Broccoli, Chicken & Cauliflower Rice Casserole
I have always been weary of casseroles which have a reputation for being full of cream, cheese and lots of carbs, not exactly a healthy meal choice. But damn do they taste good.
I wanted to try creating a healthy spin on my all time favourite casserole, Cheddar, Broccoli and Chicken.
In this version I swapped rice for celeriac rice and cheddar and the cream based sauce for a delicious coconut cream, chicken stock and egg mixture.
I used celeriac (aka celery root) because I like how well it keeps its rice like shape when cooked. If you are unable to find celeriac then cauliflower would also work, just be sure to not make the cauliflower rice too fine to prevent it turning into mush once baked in the casserole.
Don’t get me wrong, you will struggle to convince anyone that this is a classic Cheddar, Broccoli and Chicken Casserole, instead it tastes like a healthy version of one. That being said, this recipe has a lot of the same delicious attributes, creamy rice, tender pieces of broccoli, shredded chicken and those wonderfully crispy outer edges that are always my favourite part of any casserole.
If you are not following a Paleo or Dairy Free diet then I would suggest sprinkling a bit of cheddar on top of the casserole and letting it bake for a few minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden.
The leftovers are delicious and will last for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Here are a few more comforting casserole that you might enjoy!
- Creamy Chicken, Broccoli & Bacon Casserole
- Spaghetti Bolognese Casserole
- Jalapeño Tuna Casserole
- Beef & Cauliflower Rice Mexican Casserole
- Caramelized Onion, Butternut Squash & Turkey Breakfast Casserole
If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Broccoli & Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 celeriac 3 cups riced
- 3 cups shredded chicken
- 1 onion finely diced
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 head broccoli cut into approximately 3 cups florets
- water
- 1 egg
- 2/3 cup coconut cream
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (or parmesan for SCD)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
- Peel the celeriac and cut it into large chunks. Place the pieces into a food processor and pulse until everything is broken down into even pieces the size of rice. Place the rice in a bowl along with the shredded chicken
- In a skillet on medium heat, cook the onion and garlic in olive oil for 3 to 4 minutes until the onion begins to soften. Add in the broccoli florets and about 1/4 cup water just to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover and steam the broccoli until it is just tender but not overcooked (approximately 5 minutes). Add the onions and broccoli into the bowl with the rice and chicken
- Whisk together the egg and coconut cream before adding in the chicken stock and nutritional yeast. Pour the liquid into the bowl with the other ingredients and stir until well combined.
- Transfer everything to a casserole dish and firmly press down to ensure its well packed in. Cover the casserole dish with tin foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes remove the tin foil and bake for another 5 minutes to lightly brown the top. Serve warm
Nutrition
If I use rice, do I need to cook the rice first or put raw rice in the oven?
I am wondering this too. Raw rice or cooked….
Do you make your own Coconut cream for the SCD diet or have you found a canned legal brand? If you do make your own, could you share your process? Thanks!
the difficulty here is it doesn’t tell you what constitutes a serving – no cup/gram/oz/etc. measurement.
Really enjoyed this! I left out the celeriac root and did cauliflower rice on the side instead. It was very good and incredibly comparable to the gluten and dairy-full version we used to make. My husband loved it and my daughter (who doesn’t like broccoli) had seconds!
I’ve never cooked with celeriac before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was delicious! Hubby and kids devoured it. I like that the celeriac didn’t get mushy but stayed a rice like consistency. I’m not on a special diet, just can’t have dairy or gluten, so I topped it with gluten free panko bread crumbs tossed in vegan butter for crunch. Very yummy!
I love this recipe! In the shortage of chicken once..I added pre fried bacon cut into pieces and it added a wonderful savory flavor.
What do you substitute for the egg? Egg is dairy.
Egg is actually not dairy as it’s from a chicken. If you are unable to eat egg then you could try using a flax egg or chia to help to bind the casserole. Alternatively if you are on a dairy free diet then I would recommend including the egg in the casserole.
Can you omit the nutritional yeast? I don’t have any on hand and want to make it tomorrow
Yes you definitely can, it just gives the casserole a cheesy flavour. If you aren’t on a dairy free diet you could add cheddar or parmesan instead.
Looking forward to trying this! One question – where do you find your prepackaged foods? I was under the impression that most prepackage or canned foods are not SCD legal? Thanks!
I am based in the UK so unfortunately a lot of the products I use aren’t available in North America. You are correct that the majority of prepackaged foods aren’t SCD legal but with a bit of research you can find some that are. There are lots of websites that list some of the products you can use, my favourite is SCD Lifestyle.
When do you add the salt? I didn’t see it in the instructions so I just added at the end.
I like it! Hubby said it doesn’t take like anything is missing! Have you ever frozen it? Would you before or after baking?