Everything Cauliflower Rice & Cheese Casserole

Leftover ham gets a facelift

Ham is a center piece at many holiday celebrations. Many people have ham at Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas! Ham is a great way to feed a large crowd and it’s easy to prepare since majority of people buy precooked ham. Leftover ham on the other hand, can be tricky. I always want to use up the leftovers, but a person can only eat so many ham sandwiches and omelets before it gets old. So after one ham holiday, I was determined to make something else. This Everything Cauliflower Rice & Cheese Casserole reinvents leftover ham into a easy veggie packed dinner.

Let me start by saying, I’m truly not the biggest fan of casserole style meals. Aside from Shepard’s pie, or a really good tuna casserole I don’t see the appeal. To me, a casserole is a lot of work with the pay-off being hit or miss. I do love this Everything Cauliflower Rice & Cheese Casserole! It’s easy and the little work it requires is worth it in the end.

Fresh or Frozen?

I picked cauliflower rice because it cooks quickly. It’s really up to you if you want to use fresh or frozen. My advice is to make your own, measure out what you need and then freeze the rest. No matter which route you take; DON’T FORGET TO SQUEEZE OUT THE LIQUID. Soggy casserole isn’t the end of the world it’s just not as appetizing.

Same goes for spinach! Feel free to use fresh or frozen. Frozen spinach is already cooked if you’re looking for a shortcut! Spinach also contains a lot of liquid so please; DON’T FORGET TO SQUEEZE OUT THE LIQUID. Squeezing the liquid out of the vegetables is honestly the hardest part of this recipe. Once you get that down it’s smooth sailing from there!

Everything sold everywhere

Everything Bagel seasoning use to be an exclusive find at Trader Joe’s. These days, many stores carry their own version of Everything seasoning. Use whatever brand you like. If you opt for a salt free brand don’t forget to add a few pinches of salt to the dish. I’ll link a few brand of everything seasoning down below!

• Simply Organic, Everything Blend

• Trader Joe’s Everything but The Bagel

Side dish or main course, you decide

This Everything Cauliflower Rice & Cheese Casserole also works great without ham! Leave out the ham an it turns into delicious cheesy side dish. I would add in some cooked chopped carrots, but it’s not necessary. However you decide to make it, I hope you enjoy!

Looking for more easy cheesy meals? Try one of these!

• Cheesy Fiesta Spaghetti Squash
• Chicken Sausage Meatball Skillet

Everything Cauliflower Rice & Cheese Casserole

Everything seasoning meets casserole. Combine with classic ham and cheese the cauliflower rice makes it everything and more!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  

• 4 cups riced cauliflower
• 1 16oz bag of frozen spinach thawed, and drained
• 2 cups cooked ham diced
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
• 1 large egg beaten
• Everything Seasoning Blend
• black pepper
• oil

Instructions

 

Preheat oven & Prepare baking dish

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Lightly grease and 4-quart baking dish, or 12inch oven safe skillet and set aside.

Prepare the vegetables

• If you haven't already, thaw your spinach in the microwave or on the stove in pot over low heat for a few minutes.
• Take thawed spinach and wrap in clean kitchen towels or paper towels. Give spinach a few hard squeezes to release moisture.
• Transfer spinach to a colander and let finish draining.
• Meanwhile, prepared the cauliflower rice.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add in 2 tablespoons of oil and the riced cauliflower.
• Cook over medium heat, while stirring occasionally until it is cooked through. About 8-10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.
• In a large mixing bowl add the spinach
• Add riced cauliflower to colander and let drain for 5 more minutes.

Assemble the Casserole

• Combined cauliflower, 1 cup of cheese, ham, 1tsp black pepper, and 1or 2 tablespoons of everything seasoning in large bowl with spinach.
• Taste mixture and adjust seasoning if needed.
• Add in 1 large beaten eggs and stir well to combined.

Bake and Serve

• Transfer casserole to prepared baking dish or skillet. Top with remaining cup of cheese and a sprinkle of everything seasoning
• Place in oven and bake until top is golden brown, between 20-30 minutes
• Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes before serving
• Serve and Enjoy!

Notes

For faster draining, wrap the cauliflower rice in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out moisture by hand. You will have to work in two or three batches.

A little moisture in the bottom of the casserole is normal! You just don’t want a ton.

Remember to taste the mixture before you add the egg.

Some everything blends are saltier than others. Taste your brand before adding it to the casserole so you can judge how much or how little you want to use.

Try this with carrots instead of ham for a veggie packed side dish!

Keyword casserole, cauilflower, cheese, ham