Keto Friendly Chicken Cauliflower Casserole
Originally a chicken rice casserole, it can be made keto friendly with only a few ingredient swaps. Switching the rice for cauliflower and creating our own crust topping cuts out almost all of the carbs. This chicken casserole is great for meal prep or serving large groups. Despite swapping out some ingredients it’s still incredibly savory and filling.
Nutrition
- Total Net Carbs per Serving: 4g
- Carbs: 5g
- Fiber: 1g
- Full nutrition information at the bottom of the page
The Chicken Casserole
Honestly the best part about this casserole for me is how protein heavy it is. When I swapped out the rice in the recipe for cauliflower, I knew the cauliflower wouldn’t expand like rice would. This left room to add an extra can of chicken from the original recipe. At 39G protein and 24G fat, this is great for my diet where I’m still working at building muscle and staying in shape. I still get the fuel from some fat, but also get that protein content that my body needs. This is one of my favorite meal-prep lunch meals because of how well it heats up as well. Great for having an hour or so before hitting the gym.
Chicken Casserole Ingredients
The primary ingredients for this one are pretty simple, low cost, and simple to prep. Canned chicken is perfect for this since it’s already cooked and can be evenly distributed through the dish. I went with four of the large (12.5 oz) cans for this. As for the cauliflower, I didn’t even need to rice an entire large head of cauliflower. One medium sized head will probably do the trick on it’s own. The crust was originally buttered (and still butter soaked) townhouse crackers, however pork rinds make the perfect substitute. The best part about pork rinds is you can basically add as much or as little as you want. It won’t effect the total carbohydrate count either way. You can either purchase pre-crushed pork rinds (link below), or do what I did. I purchased buy one get one pork rinds from Ingles’ house brand.
Recommended Tools and Ingredients
Keto Friendly Chicken Cauliflower Casserole
Originally a chicken rice casserole, this keto friendly take is great for meal prep or serving large groups.
Ingredients
- 50 oz Canned chunk chicken (4 cans)
- 12 oz Cream of chicken
- 8 oz Sour cream
- 3 cups Uncooked riced cauliflower
- 5-6 oz Pork rinds Unflavored
- 1 stick Butter unsalted
- 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan optional
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350F. Drain chicken in a colander and rice the cauliflower in a food processor.
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Combine chicken, riced cauliflower, cream of chicken, and sour cream in a large casserole dish. Mix well to distribute evenly.
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Melt one stick butter in a saucepan or microwave. Crush pork rinds by hand or with a rolling pin until the desired size. This is for the crunchy topping.
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Combine melted butter with crushed pork rinds, then spoon evenly over the top of the casserole. Optionally add grated Parmesan to the topping to fill in any gaps.
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Cook casserole on 350F for 30 minutes or until crust becomes golden brown.
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Let rest for at least 5 minutes. Optional: Garnish with sliced green onions and serve. Salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe Notes
It’s up to personal preference, but I really enjoy topping this dish with some sliced green onions. It just adds a little more to the flavor profile and the color of the dish.
