This Chicken Cauliflower Casserole is super cheesy, creamy, and flavorful, with bacon bits and green onions for garnish. It makes a great side dish or main dish.
Cauliflower and chicken both are go-to ingredients for me on a low-carb or keto diet because they’re both so versatile and can be used in so many different ways.
In this dish, there’s really no need for a starch, like pasta or potatoes, because the cauliflower really takes it’s place. You won’t miss it, really. The dish is fantastic on its own.
One serving has just 4 net carbs.
» Looking for more? Try one of these Keto & Low Carb Chicken Casserole Recipes.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This dish has just a few main staple ingredients that you’ll need to make the creamy cheese sauce. Some of the ingredients will be pre-cooked before putting in the oven for a final bake.
Here are the ingredients:
- Chicken – You can use boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs. I like to use thighs because they don’t get dry during cooking and they have more flavor. Cube the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Cauliflower – You’ll need about 3 cups of cauliflower, which is the yield from a medium-sized cauliflower, if you’re cutting it up yourself. Make sure to cut the florets into bite-sized pieces. It’s good if they’re about the same size as the cubes of chicken.
- Bacon/Lardons – You can use strips of bacon, but I prefer to use lardons, which are slightly thicker chunks of bacon.
- Cheddar Cheese – I use white cheddar, but you can use yellow cheddar, if you want. A medium to sharp cheese adds great flavor to the dish.
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Sour cream
- Heavy whipping cream or half & half
- Garlic
- Salt & pepper
- Green onion & Parmesan – for garnish
How to Make Chicken Cauliflower Casserole
Pre-heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease an 8×8” oven-safe dish. Set it aside while you prepare the other elements.
Add the cauliflower to a pot of boiling water. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes until the cauliflower is tender. It will continue cooking in the oven. Drain and pour the cauliflower into the baking dish.
Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over medium/high heat. Add the diced chicken and lardons to the pan and cook through, about 5 minutes. Add the meat to the baking dish.
Next, heat the butter in the frying pan over a low/medium heat. Add the garlic, sour cream, heavy whipping cream, salt and pepper, plus half of the shredded cheddar. Stir until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Pour the sauce over the cauliflower and chicken in the baking dish and stir it all up. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar over the top of the dish.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and bubbly. If the sauce is still a bit thin at 20 minutes, stir the casserole and put it back in for 5 more minutes. Let is rest for a few minutes before serving. It will firm up more as it rests.
Serve with green onions and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, if you like.
The dish has 6 grams of carbs and 2 grams of fiber, for 4 net grams of carbs per serving. That makes it an ideal dinner casserole that fits within even the most strict carb counts.
How To Store Chicken Cauliflower Casserole
In case of leftovers, store them in an airtight container and store the casserole in the fridge to keep it fresh for longer. While it is possible to freeze, you want to avoid freezing this casserole as dairy-based sauces don’t tend to freeze well affecting the overall texture and taste of the casserole.
What to Serve With This Dish?
This side dish goes well with a lot of different main dishes. Here are a few of our favorites:
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Freeze Leftovers?
This dish isn’t ideal for freezing because the cauliflower loses its texture when reheated. It’s best to make it fresh and consume it within a few days. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and reheated.
How Many Carbs Does Cauliflower Have?
1 cup of cooked cauliflower has 5 grams of carbs and 2 grams of fiber. It is a great vegetable to eat while on a keto diet. It is satisfying and filling. It is mild and can take on whatever flavors you cook. It is also great riced or mashed.
Can I Add Other Vegetables?
Yes, you can add any other vegetables you want to this dish. Some good additions are mushrooms, broccoli, or zucchini.
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Chicken Cauliflower Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 cups cauliflower cut into florets
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs diced
- 3 ounces bacon lardons
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup white cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 green onions chopped
- 1 tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease an 8×8” oven-safe dish.
- Add the cauliflower to a pot of boiling water. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes, just until tender. Drain and pour the cauliflower into the baking dish.
- Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over a medium/high heat. Add the diced chicken and lardons to the pan and cook through, about 5 minutes. Add the meat to the baking dish.
- Next, heat the butter in the frying pan over a low/medium heat. Add the garlic, sour cream, heavy whipping cream, salt and pepper, plus half of the shredded cheddar. Stir until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Pour the sauce over the baking dish and stir to coat. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar over the top of the dish.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and bubbly.
- Serve with green onions and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- This recipes contains 4 net grams of carbs per serving.
- Store any left overs in the refrigerator. It’s not ideal for freezing.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Read More About a Low-Carb Lifestyle
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Laura is dedicated to a low-carb lifestyle after losing 52 pounds on the keto diet. As many of us do, she struggles with her weight and has found that one of the only diet lifestyles that allows her to maintain a healthy weight is a low-carb diet. She shares her favorite low-carb recipes here that are both easy to make and full of flavor, so you don’t even miss the carbs.
This chicken cauliflower casserole looks delicious and filling meal.
I don’t usually comment on recipes but I am confused by the ratings. I followed the recipe and it came out so watery. The taste was ok – a bit bland. I would maybe roast the cauliflower next time instead of stove top. I guess cornstarch could help thicken it up. I’ll try again with some tweaks.
Hi Kelly. Cauliflower can become watery if it’s overcooked. Cauliflower should be slightly undercooked before it is used in the dish as it will cook further in the oven. Not draining the cauliflower fully will also lead to watery cauliflower. If your casserole turns out water, the best thing to do is drain the water out the side of the pan and reseason it before serving as it will have drained away the salt as well.