Chicken and rice casserole

Well, it is that time of year when I want to be at home snuggled in my warm sweatshirt eating comfort food. This casserole dish is delicious and does not use cheese or processed canned soups. The creamy flavor of this dish comes from cashews.  To make this dish super easy, you can buy the cauliflower already "riced" at Trader Joe's in the frozen section. You can also buy an organic, rotisserie chicken or use leftover cooked chicken breasts - all you have to do then is shred the chicken. 

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Serves: 6

 Ingredients:
SAUCE:

• 1 cup raw cashews
• 3/4 cup Chicken stock (I use Imagine brand - low sodium)
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme 
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

CASSEROLE:

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 shallots, minced
• 4 ounces cremini mushrooms, minced
• 3 cups riced cauliflower
• 8 ounces broccoli florets, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 3/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• ​2 cups shredded cooked chicken

Preparation:

1. Fill a bowl with boiling water and place the cashews in the water. Soak for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a 3-quart casserole dish with 1 tablespoon of the extra virgin olive oil.
3. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the garlic, shallots, and mushrooms for 3 minutes. Add the cauliflower, broccoli, salt and pepper and continue cooking for 7-10 minutes, until the vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in the chicken, then remove from the heat and set aside.
4. Drain the soaked cashews and place them in a high-speed blender with the remaining sauce ingredients. Blend on high for 30-45 seconds, until very smooth. Stir the sauce into the chicken and vegetable mixture, then turn the entire mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
5. Bake, covered for 15 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for 10 minutes.
6. Serve with a salad.

This recipe is from Danielle Walker's Against all Grain: Meals Made Simple.