OMG, I am so excited to bring you The Best Low Carb Casseroles-Chile Relleno Casserole!
In this post I want to show you how you can make an AMAZING dish in no time at all. A dish that your family will go crazy for and one that is totally keto and low carb.
My whole family loves this dish (baby daughter included) and I can’t wait for you to feel that overwhelming sense of satisfaction when you’re able to feed your fam something delicious, healthy and totally affordable.
So let’s put on our aprons and get started on what is soon to be one of your favorite casseroles!
The Best Low Carb Casseroles-Chile Relleno Casserole
Okay seriously, this is one of the best things I’ve ever made. It literally hits every pleasure center in my brain. Wanna know how I know this? While testing this recipe I stood over the bowl of cheesy chicken sauce and was shoveling spoonfuls of it into my mouth like the fatty I am. I’m not even a little embarrassed to admit that to you. During that time I was texting my husband and telling him how amazing it was and while I was texting him about it’s amazingness I was literally salivating thinking of the next spoonful. Maybe I’m gross? Eh.. you’ll see what I mean.
The Best Low Carb Chile Relleno Casserole
If you’ve been craving a luscious, decadent, flavorful, filling and inexpensive dinner that your family will rave about, then this is it. Casserole recipes are super popular for many families. Most of the time they’re super easy to throw together, they’re considered a comfort food and they can be totally tasty. Some of my favorite aspects of a casserole dish is that I can feed my family (sometimes to bursting), eat clean foods that don’t have crazy ingredients, feel good about what I’m putting on my table, eat a delicious budget friendly meal AND have leftovers! Leftovers are awesome and casserole dishes make AWESOME leftovers.
Ingredients To Make One Of The Best Low Carb Casseroles
- Poblano Chiles– need I say more? These are the star ingredient in our dish. Once charred, these chilies have such a beautiful flavor and have zero heat to them.
- Chicken– you can use any chicken cut or preparation you’d like. Just make sure your chicken is cooked prior to mixing with the other ingredients.
- Mozzarella Cheese– we’re using mozzarella cheese because it is super mild and does not disturb the other flavors.
- Flame Roasted Chilies-adds a tiny bit of heat which is phenomenal in this dish.
- Pork Panko– added to the top of the casserole for a yummy crunchy layer.
- Riced Cauliflower– totally mimics rice and also soaks up a lot of that delicious creamy sauce.
- Chicken Bone Broth– you can use homemade or store bought bone broth or stock.
- Garlic Powder– adds a great punch of garlic flavor without all the mess or mincing your own.
- Onion Powder– a small amount goes a long way. You can dice your own onion, but it is not necessary.
- Smoked Paprika– gives a nice smoky flavor to our sauce.
- Ground Cumin(my all time favorite spice)- adds great flavor and depth to the dish.
- Salt and Pepper– adjust if needed depending on your taste or needs.
How to Make One Of The Best Low Casseroles
The very first thing we’ll need to do is roast our poblano chilies. The absolute best way to do this is on your stove right on the flame. If you have an electric stove and you do not have a BBQ grill, you can char them using a pan. You’ll want to make sure you have good ventilation like an open window or door, because things will get a little smoky. Set your heat to high and just flip your chilies every few minutes with metal tongs, like what you’d use on for your BBQ (make sure you are NOT using silicon or plastic tipped tongs!).
Once poblano peppers are completely charred place them in a ziploc bag or in a bowl and cover with cling film. Our favorite is the press n’ seal. You’re peppers will need to hang out for at least 10 minutes. What this does is soften the actual pepper and it helps when with removing the skin because the steam softens it.
During this time you will also steam your cauliflower rice and cook your chicken if it’s raw. Once cooked, dice or shred.
Heat your medium sauce pan and add the block of cream cheese. Stir around a bit until it starts to soften and melt and then add all the seasonings.
The next steps are to add diced tomatoes and the roasted chilies.
Once the mixture thickens from the cream cheese you’ll then want to add your chicken broth. I added 1/4 cup at a time to ensure the mixture wasn’t too runny or too thick.
Turn off your heat as soon as the cream cheese has melted. You don’t need to boil anything. Next add the shredded mozzarella cheese. I added in half the mixture, stirred until melted and then added the remainder. This too will thicken your cheese mixture so you may want to add more chicken stock.
Once the cauliflower rice has been cooked and has cooled a bit, go ahead and empty the steamer bags into a bowl and salt very well. I cannot stress this enough. The cauliflower rice doesn’t taste like anything and really needs some help.
Now that our sauce is done cooking, peppers are softening, chicken is shredded and cauliflower rice has been steamed and seasoned, we’ll create the casserole mix.
To the same bowl your cauliflower rice is in, add the shredded chicken and the cheese mixture. Stir well, taste, and adjust seasonings if needed.
Set to the side and then start the work on the chilies.
This step takes the longest amount of time. With a knife, carefully scrape off the burnt skin. Once that’s done then your cut open the chilies and remove the seeds and the stem. Set to the side.
We’re now ready to assemble our casserole. This should only take 2 minutes 🙂 pinky promise.
First spray the bottom of your baking dish, then lay out the poblano peppers out in a layer. Top the peppers with the delicious creamy cauli mixture and spread out evenly. Next top with pork rinds and bake for 15 minutes.
If the pork rinds aren’t crispy feel free to pop under the broiler for a few minutes.
Allow the casserole to sit for at least 10 minutes, serve and top with favorite toppings.
Interested In Other Low Carb Casseroles? Check out our favorites!
Low Carb Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
Easy Low Carb & Keto Ground Beef Taco Pie
Best Low Carb Spaghetti Bake- With Ground Beef
Chicken Chili Casserole- Low Carb & Keto
Let us know in the comments below how much you love The Best Low Carb Casseroles- Chile Relleno Casserole!
The Best Low Carb Casseroles- Chile Relleno Casserole
The Best Low Carb Chile Relleno Casserole with tons of shredded chicken and a delicious creamy cheese sauce.
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 16 ounces poblano peppers
- 5 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 lb shredded chicken
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup pork panko (or crushed pork rinds)
- 12 oz riced cauliflower
- 14.5 oz diced tomatoes (1 can)
- 2 tbsp hatch chilies (or green chilies)
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
First step is to roast chilies directly over flame on your stove-top. Once chilies are completely charred remove and place in ziploc bag. This will help soften them so you can remove the skins later.
Pre-heat oven to 450°F,
While chilies are roasting, steam your cauliflower, shred the chicken and shred the mozzarella cheese.
Grab a large sauce pot and heat on medium low heat. We'll then add our cream cheese and seasonings and stir slowly while cream cheese melts. Then you'll add the diced tomatoes and chilies while you continue to stir. Once incorporated start adding the chicken broth a 1/4 cup at a time. Turn off heat.
Now add half the shredded mozzarella cheese and stir until melted, add more chicken broth if needed. Repeat until cheese mixture is melted.
To a large bowl add the steamed cauliflower rice and add a few pinches of salt. Then add the shredded chicken and cheese sauce. Make sure to mix well and set to the side.
Remove the poblano chilies from the bag and slice open to remove seeds. Then gently scrape outside of chili to remove charred skin. You will do this for all chilies.
To a baking dish spray with cooking spray and add the chilies to the baking dish. Next pour the cheesy mixture on top and smooth out. Top with pork panko and cook in the oven for 15 minutes. If pork panko is not crispy feel free to put under broiler for a couple of minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 396Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 122mgSodium: 459mgCarbohydrates: 13gNet Carbohydrates: 10gFiber: 3gSugar: 4.4gProtein: 30g