Salsa Verde Chicken and Cauliflower Bake
Okay I warned you on Monday about my cauliflower obsession. It’s one of those things that I can’t believe I hadn’t done sooner and don’t see an end in sight! Matt and I have been making cauliflower rice with out food processor for months now and go through at least 2 heads of the stuff a week. A weekly staple is cauliflower “fried rice” because it comes together so quickly and is packed with veggies and good nutrition! Large quantities of tamari help too!! But a couple of weeks ago I saw this salsa verde rice casserole situation on pinterest that looked divine! Only problem was that it was packed with rice, sour cream and TONS of cheese. I thought I would attempt to recreate it with every healthy swap I could think of. Assuming it would turn out just okay or even really bad, I went for it anyways! To my surprise it was SUPER tasty, full of flavor and the cauliflower made a perfect substitute for most of the rice. I still kept 1 cup of brown rice in the whole dish just to keep its substance. The chicken marinates in this sweet honey lime sauce, then all you do is add everything into a bowl and mix! This makes for a perfect weeknight dinner. I made this on a Sunday and we actually had leftovers for a few lunches throughout the week. Best part? Aside from being tasty and nutritous, it is only 218 calories a serving!! I made a serving be 1/8 of the 9×13 pan too! Hallelujah.
Most of the ingredients I used:
Chopped and already cooked chicken is added to this marinade. You can use leftover chicken from another meal, or even a rotisserie!
Cauliflower, brown rice, greek yogurt, corn, fajita veggies & a little cheese!
Stir and add to a baking dish topped with a bit more cheese.
Bake until golden and bubbly!!
PIN IT TO WIN IT!
Salsa Verde Chicken and Cauliflower Bake
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
- 1 cup brown rice, cooked
- 3 cups cauliflower rice
- 1 12 oz. bottle salsa verde
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 cup Mexican cheese blend
- 1 cup frozen roasted corn, thawed
- 1 cup frozen roasted onions & peppers, thawed
10 Minute Marinade
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- dash – 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional for more heat)
- guacamole (optional topping)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the 10 Minute Marinade ingredients. Add cooked chopped chicken and let marinate 10 minutes.
- Then add 1/2 cup of cheese, salsa verde, brown rice, cauliflower rice, greek yogurt, peppers & onions, and corn to the chicken and marinade. Stir until evenly combined. It will seem a little “wet” which is normal. Add chicken/rice mixture to a 9 x 13 casserole dish and top with remaining cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until hot in the center then broil until cheese is golden.
- Serve with guacamole if desired!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of dish
- Calories: 218 per serving
- Fat: 6.1
Do you have a recipe for the Cauliflower fried rice?
Not posted yet but I will be doing that soon!
Hi! Excited to try this! What is 10 minute marinade?
Oh, is it the ingredients under “10 minute marinade!?” Sorry! Haha…sleep deprived mom of 3 here!