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Those creamy casseroles that everyone loves, that can be made ahead of time, that just happen to be super gut-healthy and nourishing too … here ’tis: Cauliflower-Chicken Au Gratin Casserole with Bacon. It’s Keto, Low-Carb, Primal and GAPS diet-friendly. The nourishment comes from a lot of fat! So source your cheese and cream beautifully, if you can; because that’s where our health comes from, right? — Great ingredients. Let’s get cozy with this one-dish comfort food dinner casserole! …
Keto Cauliflower-Chicken Au Gratin Casserole
Whoever (not me) tires of comfort food dinners (like this Chorizo Butter Stew, this Chile Relleno Casserole or this Pizza Bake)? I eat lots of salad and roasted veggies to keep the right balance (and because I love them).
But ultimately, what my body loves more than anything else is FAT. I am grateful daily that my body thrives off of dairy (the good stuff: French cheese and A2, raw, pasture-raised milk and cream 🙂 ). This way I can combine the pleasures of bacon, bacon fat, butter, cream and cheese! Happy me. Happy you!
This casserole does all that, plus we get (in this cheesy au gratin setting) heads of wholesome cauliflower and as much protein-rich chicken as you prefer. Top it all not only with cheesy goodness but with a sprinkling of green onions, so it’s extra pretty and has a fresh, spicy zing.
It’s almost like low carb/Keto/GAPS/Primal cauliflower mac and cheese, but with chicken and bacon too!
If you want extra color or nutrition, I even give a couple of variations below for adding in peppers or spinach. Versatile and nutritious, with a bunch of hearty helpings!
How to make ahead, freeze and reheat
Cauliflower & Chicken Au Gratin Casserole freezes and reheats well. Follow these simple steps:
- Complete the recipe through Step 5 below. Begin Step 6, by topping the casserole with grated cheese.
- Then cool completely, cover well, and freeze for 2 to 3 months.
- To cook, set casserole dish on the counter to partially defrost, about 4 hours, or overnight in the fridge. Then resume Step 6, baking the final 20 minutes.
- You can also bake right from frozen for about 40 minutes, until hot, browned around the edges and bubbly.
Cauliflower & Chicken Au Gratin Casserole with Bacon
Equipment
- casserole dish
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower chopped into bite-size pieces
- 2 packages cauliflower rice: frozen, 24 ounces (or use your own fresh cauliflower rice)
- 1 to 1-½ pounds chicken leftover or already cooked, chopped into bite-size pieces
- 2 cups heavy cream preferably raw, ideally not ultra-pasteurized (for GAPS: Use half coconut cream and half fully cultured sour cream, 1 cup of each)
- 8 ounces brie or cream cheese, cut into 1" cubes (for GAPS: Use brie)
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese or other aged cheese
- 1 package bacon about 8 ounces, cooked then crumbled, save the fat for roasting the cauliflower
- ¼ cup gelatin see discount code! and link in Recipe Notes
- 3 tablespoons bacon fat rendered from cooking the bacon
- 3 teaspoons sea salt divided
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or white pepper (which is lovely); see Recipe Notes
- ½ bunch green onions greens only, chopped small for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place 3 tablespoons rendered bacon fat, 1 head of chopped cauliflower and 24 ounces cauliflower rice in roasting pan or casserole dish. Add 2 teaspoons sea salt and toss to coat. Roast cauliflower in preheated oven 30 minutes.
- While cauliflower roasts, make cheese sauce in blender: Heat cream in small saucepan until hot; but do not simmer. Remove from heat.
- Place brie or cream cheese into blender. Add remaining 1 teaspoon sea salt. Pour slightly cooled hot cream over cheese and sea salt. Sprinkle gelatin over all. Use caution when blending hot liquids: Turn blender speed to lowest setting. Blend on low speed about 10 seconds then increase to medium speed for an additional 10 seconds.
- Remove roasted cauliflower from oven. Add chicken, cheese sauce and pepper, using spatula to scrape cheese sauce from blender (it's thick). Use two spoons to stir together (right in the casserole dish) cauliflower, chicken and cheese sauce.
- Smooth the surface. Top with cheese. Return casserole dish to oven for 20 minutes, until golden brown and very bubbly all over.
- Top with crumbled bacon and green onions.
- Allow casserole to set up 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Serve!
Notes
Find the best grass-fed, pesticide-free gelatin HERE. Use code BEAUTIFUL10 at checkout for 10% off your entire order.
One of my favorite cooking ingredients!: White Pepper HERE.
