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!
📖 Recipe
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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Mikhala says
This is so delicious! I used about 4 oz of pickled jalapeños instead of green chiles, they've been sold out my grocery store lately, and it worked really well!
Lonnie says
How can this be right? 1-1/2 tsp. salt? It was so salty we had to throw it. I thought it was too much but went ahead and used it.
Taryn says
That is correct. This recipe has gotten dozens of great reviews as written. I'm sorry you found it too salty!
Mojoblogs says
I love having healthy alternatives! This looks great! I'm gonna try this recipe. Thanks for this!
Jodi says
Delish delish delish awesome dish to step up cauliflower and enjoy.
Mary says
I throw in cooked shredded chicken and frozen New Mexican Green Chiles to make it a whole meal. Delish!!
Kristina says
Can you make this ahead of time, maybe the night before?
Taryn says
Yes, prepping it the day before is fine. Just add a few minutes to the cooking time.
Linda says
This is one decadent and rich casserole and we loved it! Of course, anything with cheese in our household is always 100 percent approved. I hate to admit it but I didn't tell my hubby it was made with cauliflower until after he ate it and said he loved it. So A+ on making this high carb rice dish into one low carb winner!
Nellie Tracy says
Delicious! Love making this as a weeknight dinner recipe. My family goes crazy for it every time!
Lisa says
Looks delicious!
Rachel Moreno says
This was so delicious! Reminds me of broccoli cheese casserole. The only thing I wish was clarified was when using frozen cauliflower rice, I measured it after I microwaved and squeezed the excess water out.
Sarah says
This is really good but way too salty! I wish I'd listened to my instincts and only put in 1/2 tsp of salt. As is, I can tell it has really good flavor and can't wait to try it again with way less salt than called for. Definite potential for 5 stars.
Taryn says
I'm sorry you found it too salty. We enjoy it as is. Cutting back on the salt is a simple fix though. Please come back and let me know how you like it with a little less salt.
Maggie says
Just made this as a side to steak for dinner. Highly recommend! Reading the other comments, it was interesting to see people eating it for breakfast... or adding sausage or chicken! All good ideas.
Laura says
This was soooo good! I too, will be making this as a side for Thanksgiving!!!!! I like the idea of adding bacon. Thanks for sharing.
Kelly Martin says
Soo good! Making this again for a Thanksgiving side!
Julie says
I was wondering if you could use frozen florets?
Taryn says
Yes, just thaw and chop them.
Bonita says
I was wondering the same thing. I don't see why not. I think it would be wonderful or even using fresh steamed cauliflower.
Maj says
So, I rarely comment, but we just finished our dinner and so enjoyed the meal! I did add some cooked chicken to make it a complete dinner, but followed the recipe otherwise. Thank you!
MJohnson says
We really wanted a low carb option that still has a good calorie count. This is great, thanks!
Kayla says
Hi! Is it 6 net carbs per serving or for the whole dish? Thank you!
Taryn says
Per serving. 1/6th of an 8x8 dish so the servings are pretty large.
Cindy L says
Making this again for Father's Day weekend - a special request from my usually-Cauliflower-avoiding husband who also loves this. So delicious - thank you for the recipe!
sharon George says
I neglected to mention that I add more chiles - double or more depending on their heat.