Okay, so remember how in the past I’ve mentioned I hate cauliflower? Like seriously hate it? Well, if you don’t remember, I’ll say it again. Cauliflower rice isn’t rice. It’s disgusting and smells like a sweaty gym sock. That being said, I made another recipe with it that is AMAZING. If you see a cauliflower recipe posted here, you should know, it was approved by someone that HATES it. Therefore, it’s probably pretty tasty. This blush chicken cauliflower casserole is definitely a great way to cut out calories and carbs while still packing a ton of flavor. It’s even approved for keto diets at 27 grams of carbs per each heaping serving!
What The Heck Is Blush Chicken Anyway?
The name of this recipe comes from the fact that blush sauce is made by combining alfredo sauce with tomato sauce. In this recipe we end up using both alfredo sauce as well as both crushed and diced tomatoes. The sauce ends up being a pink sauce and is delicious! Then from there we add chicken, cauliflower rice, fresh basil, onions, garlic, as well as a bunch of cheese. Yum!
Also, for the cauliflower rice, it is incredibly important that you wring out all of the excess moisture. If you don’t, then your casserole will likely end up really soupy or watery. I typically buy Full Green riced cauliflower pouches, microwave them and then wring them out using paper towels over the sink. Be careful though because it’s really hot and you don’t want to burn yourself with the steam.
Substitutions
This recipe is easily adaptable. If you want to make it vegetarian, you could easily substitute tofu or just omit the meat altogether. If you wanted to make it vegan, you could do the same with the chicken, but then also use a vegan alfredo sauce like this Daiya one which comes in a three pack on amazon or these ones from Primal Kitchen. You would also need to use vegan cheeses or omit the cheese altogether, in which case, you likely wouldn’t need to bake the casserole at the end.
Blush Chicken Cauliflower Casserole
Equipment
- Oven safe pan (stainless steel, dutch oven, cast iron, etc.)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed (approximately 2 large chicken breasts)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp Italian seasoning, divided
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
- 15 oz crushed tomatoes
- 14.5 oz jarred alfredo sauce (I use the garlic parmesan flavor)
- 28 oz cauliflower rice, cooked according to package directions and very well drained of all liquid. (I used 4 7 oz packages of Full Green brand)
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 20 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 cup spinach, packed and chopped
- 3 green onions, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large oven-safe saucepan.
- Add chicken and season with salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and half of the Italian seasoning. Brown on all sides approximately 5-7 minutes.
- Add onion and garlic and saute until just beginning to soften, 3-4 minutes. Add cauliflower and season with additional salt and pepper.
- Add the alfredo sauce, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes and remaining Italian seasoning. Season with another pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well and let simmer 5 minutes.
- Add basil and spinach, stirring into the cauliflower mixture until fully wilted.
- Add half of each of the cheeses and stir into the mixture. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top of the casserole. Bake 12 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Switch the oven to broil and broil 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.
- Top with green onion. Let sit 10 minutes to thicken. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
This recipe is super filling and flavorful. I highly recommend that anyone who dislikes cauliflower rice try this recipe with an open mind because I’m just like you. I can’t stand the stuff but we loved this recipe, haha! If I like it, then anyone who actually likes cauliflower rice will too!
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! If you like this recipe and want to see more, feel free to check out the links below or go straight to my recipes page here. You can also subscribe below if you want weekly Foodie Friday updates. Also, if you wouldn’t mind, please share my recipes with your friends and families and comment below what you think if you try them! Thanks again for your support!
Lemon Butter Vegetarian Pasta
Creamy Chorizo Cauli-Rice Casserole
Mushroom Swiss Burger Zucchini Boats
