We waste way too much food in this house. It’s a huge pet peeve of mine. With my son doing remote schooling, he at least is eating a decent amount of dinner leftovers… if he liked it. Well, I should clarify that. If he really liked it. If he’s so so or “it was fine” about a dish, it’s hard to convince him to eat up the leftovers.
If we have enough leftovers for a second meal, I always try to freeze it for an easy weeknight meal in the future. But, sometimes I know that we just won’t have it and it’ll get lost in the depths of the freezer. So, I ultimately try to only cook enough for the three of us, which is really more of a typical four serving meal when you account for four normal people and not factor in teenage boy to the mix.
I bought a cauliflower recently. I don’t remember what I was going to make with it, but for whatever reason, I either skipped the recipe I was planning or made something completely different. Ultimately, I ended up with an unused cauliflower. And if I hate throwing out leftovers, I abhor throwing out unused produce. I try to be pretty meticulous about what I’m purchasing each week to ensure that everything is used. But, ya know, shit happens, right?
So, I had this cauliflower and I kept flip flopping on how I wanted to use it. We make so much roast cauliflower that that seemed the obvious route to take with it. But, I didn’t want just straight up roast cauliflower this time around.
A Mexican casserole popped into my head. Initially, I was thinking of using the cauliflower to swap out rice and keep this more keto friendly. But, I’m lifting weights every other day, and sometimes I just need carbs. This time around, I just did not want to swap the carbs out for cauliflower. BUT, there was no reason the cauliflower couldn’t still be used, right!? Now, if you don’t want to use cauliflower, this dish will be just as delicious without it! But, I loved the texture it provided to the casserole ~ plus, extra vitamins!
If you do skip the cauliflower, then this is a super easy one pot dinner! But, roasting the cauliflower takes about the same amount of time as cooking the rest of the dish on the stove top. So, by the time the rest of it comes together, you just have to scoop the cauliflower in and stir!
I generally love making homemade red enchilada sauce. I have a pretty traditional one listed here and a spicier version listed here. Both recipes use pretty common staple items, although the spicer version does use chipotles in adobo sauce… that is a staple item in our house, but it might not be in yours. It does add an awesome kick to Mexican food though! But, if you’re feeling lazy and don’t want to deal with making your own enchilada sauce (it only takes about 5 minutes!), then use store-bought! I am all about making life easier on yourself, so if you’re not up having one more thing to do, keep it simple!
For the boneless, skinless chicken thighs, I only sear the pieces on the outside before removing them. The pan will ultimately end up in the oven for half an hour to cook the rice. The chicken will cook through. I just find searing it and then letting it cook through in the liquid keeps the meat so much more moist and tender!
I know some Mexican casseroles add corn. I did not. Obviously feel free to if you’re craving that. But, with the tender-firm texture of the cauliflower, I just didn’t feel the need to add corn. There is so much flavor from the diced green chilies, fire roasted tomatoes, and bell peppers!
I mixed in low-fat Philadelphia cream cheese before adding in the liquids. This gives the casserole a fantastic creaminess. After cooking the rice, covered, in the oven, I set the broiler to high and moved the oven rack up. I removed the lid and let the broiler lightly brown the top of the cheese. This can happen quickly, so if you decide to brown the cheese, keep a close eye on it!
I added fresh cilantro to garnish. I know this may seem like a “nice to do,” but I’m telling you, fresh cilantro on top of this casserole gives it a fresh, vibrant flavor… AKA, totally worth it!
And that’s it! Cauliflower not wasted! Yes! And, an absolutely delicious and easy weeknight dinner!
Enjoy!
Chicken Enchilada Cauliflower Casserole with Yellow Rice
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Mexican
- Cuisine: Dinner
Ingredients
1 head of cauliflower, roughly chopped
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces
2 bell peppers, cut into bite size pieces
½ red onion, cut into bite size pieces
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 TBs olive oil, divided
8 oz low-fat Philadelphia cream cheese
1 cup store bought or homemade red enchilada sauce
15 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
4 oz can diced green chilies, juiced retained
1¼ cup yellow rice (can substitute with medium grain white rice)
2 cups chicken broth
8 oz Mexican cheese mix
cilantro, for garnish
Seasoning
1½ TBs chili powder
1 TB ground cumin
1 TB paprika
2 tsps garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
¼ – ½ tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 500°F. Spread the cauliflower on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Reduce the temperature to 375°F.
As the cauliflower cooks, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, oven-safe sauce pan over a medium flame. Add the chicken thighs and cook for about 5 minutes until browned all over. Remove and set in a bowl. Drain off any excess liquid. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, add the peppers and onion. Cook, stirring often, for about 8 minutes. Add in the garlic cloves and cook until fragrant ~ about 30 seconds.
Return the chicken to the saucepan, leaving any excess juice in the bowl. Sprinkle over the chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, salt, and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted and evenly coating the chicken and vegetables. Stir in the enchilada sauce, green chilies, and chicken broth. Stir in the roasted cauliflower and bring to a boil. Stir in the rice, cover with a lid, and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the lid and thoroughly stir the casserole. Sprinkle over the Mexican cheese mix and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and raise the oven rack to the second to highest spot. Place the casserole back in the oven and turn the broiler on high, allowing it to toast the cheese for 1 to 2 minutes (keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn!).
Dish the casserole into bowl and sprinkle with cilantro. Enjoy!
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