This Creamy Chicken Alfredo Cauliflower Rice Bake Is So Good
Making homemade Chicken Alfredo Casserole might seem like an indulgent weekend recipe but this easy-on-the-cook, less decadent version is definitely doable on a Tuesday night. After processing the cauliflower rice, every ingredient is stirred together in the same dish in which it bakes. Who doesn't love fewer dishes to wash? Easy step-saving ingredients like prewashed greens, rotisserie chicken, and purchased Alfredo sauce (though if you prefer, you can make your own homemade Alfredo Sauce,) cut valuable minutes from the prep time. As a bonus, this no-guilt casserole has fewer calories than it's full flavored classic. Cauliflower stealthily stands in for the usual higher carb and calorie starch—regular rice or noodles. Together, cauliflower and spinach contribute a full veggie serving per portion.
Chicken Alfredo Cauliflower Rice Bake Ingredients
- Cauliflower: One medium head of cauliflower (2 .25 to 2.5 lbs.) will yield about 5 ½ cups of riced cauliflower. If you're really short on time, look for frozen riced cauliflower in the freezer section of your grocery store. Thaw (and drain if necessary) 2, 10-oz. packages before baking as directed in the recipe.
- Dried Herb: Classic Alfredo sauce typically is made without herbs but we added a touch of basil for extra flavor. If you prefer to use fresh basil increase the amount to 1 tablespoon. You may also swap in oregano, chives, and/or parsley.
- Baby Spinach: One 6-oz. package of prewashed baby spinach is more than enough for this recipe. It's an easy ingredient to add to a variety of recipes. Get creative with how to use up the rest of the bag of spinach.
- Rotisserie Chicken: The average rotisserie deli chicken is around two pounds and will yield about 3 cups of white and dark meat, which is plenty for this recipe.
- Light Alfredo Pasta Sauce: Premade lower calorie Alfredo sauce can be found in the pasta aisle of your grocery store with other shelf-stable sauces, but consider refrigerated sauces that may be found in the dairy section of the store as well. A 15-oz. container of refrigerated light Alfredo sauce is an ideal substitute. If you need to make this casserole gluten-free, you can find a number of manufacturers who make gluten- and dairy-free options.
- Bread Crumbs: Purchased panko (Japanese bread crumbs) is a simple convenient crispy topper but if you don't have any in your pantry there are other ways to add a crispy topper to this dish. Buttered cracker crumbs, soft or dry bread crumbs mixed with oil or melted butter will all work.
Ingredients
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1 (2.25-2.5 pound) head cauliflower, trimmed and broken into florets
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¼ cup olive oil
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1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
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¼ teaspoon salt
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¼ teaspoon black pepper
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2 ½ cup fresh baby spinach
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2 cup chopped rotisserie chicken
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1 (14.5 ounce) jar light Alfredo pasta sauce
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2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
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½ cup panko bread crumbs
Directions
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Preheat oven to 400°F. Working in batches, cover and pulse cauliflower in a food processor four to six times or until crumbly and resembles rice.
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Transfer cauliflower "rice" to a 3-qt. casserole. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp. of the oil and sprinkle with basil, salt, and pepper; toss to coat. Bake 15 minutes.
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Stir in spinach, chicken, and pasta sauce; sprinkle with cheese. Combine panko and remaining 2 Tbsp. oil; sprinkle over cauliflower mixture. Bake 20 to 25 minutes more or until top is brown.
What to Serve with Chicken Alfredo Cauliflower Rice Bake?
You won't need much to round out this one-dish meal. A quick bread fix-up, or a simple fresh vegetable side dish should suffice.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
255 | Calories |
16g | Fat |
12g | Carbs |
17g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings Per Recipe 6 | |
Calories 255 | |
% Daily Value * | |
Total Fat 16g | 21% |
Saturated Fat 6g | 30% |
Cholesterol 83mg | 28% |
Sodium 743mg | 32% |
Total Carbohydrate 12g | 4% |
Total Sugars 3g | |
Protein 17g | 34% |
Vitamin C 30.8mg | 34% |
Calcium 97mg | 7% |
Iron 1.2mg | 7% |
Potassium 346mg | 7% |
Folate, total 59.7mcg | |
Vitamin B-12 0.2mcg | |
Vitamin B-6 0.2mg |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.