Cauliflower Rice Risotto

I’m not really sure when I came up with this recipe. At one point, my in-laws were beginning a new low-carb lifestyle for health reasons. I wanted to come up with some recipes they could easily make, but that were still tasty. I’ve become a huge fan of the frozen riced cauliflower. You’re definitely paying for convenience, but it’s so easy…pop it in the microwave and it’s steamed and ready to go after 5 minutes! This recipe calls for 2 bags of the frozen riced cauliflower. You very easily could buy a whole head of cauliflower and rice your own, and sauté it for a few minutes until soft. I use the frozen because this is my go-to recipe for a quick, relatively healthy, low carb side dish (emphasis on the “quick”). This dish takes about 25 minutes start to finish, most of which is letting the cheese get bubbly in the oven. Talk about a breeze!

cauliflower rice risotto

2 bags frozen riced cauliflower (or 1 head of fresh cauliflower, riced), steamed

1 tablespoon butter

2 oz cream cheese

1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup cheddar jack cheese, separated (really can use any variety here)

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a small casserole dish with nonstick spray (8x8 or 9x9 is perfect).

2. Melt butter in a medium pot on the stove (I use my dutch oven for this! If you don’t have one, use something with higher sides).

3. Add in the cauliflower. Stir so that it’s coated with the butter. Add in the cream cheese, 1/4 cup cheddar jack, and 1/4 cup parmesan. Stir until combined and melty.

4. Pour into the greased casserole dish. Top with the remaining 1/3 cup cheddar jack.

5. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until bubbly. Can also use the oven’s broil function at the end to get the top extra crispy, just watch it closely so it doesn’t burn!