Variations: Add 2 diced bell peppers and/or fresh/frozen spinach when roasting the cauliflower, if you want more color and more veggies. (Just make sure to use a larger casserole dish!)
Nutrition
Any leftovers? Au gratins are also delicious cold!
What is gratin you ask?
Au gratins are stupendously rich, browned casseroles. Gratin itself refers to the shallow baking dish used.
The casseroles are usually topped with either a cheese sauce, a béchamel cream sauce or breadcrumbs — so there is pretty much always a lot of butter involved.
This dish browns up quite beautifully due to the unique cheese sauce (no broiling necessary).
Deborah Santini says
Hello. What kind of brie do you buy and where? Thanks!
Megan says
Hi Deborah. I love this question. 🙂 Trader Joe’s has many wonderful brands of triple cream brie from France. If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s the same principle applies, but TJs has very good cheese prices. Any brie from France is going to be good: France has A2 cows and grass feeds. Their husbandry principles are great. This completely translates to our health. I am super sensitive, and my body is always happy with French brie. 🙂 (And French brie is not more expensive than domestic brie or brie from other countries.)
tessadomesticdiva says
So many yummy flavors!! I love the idea of using the riced cauliflower to mix in, great idea!
Theresa says
Could you tell me why you use both fresh cauliflower and frozen? It would be easier just the use the frozen riced cauliflower (available at Costco) so just wondering how much difference it would make? Thanks!
Megan says
Hi Theresa, just from a yummy factor perspective, I think it’s nice to have pieces of big, fresh, roasted cauliflower (little chunks really), as opposed to having the whole body of the casserole riced. I haven’t made it the way you’re suggesting, so I don’t know for sure. If you try it, you may want the initial roasting time to be less, so the teeny riced pieces don’t become overcooked and mushy. Thanks for the good question! 🙂
Emily @ Recipes to Nourish says
Wow, wow, wow! This is serious comfort food! I can’t wait until my body is letting me eat more again and I can enjoy casseroles. I love them they way you do. I love how you describe this – like mac and cheese with all of the other goodies. Swoon!
Megan says
I will be so happy for you too, Emily, when you can eat more foods and comfort foods again!! Thank you dear!
Joni Gomes says
I am a huge au gratin fan! Love that your recipe has those added veggies in there like cauliflower. Very delicious, thank you!
linda spiker says
Oh holy moly Megan! What a melted cheese dream. Swoon!
whatggmaate says
Wow, I’m drooling at these photos! I can’t eat cheese, but I think by husband will love this recipe.
jennifer says
Tis the season for comfort food casseroles, this one looks divine . . . . I can not argue with cheesy cauliflower!!! yum
Renee Kohley says
Oh gracious all the amazing cheese! How wonderful! I can’t wait to try this!
Real Food Real Deals says
This looks fantastic! My kids don’t usually like cauliflower, but I bet I could get away with it in this recipe. Because bacon + cheese 🙂
Karen Kelly says
I can’t believe all the good things you can do with cauliflower now. AND cauliflower rice is everywhere in the stores. This looks like a perfect creamy fall dinner and great leftovers!
ChihYu Smith says
I love all the flavors in this recipe and it’s so fall perfect. yum !
Katherine Celani Walsh Beck says
This sounds great. And I love the idea of using cauliflower to reduce the carbs – I have yet to find a low carb cauliflower recipe I don’t like.
Kari says
It’s that time of year where all I crave are casseroles and bowl food! This looks so good, I’d gladly eat it for breakfast lunch and dinner!
Carol Little R.H. @studiobotanica says
This looks like the ultimate comforty food casserole!! All that ooey gooey cheesy goodness!!
Dana says
Gelatin? Explain please. And where do I find it at the grocery store?
Megan says
Hi Dana, gelatin is a tool for making sauces creamy in the absence of less digestible foods like corn starch, for example, or flour. You can follow the link in my post to buy it online; but if you want to buy gelatin at a nearby market, look for a natural foods store. Look for a gelatin that is grass-fed.
Christy says
Hello! This is delicious! How many carbs per serving?
Megan says
Hi Christy, 6 grams of carbs per serving, 8 servings total. I just added the nutritional data! 🙂
Christy says
Thank you for your speedy answer!
Amanda says
Hello! Would this freeze well if I made it ahead of time so to bake at a later date?
Megan says
Hi Amanda, yes. You can first set it on the counter to defrost, about 8 hours, or overnight in the fridge and then on the counter at room temperature for about 4 hours, before baking the final 20 minutes (step 6).