This creamy paleo chicken, broccoli, and rice casserole is packed with flavor and filling in the best way! It’s Whole30 compliant, keto, dairy free and perfect to make ahead of time for easy lunches and dinners.
Here’s are two not-so-scandalous secrets about me. 1.) I used to be anti-casserole and 2.) I used to be anti-cauli rice.
And now he we are, on the first day of 2019 with a DEEE-licious paleo and Whole30 casserole that does in fact use cauliflower rice. Things change, and I’m not afraid to admit that I was oh-so-wrong way back then.
I’m pretty sure all my issues with casseroles AND cauli rice can be summed up with one word: mush. Not the most appetizing word. But in truth, every paleo casserole I tried in the beginning seemed to just turn to mush, in a bad way. (Is there ever good mush, really? I guess not.)
Things have changed, however. A good thick sauce, lots of “goodies” (as I always say), and avoiding the dreaded overcooked cauli rice helps a whole lot.
And you might know by now that by “goodies” I’m talking about bacon, mostly. But honestly the roasted broccoli is a goody in my book as well. When done right it’s completely impossible to stop eating!
This casserole has several steps but it’s overall very easy to throw together. First, you’ll prep and then roast the chicken and broccoli in the oven. Meanwhile, you’ll make the bacon and then the sauce.
The sauce is very simple – onions, garlic, ghee, broth, coconut milk, thickener, salt, pepper, and fresh herbs. I also used nutritional yeast and some spicy brown mustard, which helps mimic the flavor of cheese and adds extra yumminess to the sauce.
The cauli rice is stirred into the sauce at the very last minute to avoid overcooking. Then the cooked, shredded chicken, broccoli, bacon, sauce, and rice are all baked together in a casserole dish. The result is so tasty that you won’t believe you’re actually eating something good for you!
This casserole is perfect to make ahead of time for easy lunches since the leftovers reheat so well. It’s one of those meals that might even taste BETTER leftover since all the flavors have a chance to blend.
It’s great for picky eaters too – the chicken, bacon, and broccoli usually go over well with kids! Plus, the “cheesy” flavor of the sauce has no hint of the coconut milk, so no worries for all you coconut haters. (I’ve learned over the years that coconut seems to be a love it or hate it sort of flavor.)
I hope you’re ready for the best kind of healthy comfort food! Grab all your ingredients and get that oven preheated. It’s time to make the best Paleo Chicken, Broccoli, and “Rice” Casserole – let’s go!
Paleo Chicken Broccoli “Rice” Casserole {Whole30, Keto}
Paleo Chicken Broccoli “Rice” Casserole
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 3 Tbsp ghee or rendered bacon fat
- 1 med onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 Tbsp tapioca flour or arrowroot starch
- 1 3/4 cups chicken bone broth
- 1/2 cup coconut milk full fat
- 1 Tbsp spicy brown mustard
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast optional
- 1/4 sea salt or to taste
- 1/8 tsp black pepper or to taste
- 1 tsp fresh minced sage leaves
- 1 tbsp fresh minced rosemary
Remaining Ingredients:
- 12 oz cauliflower “rice” - I purchase this already prepped to save time
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 lb broccoli florets
- 3 Tbsp avocado oil or olive oil, divided Sea salt and pepper
- 1/2 lb nitrate free bacon sugar free for Whole30
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Place chicken on a baking sheet and coat with 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
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On a separate baking sheet lined with parchment paper, arrange broccoli and toss with 1 1/2 Tbsp avocado oil plus salt and pepper.
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Roast chicken for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through. Midway through, flip the chicken and for even roasting. Roast broccoli for 15-20 mins or until fork tender, stirring midway through.
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Once done, lower the oven temp to 400 degrees.
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While chicken and broccoli roasts, cook bacon until crisp in a large skillet, drain, and make the sauce:
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For the sauce, heat a medium saucepan over med heat and add the 3 Tbsp cooking fat. Add the onions, cook until translucent and fragrant, then add the garlic and continue to cook until soft, adjusting heat if necessary.
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Whisk the tapioca flour into the broth and add it to the pan, then immediately add the coconut milk, mustard and nutritional yeast, (if using), while whisking. Raise the heat and bring to a boil, stirring. Once boiling, lower to a simmer and continue to stir and cook for another minute, until nice and thick. Stir in salt and pepper to taste, add the fresh herbs. Stir in the cauliflower rice to soften, then remove from heat.
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Cut the chicken into bite size pieces, or shred, and arrange in a casserole dish, then add the roasted broccoli and the sauce/rice mixture, stir to evenly coat. Crumble the cooked bacon and sprinkle all over, then bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until heated through and cauli rice is soft. Serve hot and enjoy!
Nutrition
Shop Products and Ingredients:
Want More Paleo and Whole30 Chicken Recipes? Try One Of These!
