I’ve been meaning to use up a head of cauliflower for a couple days now and had a good chunk of the spatchcocked chicken I made last night. Along with some other fresh veggies from the market, I decided tonights supper was going to be a cheesy casserole concoction.
Chicken, Spinach, and Cauliflower Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 c cooked chicken chopped
- 1 head cauliflower cut into small florets
- 1 bundle fresh spinach rough chopped
- 4 stips bacon chopped
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 jumbo green onions chopped (or 1 small onion)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- Thickening agent flour or low carb substitute
- 1 c cream
- 1/2 c water
- 2 c cheese
- 1 tsp Dry Mustard
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp pepper
- Salt to taste
- Few dashes of worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Nuke cauliflower in saran covered bowl until tender (5 minutes).
- Blanch spinach until wilted (stems removed). Squeeze out water, chop small.
- In a large sauce pot, brown the bacon, rending out the fat, then add the butter and melt. Add onion and minced garlic, stirring until softened. Then add thickening agent of choice (low carb thickener or 3 tbsp of flour), stirring to combine.
- Add cream and water, stirring until it begins to thicken.
- Add spices and stir to mix.
- Add cheese and stir until melted.
- Toss in spinach.
- If pot is big enough add the chicken and cauliflower, or toss in a bowl, and then pour into 9x9 casserole dish.
- (Top with breadcrumbs and a drizzle of melted butter if desired.)
- Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes (covered with tinfoil). Remove tinfoil and bake an additional 20 minutes.
CHICKEN, SPINACH, CAULIFLOWER CASSEROLE
I made a few minor adjustments. I used almond milk instead of cream. Chicken stock instead of water. I reduced the garlic to one clove and omitted the garlic powder, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. I also reduced the flour to 2 tbs. I think next time I will reduce the amount of cheese to 1 1/2 cups as well. This is a wonderful satisfying dish, full of flavor! Definitely a keeper recipe! Great dinner to serve especially if you’re trying to cut back on carbs. I saw a number of recipes on the internet but most called for eggs and cheese to bind the casserole together instead of a flavorful cheese sauce. I highly recommend this recipe and I shared it on facebook.
Thanks for trying it! I don’t use almond milk, but it’s a great low carb substitute (and lower calorie). Does it affect the flavour any?
I’m ambivalent with eggs as a binder. Just not a fan of the “eggy” taste it seems to impart. I sometimes use an egg in say meatloaf, but one egg in a couple pounds of beef doesn’t affect the taste. 😉