Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Cut the cauliflower into roughly 2-inch pieces. Pulse in a food processor in batches, about 7–8 one-second pulses per batch, until the pieces resemble coarse rice. Stop before they become pasty.
- Cook the chopped bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Lift it out with a slotted spoon, leaving the rendered fat in the skillet.
- Add the chopped onion and mushrooms. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the mushrooms release their liquid and begin turning golden at the edges.
- Push the vegetables aside to make a space in the center. Add the thyme and measured salt there and stir for about 45 seconds, until fragrant. Mix them through the vegetables.
- Add the riced cauliflower. If the bacon was lean and left insufficient drippings, add the optional skillet butter now. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the already cooked, shredded chicken, reserved bacon and cultured sour cream until evenly combined. Taste and add a little more sea salt if needed.
- Butter an 11-by-7-inch baking dish. Spread the filling evenly in it and scatter the shredded cheddar over the top. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and beginning to turn golden and the center reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Scatter the chopped green onions over the hot casserole and serve.
Notes
Chicken: Start with already cooked chicken and weigh it after cooking. Keep it refrigerated until use. The oven timing does not cook raw chicken.
GAPS dairy: Full GAPS once the ingredients, cultured sour cream and cheddar are introduced and tolerated; not Intro. Contains dairy. Use homemade cultured sour cream from raw cream and raw or properly cultured, additive-free cheddar. The linked sour-cream recipe uses finished kefir culture.
Bacon and butter: Use the linked unsmoked, salt-only home-cured bacon. Add the optional measured butter with the cauliflower only if lean bacon leaves insufficient fat. Dish-greasing butter is separate and unmeasured; homemade ghee may grease the dish instead.
Timing: The 45-minute estimate is for the casserole itself: 5 minutes of preparation and 40 minutes of cooking. Making stock, cooking the chicken, curing bacon and culturing cream are separate preparations. Allow extra time for chopping and shredding as needed. Check for a melted, lightly golden top and a center temperature of 165°F (74°C).
Scaling: At 2×, make 16 servings in two 11-by-7-inch baking dishes. Cook in skillet batches if needed. Check each pan’s center temperature; a fuller oven may need more time. Use the scaled ingredient amounts in their named steps.
Leftovers: Refrigerate in shallow, covered containers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C). Keep at 40°F (4°C) or below for 3–4 days. Reheat to 165°F (74°C) throughout.