This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Pinnacle Foods & Boulder Brands. The opinions and text are all mine.

Happy New Year! Instead of making resolutions, I select a word of the year. It helps me set my intentions for the year. Last year my word of the year was “simplify.” To simplify, I learned to say “no” and to plan my life better to minimize my stress. Part of that has been a commitment to meal planning regularly. It is amazing how helpful it is to have one less thing to think about especially at the end of a long day. We meal plan for two weeks at a time and have them all written out on a large white board in my kitchen.

Part of the process of meal planning is finding simple recipes that my entire family can enjoy. Last year my goal was to keep cooking simple and have a protein and a vegetable for every meal. And if you can cook it in one pot, one pan or a sheet tray, that is a bonus!

Ingredients for Vegetarian Chicken Brocceli Rice Casserole

Cauliflower has become one of my go-to healthy swaps. When I first started cooking it I would buy a head of cauliflower and rice it at home. Then I found the frozen version like, Birds Eye® Steamfresh® Veggie Made™ Original Riced Cauliflower. Birds Eye Veggie Made takes your favorite foods and remakes them using delicious vegetables. The best part is you don’t have to sacrifice on taste.

Birds Eye offers a full serving of vegetables per serving. You can find it in the frozen vegetable section at your local Publix and it is even better than making it yourself. Less dishes means less clean up. In addition, they have no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives, and is ready in the microwave in just minutes! No prep needed!

Vegetarian Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

To keep it fun and easy to plan our meals, we do things like Meatless Monday and Taco Tuesday. I was a vegetarian for 8 years more than a decade ago. Back then, the options for meat substitutes were very limited. I love discovering new meatless options. For this Meatless Monday, I made Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole with delicious plant based replacements including Gardein™ Seven Grain Crispy Tenders.

Gardein offers a wide range of tasty plant-based foods with a meat-like texture. Their products are made from soy, wheat and pea proteins, vegetables and ancient grains. They are a great source of fiber and can be found in the frozen or naturals section. Gardein is also 100% vegan!

How to Make Vegetarian Chicken Brocceli Rice Casserole

To start the recipe, I melted Earth Balance® Organic Whipped Buttery Spread. It is certified organic, vegan, dairy-free, lactose-free, gluten-free, non-GMO and has an excellent source of ALA Omega-3. It also contains no MSG and no trans fat.

Then I cooked the onions in the buttery spread until they are golden brown. Once they turned brown I added garlic and continued to cook it down.

At the same time, I placed the tenders into the oven so they would be crispy. For this recipe, I recommend cooking them just a couple minutes short of the total recommended time on the package since they will continue to cook in the pan.

While the Gardein Seven Grain Crispy Tenders were cooking, I added the entire bag of the Birds Eye Steamfresh Veggie Made Original Riced Cauliflower to the pan to cook. Once the riced cauliflower is cooked, add in your vegetable broth and the broccoli. Add the cover to the pan and allow the broccoli to cook down for about 10 minutes.

Once the Gardein Seven Grain Crispy Tenders are cooked, cut them into bite sized pieces and add to the pan. Add in half of your vegan cheese and stir until all your cheese is melted.
Then top with the remaining cheese and place into the broiler on high for a couple of minutes.

Then you are ready to serve it!

Print Recipe

Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

Ingredients

3 tablespoons Earth Balance® Organic Whipped Buttery Spread
½ small yellow onion, diced
2 cups shredded mild vegan cheddar cheese
9 oz Gardein™ Seven Grain Crispy Tenders cut into bite sized pieces
2 cloves minced garlic
1 easpoon salt and pepper, to taste
10 oz BIRDS EYE® Steamfresh® Veggie Made™ Original Riced Cauliflower
1 cup fresh broccoli florets (cut into bite sized pieces)
1 cups vegetable broth

Instructions

Heat the butter in a large skillet. Add chopped onion. At the same time, cook the Garden Seven Grain Crispy Tenders in the toaster oven or oven at 450 Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until garlic gets aromatic.
Add the cauliflower rice and cook until the color changes. Then add the vegetable broth. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
Add the broccoli florets and over for about 8 minutes. Then add half the vegan cheese cooking for 2 more minutes, until broccoli softens a bit and the vegan cheese melts. Sprinkle over the top with remaining vegan cheese and place the skillet under the broiler for a couple more minutes, just until it melts and starts to brown a bit.
Garnish and serve.

Make sure to check out your local Publix and click here to save $1.00 on Any 1 Earth Balance Spreads product, $1.00 on any 1 Gardein product, $3.49 on Birds Eye Steamfresh Veggie Made Tots or Fries, and $3.49 on BIRDS EYE Steamfresh Veggie Made™ Pasta, Mashed or Riced items!

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