4 cups riced cauliflower) – If you can find fresh cauliflower rice in the produce section of your grocery store, that’s even easier! I recommend buying the whole head of cauliflower and then cutting the florets off, then running your knife through them to cut the ‘rice’ or using a food processor. You can use frozen cauliflower rice as well. You will need about 25-30 ounces of frozen Cauliflower rice.
• Onion, diced – I used yellow onion, but you can use white onion, red onion, shallots, or even scallions (green onions). You can substitute a tablespoon of onion flakes or onion powder. If you leave the fresh onions out, then you will skip the saute step and just add all of the ingredients to the sauce pot and gently warm through while stirring.
• Fresh Garlic cloves, minced – Fresh is best when it comes to garlic, but you can buy pre-minced garlic to save time or mince it in bulk and freeze it for use when you need it! You can substitute dried garlic flakes or garlic powder.
• Cream cheese softened – The cream cheese adds tang and creaminess. You can substitute with sour cream, greek yogurt, or marscapone. All of these options may make it a thinner consistency, so you may need to add more shredded cheese.
• Seasonings – You can use whatever you love. I used a simple mis of sweet paprika, oried oregano, salt, and ground black pepper.
• Chicken Broth or chicken stock – You can also use, vegetable broth or stock or beef broth or stock. You can also use water mixed with a beef or chicken bouillon cube or beef base or chicken base.
• 1% milk – The milk replaces the heavy cream in many traditional casserole recipes. You can also use skim milk, 2% milk, or full fat whole milk.
• Cornstarch – Cornstarch is mixed with cold milk to create a cornstarch slurry to help thicken the sauce.
• Fresh Baby Spinach Leaves – Fresh baby spinach melts down wonderful in this recipe. You can use also use frozen spinach or substitutes in kale leaves.
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese – Any mix of sharp or mild cheddar, jack, or mozzarella cheese will work in this recipe. You can also use cream cheese to add creaminess.  Parmesan Cheese can be used, but it won’t give you the really ooey gooey cheesiness, so I recommend also using another cheese.
• Fresh Italian Parsley, chopped – Fresh parsley is so nice to brighten any casserole up as garnish. You can leave it out of course.

See recipe card for quantities.

Simple Equipment for Chicken Cauliflower Bake

For this recipe, you don’t need any special equipment, just a large casserole dish or baking dish that’s approximately 10×12, 12×12, 10×13 or similar.

If you are making your own cauliflower rice, the easy way that I recommend is to use a Food Processor.  I use my mini food processor, so I do this in 3 batches so that I don’t overcrowd the processor. 

I also recommend placing your cutting board inside a  large sheet pan as you are cutting off the cauliflower florets to help catch all of the pieces.

Mincing garlic is made super easy with a Garlic Press.

Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps

We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are steps you can prepare ahead to save time on busy nights! (See the full recipe below) 

Peel and dice the onion. Peel and mince the garlic. If you are using parsley for garnish, rough chop the parsley and store in a baggie.

Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and coat with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove and let cool enough to touch. Shred the chicken and place in the casserole dish.

TIP: To save time, you can use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken.

While the chicken is roasting, make the cauliflower rice. Cut off the cauliflower florets from the head.

The best way to turn cauliflower into ‘rice’ is to add the florets to a food processor and pulse until the cauliflower resembles the size of rice. I like mine with some bigger pieces for texture, but you can go small.

Be sure not to over process so that it becomes breadcrumb size, as this can turn into more of a mush in the casserole.

Tip: If you have a small processor, do this in batches and fill it half way with the florets, then pulse, empty, fill again and so on until you have completed it all.

If you are not going to be cooking tonight, then put in a storage bag in the fridge.

Add the cauliflower rice to the casserole dish with the shredded chicken. You can also add in the spinach leaves at this point.

Cook This Chicken Cauliflower Rice Bake

Preheat a medium frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat.

Then pour this creamy sauce over the cauliflower and chicken. Gently mix to combine.

Tip: You can also mix everything in a large bowl and then pour into the casserole dish if it’s easier.

Bake in the oven COVERED with aluminum foil for 30 minutes. Then remove the cover, sprinkle on the remaining cheese and bake for 15 minutes uncovered. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10-20 minutes before serving.

Variations on this Chicken Cauliflower Rice Bake

There are so many ways to change up this recipe, so here are a few to get you inspired.

• Spicy – Add 1-2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes or a diced jalapeno pepper into the sauce before adding it to the chicken and cauliflower.
• Bacon Ranch – Crispy up some bacon (about 4-5 slices) and crumble the crispy bacon into the casserole mix along with 2 tablespoons of ranch dressing mix! 
• Mexican – Add 2 teaspoons of Cumin powder and 2 teaspoons of Chili Powder to the sauce before adding it to the chicken and cauliflower. Cilantro, frozen corn, and red peppers are great additions too! Garnish with guacamole and salsa!
• Indian – Swap the Oregano with 1-2 tablespoons (taste after 1) of curry powder into the sauce. Then add 1 teaspoon of minced or grated fresh ginger with the garlic.

Chicken Cauliflower Bake Recipe FAQs

Can I use frozen cauliflower rice instead of fresh?

Fresh cauliflower is best for absorbing the flavors and the sauce. Plus it’s less expensive. However, it is more convenient to use frozen, so yes, you can definitely do so. About 5 cups of frozen cauliflower rice or florets equal one medium size head of cauliflower, so you will need about 25-30 ounces frozen. Run the frozen cauliflower rice under cold running water in a strainer quickly and then let any excess water drain off before adding it to the casserole dish.

Can I Use Canned Soup Instead Of Making The Sauce?

To save time, you can use cream of chicken soup, cream of celery soup, cream of mushroom soup or other similar soups. To use it, you will use the entire can in its condensed form. This will replace the broth and the cornstarch slurry. You will still need to combine it with the cream cheese. The easiest way to do this is to warm it in a pot with the cream cheese to melt and mix them together.

Can I Make This Low Carb Chicken Casserole Ahead?

You can make this Chicken Cauliflower Bake ahead, making it great for meal prep! Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.  Reheat it in a microwave safe bowl and warm it for 1-2 minutes. In the oven, cover it and warm it for 15-20 minutes at 350 F degrees. Or place it in a covered pot on the stove on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes.

Can This Chicken Cauliflower Rice Casserole Be Frozen?

You can freeze this cooked recipe by first cooling it in the refrigerator. Then transfer it to a freezer safe airtight container. You can even freeze it in individual portions. It will keep in the freezer for up to 9 months. To reheat, thaw it in the fridge 24 hours before cooking. Then place in either the oven at 350 F for 20 minutes or in the microwave oven for 5 minutes and then another minute at a time until fully warmed through.

Want More Easy Casseroles for Dinner?

If you like veggie-packed or chicken casseroles, check these out too!

Have you tried this recipe? If so, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe below! I love to hear your feedback and your rating helps others to find this recipe. Thanks so much!