Green Chile Keto Cauliflower Casserole is a low carb remake of an old family favorite. Cauliflower rice baked in a creamy, cheesy sauce studded with green chiles and topped with gooey cheese...it's Texas comfort food at it's finest. Quick, easy and great for weekly meal prep!
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Hi ya’ll…my name is Emilie from the food blog Tales of a Texas Granola Girl where I share gluten-free and low-carb recipes inspired by my Texas upbringing. I believe amazing, satisfying food doesn't have to be filled with sugar, grains or preservatives and healthy food doesn't have to be boring and bland! These days I live on a Ranch out in the middle of nowhere Texas, home-school my girls, raise animals, cook for Ranch guests and specialize in creating delicious recipes that are 100% gluten free, low carb and keto and always kid and Cowboy approved! You can find me at www.texasgranolagirl.com and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/texasgranolagirl/.
I’m so excited that Taryn invited me to Guest Post on Joy Filled Eats! I am thrilled to share this simple and scrumptious Green Chile Cauliflower Rice Casserole, inspired by one of my all-time favorite family dishes!
Keto Cauliflower Casserole = Comfort food
One of my favorite things to do is to take my favorite childhood comfort food recipes and “de-carb” them! We all have those dishes that evoke “food memories” …sometimes for me, it’s just the aroma that does it! Well, just because we are living a low-carb or keto lifestyle shouldn’t mean that we miss out on all those amazing flavors from our past!
Green Chile Cauliflower Casserole was inspired by one of my favorite special occasion dishes. I remember it was always on the table at Christmas and other holiday dinners…or at least I hoped it was! It’s funny…I’m not quite sure why it was reserved mostly for special occasions because it is so easy to make…probably because it is rich and decadent and those dishes in our house were always reserved for holidays! The version from my childhood had white rice as the main ingredient so I switched it up with some cauliflower rice, made a few other modifications and I have to say this low carb version is even better than the original…sorry, mom!
Cauliflower rice in cauliflower casserole?
As you now know, I live on a ranch out in the middle of Texas with my husband, the Cowboy, and my two girls. We are about 45 minutes away from the nearest store, so we stock up on groceries when we go to town! While I love fresh veggies, they don’t seem to stay fresh for too long, so to save time and money, I stock up on certain frozen veggies and cauliflower rice is one that we always have on hand! I try to load up when it goes on sale, so we always have it around for a quick side option or to use in our favorite recipes. My daughter Maddie and I are the low carbers around here and we love the versatility of cauliflower rice and use it all the time, for anything from pizzas to casseroles, like this amazing Green Chile Cauliflower Casserole!
One of my other favorite sides is GG’s Oil & Vinegar Coleslaw. And if you are looking for something to serve this with how about Chicken Verde Taco Bowls?
Cauliflower Side Dishes
Cauliflower rice baked in a cheesy, sour cream and green chili sauce and topped with more ooey, gooey melty cheese…sound delicious? IT IS! It’s all my favorite things …creamy, cheesy, decadent, comforting and so incredibly delicious. Served up aside a grilled steak, crispy chicken thighs or even your favorite pork chops, this Keto Cauliflower Casserole will quickly become a favorite side in your weekly meal rotation. It takes minutes to put together and can be made ahead of time, so it can easily be used for meal prep as well! It's Texas comfort food at it's finest!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ¾ cup chopped onion
- ¾ cup chopped celery
- 2 cups cauliflower rice
- 1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
- 4 oz canned green chiles drained
- ½ cup sour cream full fat
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter or grease an 8x8 pan and set aside.
- If using frozen cauliflower rice, cook to package directions, usually about 3 minutes. If using fresh cauliflower rice, steam for 3-4 minutes on the stove-top or in the microwave until slightly tender. Take the steamed cauliflower rice and squeeze or press between paper towels to remove the excess moisture and set aside. You want the rice to be fairly dry so your dish isn’t watery!
- Melt butter in a medium sauté pan over medium high heat. Add celery and onions. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until tender. Turn down heat to medium and add cream to the pan and stir constantly and reduce by half, until thick and creamy and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine cauliflower rice, ½ cup of each cheese, chiles, sour cream, veggie mixture and seasonings and stir till incorporated. Spread mixture evenly in the prepared pan and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly…Enjoy!
Nutrition
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Ligouri Tracy says
Just excellent!
Dawn says
Delicious! My husband liked it, not a fan of cauliflower!
Kerri says
I read in the comments where people added chicken to make an entree instead of a side, so I shredded a rotisserie chicken. I doubled the onion, because my husband hates celery. It turned out super yummy! I will definitely make it again.
Nancy says
This recipe has become a family favorite!
Tami Castronovo says
It was super easy and turned out perfectly! I did't have red pepper seasoning or dried minced onion, so I sprinkled the onion powder, Everything Bagel seasoning, and sone ancho chili powder on, and it was delicious!
Shirley Hanes says
I have made many keto recipes and not all have been winners. This one is a WINNER. I wish I had doubled the recipe. I accidentally left the garlic out. I can't wait until I make it again and see what it taste like. I was a little concerned about the amount of salt and thought about using less. I'm so glad I didn't. This would be a wonderful potluck/holiday side. I have already sent the recipe to my vegetarian son and daughter-in-law.
Alison says
Hi, this recipe sounds great. I haven’t made it yet but wondering if the calories etc at the bottom are for the overall dish, or preserve?
Many thanks, Alison
Taryn says
Per serving.
Dana Hancock says
Pretty good! I added some chunked up rotisserie chicken to make a meal out of it. Flavor was good, I added my favorite all seasons salt (Tastefully Simple, and no. I am not a rep for them, just love the product) and I put one cup of sour cream since I added chicken and it was very good. My husband thought it was good, not great, and I tended to agree. Would make again for a Keto dinner.
C says
Excellent side dish!
SandyB says
Excellent! Made recipe, but did not have canned green chilis. Used 1/4 cup green pepper and 1 small jalapeño. It came out great!
Kelly says
Made this for our family last night, I liked it but my hubby and kids did not. I used mashed frozen cauliflower but next time I am going to try just rough chopped instead. The consistency was just kinda weird. Also I substituted half and half b/c I did not have heavy cream. Maybe that’s why the flavor was kinda tart? I will try again. Likely user error on my part! 🙂
J Clark says
Great low carb casserole to compliment pretty much any dish. I had Hatch chiles that put in the freezer last season and doubled the chiles.
It’s was a hit with everyone.