Chicken and rice casseroles are creamy, comforting, and.. keyword: creamy.
One of the cardinal rules in ordering healthy when you’re dining out is avoiding anything with “creamy” in the title.
However, with this casserole, you’re still getting the same creamy, indulgent consistency, without all the butter and cream.
This Paleo-friendly version of the classic “chicken and rice casserole” uses coconut milk, chicken broth, and eggs to create a creaminess that’s nutritious and clean-eating friendly. This casserole is protein and veggie packed, making it an all-around good-for-you meal, while still satisfying those comfort food cravings.
This casserole is meal-prep friendly, ideal for prepping on a Sunday and having for dinners and lunches all week. If you want to lighten it up a bit, use lite coconut milk. However, the consistency won’t be as creamy, it’ll be little more broth-like. The flavors are still there, though, so it’s up to your preference.
The celeriac rice absorbs the flavors in the chicken, broth, coconut milk, and softens to a rice-like consistency. The spinach, mushrooms, and garlic give this dish the savory, classic flavors of the original casserole, without adding unneeded fats and processed ingredients.
If you can’t find celeriac in your grocery store, you could use spiralized turnips, butternut squash, sweet potato, kohlrabi, rutabaga and even golden beets!
I’ll see you tomorrow for another #livinginspiralized feature, where I’ll be talking all about my non-toxic makeup routine, the final installment in my “non-toxic” lifestyle transition!
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Nutritional Information & Recipe
Weight Watchers SmartPoints*: 5 points
*These points were calculated using the official Weight Watchers SmartPoints calculator. We are in no way affiliated with Weight Watchers, we are providing this information based on popular demand.
Paleo Chicken and Celeriac Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 large celeriac peeled, Blade D
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 8 ounces baby portobello mushrooms quartered
- 10 oz bag spinach
- 1 13.5oz can coconut milk (you can use lite, but it will be a bit more watery)
- 1 cup chicken broth low-sodium
- 3 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Place the celeriac noodles into a food processor and pulse until rice-like. Add the celeriac rice to the bottom of a baking dish.
- Season the chicken breasts generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat half the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken and sauté until cooked through, about 7 to 8 minutes per side. The chicken is done when juices run clear and it's no longer pink on the inside.
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to cool. Use two forks, shred into bite-sized pieces. Add the chicken to the baking dish with the celeriac rice.
- In the same skillet used to cook the chicken, heat the remaining olive oil.
- Add the onion and sauté until translucent, 3-5 minutes. Add garlic, stir, and let cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and sauté until mostly wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach in batches and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and transfer to the baking dish.
- Whisk together the chicken broth, coconut milk, eggs, nutmeg and salt and pepper.
- Toss the contents of the baking dish together to mix. Then, pour the mixture over the chicken and vegetables.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the egg mixture is set and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
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