This Cheesy Cauliflower Rice with Zucchini is the perfect way to use up the summer’s bounty! It’s a low carb side dish made in 15 minutes and loaded with veggies, gooey cheese, and red pepper flakes for a bit of heat!
You might also like to browse through my other cauliflower rice recipes. Cilantro lime cauliflower rice is another family favorite over here!
Table of contents
Easy cheesy cauliflower rice is a simple dish with loads of flavor! It’s creamy yet the cauliflower still has a bite to it and it’s super cheesy!
It’s almost like a low carb cauliflower risotto without all the time spent stirring!
This recipe comes together in 15 minutes and requires just a few ingredients you probably already have on hand. In the summertime, it’s a great way to use up that beautiful bounty of zucchini you’ve got, whether from your garden or the market!
Enjoy it as one of your healthy sides, the main meal, or even on the side of your morning eggs!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Kids love the fact that it’s cheesy and adults love that it’s an effortless way to ramp up the veggie intake into any meal. I mean if 1 cup of cheese makes us eat 7 cups of veggies, then so be it, right?!
- Cauliflower rice
- Zucchini
- Garlic
- Oil
- Any broth
- Any flour
- Dried oregano
- Red pepper flakes
- Salt and ground black pepper
- Hard cheese: Gouda and Swiss are flavorful, sharp, and melt so nicely. Cheddar is good too.
- Fresh basil
How to Make Cheesy Cauliflower Rice with Zucchini
Here are the simple steps to making your new favorite way to use cauliflower rice!
Line a large bowl with a linen towel. Place the grater inside and coarsely grate the zucchini into the bowl.
Once the zucchini has been shredded, bring the edges of the towel together and twist it around like you would a bag of bread. Squeeze out as much water as you can into the bowl.
Use fresh or frozen store bought cauliflower rice. Or here is a tutorial how to make cauliflower rice at home.
Shred or cube the cheese if you haven’t done that yet. Set it aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk broth, flour, salt, oregano, red pepper flakes, and ground black pepper. Set that aside as well.
Preheat a large dutch oven, heavy bottom pot, or skillet on high heat and swirl oil to coat. Add 2 garlic cloves and cook for 30 seconds, stirring occasionally.
Add the cauliflower and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
Now you’ll add the strained zucchini and whisked broth with flour, stir well, and cover and cook for 3 minutes.
Before adding the flour and broth mixture, give it a good whisk once more as it may have settled while it sat.
Turn off the heat, add the remaining garlic and cheese, and stir. Cover and let stand for 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Open the lid, give another good stir and serve it hot. I like to garnish mine with chopped fresh basil which is super tasty. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
I could eat a bowl of this just on its own for lunch, but to stretch it out even further, we’ll enjoy it as a quick and easy side dish too.
Summer grilling calls for easy sides for grilled chicken breast or grilled salmon. On weekends or special occasions, I’ll serve it on the side of air fryer lamb chops, and complete this ground turkey meatloaf for a wholesome weeknight meal!
Storage Instructions
Make ahead: This dish is best enjoyed right away, so I wouldn’t make it completely ahead of time.
There are things you can prep ahead of time so that the process is even faster. Things like, shredding and squeezing the zucchini and cauliflower and grating the cheese, can be done earlier.
Store: Keep leftovers stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Freeze? Probably not! This recipe serves 6, if you don’t think you need that much, cut the recipe in half.
FAQs
This dish is low carb and keto friendly if you use almond flour or omit it all together.
Yes. There’s no need to thaw it, just add on a couple of extra minutes of cooking to your overall time.
This dish will release more water as it sits, so just give it a stir. Or if it comes out watery tight after cooking, possibly it’s due to overcooking it.
Yes. If you want just plain cheesy cauliflower rice, skip zucchini and no other changes are necessary. Your dish will be just more cheesy. Can also substitute it with more cauliflower rice.
More Low Carb Recipes
- Cauliflower fried rice
- Mexican cauliflower rice
- Cauliflower biscuits
- Cauliflower pizza crust
- Thai cauliflower rice
Cheesy Cauliflower Rice with Zucchini
Ingredients
- 2 lbs zucchini coarsely shredded
- 1.5 lbs cauliflower rice
- 3 large garlic cloves grated
- 1 tbsp oil for frying
- 1/2 cup any broth
- 2 tbsp whole wheat flour or almond flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup flavorful hard cheese like Gouda or Swiss shredded or cubed
- Fresh basil finely chopped
Instructions
- Place shredded zucchini in a linen towel and squeeze well. I usually line large bowl with linen towel, place grater inside, shred zucchini, then twist the towel in the knot and squeeze. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk broth, flour, salt, oregano, red pepper flakes and ground black pepper. Set aside.
- Preheat large Dutch oven, heavy bottom pot or skillet on high heat and swirl oil to coat. Add 2 garlic cloves and cook for 30 seconds, stirring occasionally. Add cauliflower rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add zucchini and whisked broth with flour (give it a good whisk), stir well, cover and cook for 3 minutes.
- Turn off heat, add remaining garlic and cheese. Stir, cover and let stand for 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Give another good stir and serve hot, garnished with chopped fresh basil which was super tasty.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Homemade cauliflower rice: Buy 2 lbs head of cauliflower to count in the leaves and stalk.
- Frozen cauliflower rice: There’s no need to thaw it, just add on a couple of extra minutes of cooking to your overall time.
- Can I omit zucchini? Yes. If you want just plain cheesy cauliflower rice, skip zucchini and no other changes are necessary. Your dish will be just more cheesy. Can also substitute it with more cauliflower rice.
I made this over the weekend. It’s fantastic!! Thank you for another great recipe Olena!!
My pleasure, Chris!!! I’m so happy to hear this. It’s an oldie but a goodie.
Everyone in my family loved this!
Awesome!
This was not bad at all!
Yummy! Great way to use up all that zucchini, I got one as big as my head at the farmers market!