Crispy Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Creamy Chicken Spinach Artichoke Dip
Classic “Breaded” Chicken Cutlets
Garlic Chipotle Lime Chicken in the Instant Pot
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili with Sweet Potatoes
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My kids have Broccoli’d me out! Lol. That was the only veggie they would eat so we are a lot of it. Now I can’t stand the sight of it. Any good alternative ideas for the brocoli in this recipe pls?
Do you have any ideas for a substitute for the coconut milk? I am sensitive to coconut milk, but this casserole looks delicious! Thank you.
Yum! I purchase frozen cauli rice. How would I use it in this recipe? Should I thaw it first or steam it? Wondering if adding it frozen would save some time? Can’t wait to try this casserole!
Can you freeze this.
I love reading your post. This is one of the best blog ever. Thanks for sharing information. Hope you are sharing the same in future.
This recipe is so good. It’s very similar (maybe identical) to another one on this site which includes brussels sprouts instead of the broccoli and cauliflower rice. They are both fantastic. It’s wonderful to find great Paleo compliant casseroles. You won’t miss the dairy or gluten; the sauce flavors are “cheesy” and savory and creamy. I used frozen cauliflower rice and it worked just fine. And this reheats really well too. Thank you for making such reliably delicious recipes. I feel confident trying new recipe from your blog b/c I haven’t found one that isn’t a “winner” yet!
Did you add the cali rice frozen?
Did you use cook the cauliflower first? Thank you!
Is there any way to make the almond bread less dry? It certainly is better than he recipe given to me by my Dr but it is hard to swallow either because of dense ness or dryness
Are the nutritional facts for the entire recipe or per serving?
Per serving. I printed the recipe and it says per serving in the Nutrition Facts.
Thanks for this! It came out really watery – should I add egg or almond flour? The flavors were great, though!
I would probably just bake it a little longer so that the liquid reduces on its own.
I can’t wait to make this. I’m going to make this tomorrow for breakfast during the week. I’ve over regular breakfast options (mostly eggs) and this looks like it will be AMAZING!!!
I don’t usually comment but this was delicious. The recipe is spot on.
That sauce is something I’ll be making again and again for all sorts of things. Thank you!
This was delish! I will for sure make it next week again. I even liked the leftovers cold. So yummy!
Do you add the herbs to the sauce?
I’ve made this a few times now and am always surprised at how versatile it is as well as delicious! Super easy for a weeknight and you can throw in whatever veggies you have on hand that need to get eaten up. I’ve made it with zucchini, broccolini, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and more. The sauce really makes this one so easy and flavorful!
So I made this and it cAme our delicious but a bit soupy. Not sure what I did wrong. Any ideas? Delicious flavor tho! Thank you!
Michele, Michele, Michele – you truly outdid yourself on this one! I’m doing Whole30 and needed something I could have for dinner and leftovers for lunch. I can’t wait til tomorrow for lunch! Followed the recipe except that whole chickens were on sale this week so I ended up roasting half a chicken and using that instead of the chicken breasts only. I’ve seen some other comments about the sauce being thin, mine was a little but not too much. I used frozen cauliflower rice, partially thawed. Next time, I’ll thaw it and squeeze out the excess moisture in a towel and I’m sure that’ll make the sauce just the right consistency. Of course a little thin sauce didn’t stop my son or I from devouring it!! Thank you!
Could I use almond flour instead of tapioca? It’s the only whole 30 flour I have. Also, what would I do if using frozen cauliflower rice? Thanks!
Super good! Agree it is even better the next day. I used chicken thighs and it turned out perfectly. Also agree its a little runny, but I didn’t care because it tasted so good. Thank you again Michele for another great recipe. I really appreciate how you write your recipes in a way that makes cooking them so easy.
Best cooking steps I have read here which are really very comfortable for me in making of the latest and tasty cooking foods. Thanks a lot
This recipe took way longer than the time listed. It was more complicated than needed to be. The taste was not worth the time. The casserole ended up being runny and didn’t stay well in the fridge. A casserole shouldn’t be this complicated… wasted a whole evening on this
I made this tonight, with actual rice, and it was soooo comforting and cozy and delicious. Not watery just perfect. Looking forward to leftovers. And will try a cauli rice version some other time. Thank you.
Can this be frozen??
Do you use 9×13 dish or another size. Sorry if it is in the instructions; I promise I looked before posting. Looking forward to trying it!
Yes 9×13
Is the nutritional info for 1 serving or for the whole dish…500 calories with the contents provided seem a bit steep.
I just tried this and it turned out completely watery 🙁 the sauce went into the casserole dish super creamy so I was pretty disappointed. I’m guessing that if I cooked the cauliflower rice ahead of time and squeezed out all of the moisture, it would’ve held up better.
Super delicious! The whole family liked it. I was looking for a chicken broccoli rice casserole sub. I 1.5x the recipe and put it in a bigger pan and it worked great. I made it keto by subbing tapioca flour for glucomannan(1/2-1tsp).
Super delicious and all my kids loved it!
Hi…do you think I could make all of the “parts”….sauce, chicken, broccoli, bacon and store separately and then add the cauli rice and put together and cook? trying to do some sunday cooking for dinners during the week. Thank you!