Cheesy Balsamic Chicken Cauliflower Rice Casserole
Cheesy balsamic chicken cauliflower rice casserole is total comfort food, made with mushrooms, peas, and a blend of brie and Italian cheeses. It’s creamy & cheesy while staying low carb for a quick and easy dinner recipe.
Casserole dish + cheese + sweatpants + glass of wine in hand = my kind of Friday night.
One of my favorite meals to make (especially once the cold weather starts to get stubborn) is a nice warm, bubbling with cheese, creamy casserole dish.
Cauliflower rice casseroles have become my new go-to dinner recipe because they have that nice balance of low carb/comfort food that’s so hard to find, and they’re quick and easy, making them the perfect week night dinner for my lazy winter self.
Anything that has the description “bubbling with melted cheese” has my full undivided attention ;).
This cheesy cauliflower casserole recipe uses two kinds of cheese:
- Brie cheese-it’s one of those cheeses that melts velvety smooth. It has a nice mild flavor too and is lower in fat than typical cheeses. If you need to substitute the Brie cheese, I would use anything mild such as fresh mozzarella or even Swiss cheese.
- Italian blend shredded cheese-typically a mix of mozzarella, Asiago, and parmesan cheeses which add a nice salty/sharpness that the casserole dish needs. If you can’t find the Italian blend, look for shredded Asiago or Parmesan cheese.
No boring casseroles going on in this kitchen!
Cheesy Balsamic Chicken Cauliflower Rice Casserole starts with mushrooms and chicken that is cooked in a creamy balsamic sauce. The cauliflower rice and peas are stirred in along with brie cheese and shredded Italian blend cheese and baked in the oven until the cheeses are golden brown and bubbling with cheesy creamy goodness.
These days, you can find cauliflower rice readily available at most grocery stores. Or, you can simply make your own but pulsing cauliflower florets in your food processor until it resembles the rice texture. I usually prefer to make my own because it’s much cheaper and I can freeze any rice that I don’t use until needed.
I love having a stash of cauliflower rice in my freezer because there’s so many healthy, low carb and easy cauliflower rice recipes you can make:
- Cheesy Pesto Cauliflower Rice Casserole with Chicken & Broccoli
- Mexican Cauliflower Rice Bowls
- Sausage & Cranberry Cauliflower Stuffing
If you want to make a vegetarian version of this recipe, simply omit the chicken and add more mushrooms, or vegetables (I bet broccoli would be delicious!)
This casserole recipe can also be made ahead and placed unbaked in the freezer until ready to bake, making it an easy make-ahead dinner recipe. It’s all cooked in one pan and then transferred to a casserole dish for easy clean up!
Creamy Balsamic Chicken Cauliflower Rice Casserole is a one dish dinner that’s quick and easy to make so you can have more time for watching elephant documentaries on Netflix. Wait, what??? I do no such thing ;).
Cheesy Balsamic Chicken Cauliflower Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 cup Yellow Onion diced
- 8 oz Mushrooms sliced
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 lb Boneless Chicken Tenders cut into 1″ chunks
- 3 tbsp Flour gluten free if needed
- 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/2 cup Milk
- 4 cups Cauliflower Rice homemade or store bought, see recipe notes
- 1 cup Frozen Peas
- 8 oz Brie Cheese rind removed, cut into small pieces
- 1 cup Shredded Italian Blend Cheese divided
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large sauté pan. Add onions, mushrooms and garlic; cook about 4-5 minutes until slightly softened.
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Add chicken tenders, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Cook 5-7 minutes until chicken is fully cooked through.
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Add flour and stir to combine. Cook 1 minute.
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Add in balsamic, cook additional minute. Stir in milk and cook for 4-5 minutes until slightly thickened.
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Stir in cauliflower rice and frozen peas, cooking until the peas are softened, about another 4-5 minutes.
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Stir in brie cheese and ½ cup of Italian cheese.
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Transfer to a 13×9” casserole dish (or 11×7”). Top with remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and bake 20-25 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly.
Recipe Notes
*Casserole can be made ahead of time and frozen unbaked. When ready to bake, defrost 30 min to an hour before placing in the oven.
*For a vegetarian version, omit chicken and add more mushrooms or vegetables such as broccoli if desired
*To make your own cauliflower rice, simply pulse florets in food processor until they resemble rice
Oh wow, I now know what I am making on the weekend! This delicious comfort meal!
Yay! I hope you like it 🙂