I’m about to blow your mind… What if I was to tell you there is a delicious meal that is actually healthy, quick and easy, only 4 ingredients AND kid approved? No, really, it exists!
In a random healthy kick (which lasted approximately 3 days – let’s not talk about that…), I found riced cauliflower. I didn’t know this was a thing! I’m so glad I found it, because this recipe is definitely one of our new favorite meals. I used to make it with regular white rice, so it’s nice to give it a healthier touch.
My kid HATES veggies – I’m pretty sure she gets that from me. Veggies are not often on my meal plan, or my own plate for that matter. The only way to get her to eat veggies is by hiding them – this meal is perfect! I just tell her that it’s chicken and rice… I mean, I’m not completely lying!
Now if you wanted to save extra money and do a bit more work, you could make your own riced cauliflower. I, however, am far too lazy for that! I like using Birds Eye Riced Cauliflower. I’ve used both the original, and the savory herb. They are both delicious! Green Giant also makes it, but Birds Eye is the brand that I found most readily available at the Hy-Vee in my area.
This recipe is super fast; it can be made in about 20 minutes or less so it’s perfect for busy weekday nights. You just need one pan, so you won’t be dirtying too many dishes. Nothing is worse than having a ton of dishes to do after a long day! (Note the paper plate in my photo below. Clearly I hate doing dishes.) Another great thing about this recipe is that you don’t have to measure everything out. I HATE measuring my ingredients – I prefer to just eye it out. Again, my hatred for dishes!
As I mentioned, this only takes 4 ingredients – chicken, chicken broth, riced cauliflower and cheese. That’s it! You could really even leave out the chicken broth, but I prefer to use it for a nice texture and added flavor.
If you’re not a fan of cauliflower, you can make this meal with cooked rice instead. However, I think that the cauliflower fills it with so much extra flavor, and it makes it SO much better! Give it a try, you never know if you’ll like it after all!
Cheesy Chicken with Veggie Rice Recipe
Serves: 4
Ready in: about 20 minutes or less
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 bag frozen riced cauliflower
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 – Cut the chicken into cubes, making sure they are bite sized pieces.
2 – Add chicken and some of the chicken broth to a large saute pan. Like I mentioned, I don’t typically measure, so just put in enough chicken broth to coat the bottom of the pan. (Note: I like to add the chicken broth gradually as the entire meal cooks, as it seems to soak in better and keeps everything from sticking to the pan.) Cook until the chicken is no longer pink.
3 – While you’re cooking the chicken, microwave your riced cauliflower according to the instructions on the bag. If you’re making your own, this would be the best time to get it prepared.
4 – Mix the cooked riced cauliflower and shredded cheddar cheese into the pan with the chicken, adding more chicken broth. You can add the rest of the broth in now, but I would recommend adding it gradually to make sure you don’t add too much and make it runny. Adding chicken broth here helps the cheese melt and mix up nicely, which is why I recommend using it.
5 – Keep stirring it until the cheese is all melted and mixed in with everything else, and the whole pan is heated through. Enjoy!
Often times, when I’m cooking, I completely forget about making any sort of side dishes. For this meal, I just threw some bread into the toaster, then buttered it and added garlic salt – easy garlic toast, and the perfect side!
As you can see, even my kiddo is gobbling it up, and she has no idea that she’s eating her veggies! Mom win!
Definitely try this one out, I’m sure it will end up being one of your favorites. Once you’ve tried it, let me know what you think!
Wine Glasses & Sippy Cups 