This creamy Chicken Cauliflower Casserole uses a blend of two cheeses, sweet butternut squash, and leeks to create a decadent, comforting meal. Enjoy tender veggies, gooey cheese, and juicy chicken with every bite.
Casseroles are always such a comforting, and often simple, meal for me to serve to my family. They’re always layered with delicious flavors and textures, and I find it to be such a warm, enjoyable way to eat.
This chicken cauliflower casserole is the latest addition to the many winter dinner recipes you can find on my blog. It’s already become a family favorite among the other casseroles.
Creamy cheese, cold-weather veggies, and chicken make a dish that feels indulgent and can easily be served as a complete meal.
Ingredients
This recipe is made with easy-to-love ingredients like cheese and cream. Most are also really easy to find either at the grocery store or a farmers’ market from autumn through early spring.
- Chicken – Use boneless, skinless breasts or tenders and cube it.
- Olive oil & Butter – The combination of the two makes the chicken flavorful when cooked, but you can use just oil if you need to.
- Flour – Use all-purpose or wheat flour, both will work.
- Butternut Squash – I love the sweetness of butternut, but acorn or sugar pumpkin would be nice alternatives. Peel and dice it into cubes.
- Leek – Look for leeks with a higher ratio of white to dark green. Slice the white and pale green parts and place them in a bowl of water to clean them.
- Heavy Cream – This is key to richness. You can swap in half and half if needed, but milk will leave you with a watery casserole.
- Mozzarella – Use a type that shreds to create the best creamy sauce.
- Blue cheese – Choose a variety that crumbles. It will create pockets of hot blue cheese throughout the dish.
- Cauliflower – One medium cauliflower should do. Remove the core and cut the florets into slices..
- Salt & Pepper
Instructions
The best casseroles build layers of flavor and this one starts in a large skillet on the stovetop. You’ll also need a large baking dish to finish it in the oven.
Start by combining the oil and butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. Coat each piece of chicken in the flour and then add it to the hot pan, frying until crisp and golden brown.
Next, add the butternut squash and sliced leeks. Give it an occasional stir and let it cook with the chicken for 5 minutes or so.
When the leeks are tender add the cream to the pan with half of the mozzarella cheese and your bleu cheese crumbles. Season with salt and pepper and stir to let the mozzarella begin to melt.
Transfer everything to your casserole dish and layer the cauliflower slices over the top of it. Sprinkle on the remaining mozzarella and pop it into a 400°F oven for about 30 minutes, or until everything is hot, bubbly, and the veggies are tender.
Serving and Storage
Serve hearty scoops of this cauliflower chicken casserole while it’s hot with a light salad or just a warm loaf of bread and let everyone dig in. It’s easy to enjoy with a crisp, refreshing side like my brussels sprouts and pomegranate or red cabbage salad.
I recommend storing anything that’s left in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. The cream and cheese in this recipe don’t hold up to freezing, so just enjoy those cozy leftovers for lunch or an easy dinner over the next few days.
My family loves the creamy, cheese flavors in this recipe. They make the winter veggies taste amazing. It’s got sweetness from the squash, tang from the bleu cheese, and is full of tender cauliflower and juicy chicken.
It’s the perfect recipe to warm up your house on a chilly winter day, but feel free to enjoy it as soon as those first autumn squashes and cauliflower appear, right until they disappear in the spring! And don’t forget to check out my other seasonal casseroles to warm up your kitchen during the cold months.
- Salmon and Wild Rice Casserole
- Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Noodle Casserole
- Ground Turkey Pasta Casserole with Mushrooms
Chicken Cauliflower Casserole with Butternut Squash
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb. (450g) boneless skinless chicken breast , cut into bite-size pieces
- 4 tablespoons (30g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil
- 1 tablespoon (15g) unsalted butter
- 7 oz. (200g) butternut squash , peeled and cut into cubes
- 1 leek , white and light green parts only, halved and chopped
- 1 ¼ cups (300ml) heavy cream
- 3.5 oz. (100g) blue cheese , crumbled
- 5 oz. (140g) grated mozzarella cheese
- 1 medium head of cauliflower , about 1 lb. (450g)
- salt and black pepper , to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- In a medium bowl, toss chicken pieces with all-purpose flour until covered and shake of any excess.
- In a large pan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and brown them on all sides, around 5 minutes.
- Add in the butternut squash and leek to the pan and fry for 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
- Pour in the heavy cream, add the crumbled blue cheese and half of the grated mozzarella cheese. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and mix everything together.
- Transfer the mixture into the large baking dish.
- Remove the hard stem of the cauliflower. Using your sharpest chef’s knife, cut cauliflower into 1/2-inch slices (florets will likely fall apart, no worries). Layer the cauliflower slices on top of the chicken mixture. Sprinkle the rest of the grated mozzarella cheese on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown.
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