Like so many recipes, this Cheesy Chicken Casserole happened sort of by accident. I usually buy food for a whole week, without actually planning exact dishes. By the end of the week, we sometimes end up with foods that need to be used before they get bad. This time, it was chicken breasts, a head of cauliflower and a bag of green beans.

Unusual combination

I had never before thought of throwing cauliflower and green beans together. Until now. And you know what? It’s was a winning combination. The boys totally loved. Well, the melty cheesiness might have something to do with that, but who cares. This Cheesy Chicken Casserole with cauliflower and green beans is here to stay.

Ingredients

1 kg (2 lb) chicken breasts, skinless

500 g (1 lb) green beans

1 cauliflower (ca. 750 g/1.5 lb)

250 ml (8.5 fl oz) heavy cream

200 g (7 oz) grated Emmentaler cheese

200 g (7 oz) cream cheese

70 g (2.5 oz) freshly grated Parmesan

Spice mix:

1 tbsp curry powder

1/2 tbsp paprika

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp onion powder

2 tsp salt

Instructions

Cut the cauliflower into florets and wash and cut the green beans.

Then steam or cook the cauliflower florets green beans, until they are al dente. I steamed them in the microwave, but you could also cook the vegetables in water. Just make sure to drain them well.

Cut the chicken into strips and bake until golden brown.

Heat up a little bit of (olive) oil or butter in a wok or frying pan and fry in a until golden brown.

Prepare the spice mix.

In a bowl, mix the heavy cream, cream cheese and grated Emmentaler and set aside.

Add spice mix to the chicken and fry one more minute.

Add cauliflower and green beans. Then add cream/cheese mixture and mix well.

Pour everything in a lightly greased casserole dish, top with freshly grated Parmesan.

Bake for ca. 20 minutes in a preheated oven 180°C or until golden brown and bubbly.

This serves 8 people. Serve with a fresh salad.

We also had some guacamole and crème fraîche with this Cheesy Chicken Casserole, but that is not necessary at all. We just felt like it.

(Oh, and I have to confess that we sneaked in some tortilla chips as well, I just couldn’t help myself…)

Enjoy!