Healthier Chicken and Cauliflower Casserole

overhead shot of chicken and cauliflower casserole in white baking dish

5 from 8 votes

Healthier Chicken and Cauliflower Casserole

Healthier chicken and cauliflower casserole, which can be made keto! Loaded with cauliflower, chicken, and a healthier creamy cheesy ranch sauce.

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Total Time55

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 333kcal

Author: Denise Bustard

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower (cut into 1 inch florets; roughly 8 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast (cut into 1 inch cubes)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons homemade ranch seasoning
4 tablespoons all purpose flour (or almond flour if you are using heavy cream)
3 cups almond milk (or regular milk, or heavy cream)
2 ½ cups mozzarella cheese (shredded)
⅛-1/4 teaspoons salt

Instructions

Heat oven to 425°F.
Toss cauliflower with olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Arrange in a deep 9 x 13 inch baking dish and roast (uncovered) for 25-30 minutes, until softened.
While cauliflower is cooking, start working on the sauce: Melt butter over medium heat. Add the ranch seasoning and flour, and stir until it is all combined and crumbly.
Gradually (working in ¼ cup increments), add in the almond milk, stirring continuously to make a creamy sauce. This may take 10-15 minutes, so be patient.
When all the almond milk as been added and sauce is thickened, add 1 ½ cups of the shredded cheese in 3 batches. Stir until completely melted and remove the sauce from the heat.
Stir in ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon of salt. Have a quick taste and decide how you'd like it.
When cauliflower is slightly soft, stir in the chicken breast pieces and pour the sauce over everything.
Return to the oven for 10 more minutes (uncovered).
Sprinkle with the remaining cup of cheese and return to the oven for 5-10 more minutes (uncovered). Cut into a piece of chicken to see if it's ready.
Allow casserole to rest for 10 minutes (this helps the sauce thicken up).

Storage

Casserole may be cooked ahead and portioned out into meal prep containers. Heat until steaming hot in the microwave.

Notes

Nutritional information is for casserole made with almond milk & all purpose flour

If you use heavy cream & almond flour, the nutritional estimate is: 357 calories // 7 g carbs // 1 g fiber // 34 g protein // 21 g total fat. So 6 g net carbs per serving.

Nutrition