Cream Of Mushroom Paleo Casserole
*Warm and addicting comfort food alert! Cream of mushroom casserole (paleo, whole30, and dairy free). Layers of creamy sauce, cauliflower rice, herbed mushrooms, and lots of fresh basil! Made in minutes, then it’s in the oven!
Okay, okay, I see you, you creamy-cheesy, stretchy-drips of cream sauce; topped with pillowy glistening mushrooms clouds.? That’s what I think of when I eat this cream of mushroom casserole, dreams, baby. It’s like escaping into your favorite childhood memory; warm, comforting, and you just want to stay there forever.
Everything about this dairy free (Yes! Cheese free casserole) is glazed in the ultimate (and stinkin’ easy!) cream sauce! I literally just threw all the ingredients into a pan on the stovetop, cranked up the heat, watched it simmer and the little glossy bubbles pop, then blended everything right there in the sauce pan with my instant immersion blender!
While we are on that subject, I highly suggest these hand blenders!! I use my immersion blender almost every day to make frothy drinks frothier, silky chocolate silkier, and cream of mushroom soup, just that much creamier! Do it!!
Cream of mushroom or cream of mushroom?
Cream of mushroom soup, move over! Because there is a new dish that is going to steal your show (sorry, not sorry)… Introducing, cream of mushroom casserole! Complete with every ounce of flavor, with bonus health points for cauliflower rice instead of grains. Not mad about it.
Every bite of this casserole screams, “take me home and serve me for Christmas dinner with your family and let everyone share from my warm and toasty white casserole dish!” Okay, maybe it doesn’t actually talk (not that skilled), but it is happiness and comfort food! All the things that make winter foods, just that much more lovable.
Also, this is my favorite dish for baking this casserole in! Not sponsored, just love!
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Ingredients
Base
- 4 cups cauliflower rice
- 8 oz crimini mushrooms
- 1 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 small red onion chopped
- 3 medium garlic cloves minced
Sauce
- 1 can full fat coconut milk be sure to use full fat canned coconut milk (otherwise, it won't be thick and creamy). I use Thai Kitchen brand.
- 1 cup chicken broth or beef broth
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour
- 1-2 tablespoons Italian spice blend
- 1 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 8" square casserole baking dish with avocado oil.
- In a skillet, sauté the chopped onions and minced garlic in water or oil until soft.
- Layer in the cauliflower rice, sautéed onions and garlic, mushrooms, and fresh basil into the casserole dish and set aside.
- Add all the ingredients for the sauce into a saucepan. Blend using a hand immersion blender or whisk. Once the mixture is smooth, bring to a simmer and continue to whisk (or if you are using a hand blender- just blend it on occasion). Simmer and whisk for a few minutes until the sauce thickens, then take off the heat and pour over the casserole.
- Bake casserole on 350F for about 55 minutes until the edges are golden.
Nutrition
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are the mushrooms left whole?
anxious to make this, one question, are the mushrooms left whole?
Yes, they are. 🙂
Made this for New Year’s dinner, and everyone LOVED it! Thanks so much for the great recipe! One question: How much would one serving of this be (in cups, i guess)? Thanks in advance!
Unfortunately this recipe didn’t work out for me. IT looks nothing at all like the picture. It’s brownish greenish and soupy. The flavor is ok. I was really excited to try this and the chicken and broccoli casserole that calls for the same sauce. I will give it another try with the chicken recipe and report back.
Hi Jamie, what brand coconut milk did you use? That can make or break the recipe. Make sure the use the brand I recommend for perfect results every time. Sorry it didn’t work out for you this time.
What can I sub for coconut milk? I am allergic to coconut.
There really isn’t a good dairy free sub for this coconut milk, because it is full fat- and that’s what makes it creamy 🙂 Sorry! Actually, I just had another reader say they used cashew milk with arrowroot to thicken and it worked! I haven’t tried that myself, but others have said it works. Hope that helps!
I am making this tomorrow and so excited!! One question. Can I use frozen riced cauliflower? Have you tried it? Im curious if I should cook it first or stick it all in frozen.
Hi Whitney! Yes, I have successfully used frozen cauliflower rice and it works! You don’t need the thaw it before cooking. 🙂
If I don’t have tapioca flour can I substitute almond flour?
Almond flour will not work very well, but arrowroot will! 🙂
AMAZING!! This one is a keeper!
Is there anything you could substitute for the egg? Working on vegan. Would also use vegetable broth.
Hi Lynn, you could try it without- it may work.
What if I can’t find nutritional yeast?
Hi Bre, you can leave it out if you can’t find it- or replace with cheese if you aren’t dairy free. 🙂
How many cups are in a serving for this?
Hi Vicki, I am not sure exactly.
This recipe was amazing! I didn’t have yeast, so I added a little parmesan cheese. I did not think that that cauliflower and the liquid would make such a creamy dish, but I was happily mistaken! I will definitely be making this dish again!
Thank you Jayme!
Looks great! Do you think this would freeze well?
Hi Hanne, yes- freezing this meal totally works!
Should you mix it all together in the casserole dish before you put it in the oven? Just seems odd putting it in the way it looks, Also I’m wondering should it be covered in the oven to keep it moist?
I figured it out 🙂 I just followed the recipe as directed but I covered it for half the time and uncovered for the other half. The reason why is because my cream got pretty thick in the sauce pan before I poured it on my casserole. I was afraid it was going to get too thick and dry up, but it turned out so so good! Thank you so much for this recipe!
hey! i can’t find any pre-made cauli rice here and would have to make it myself… so i was wondering if quinoa would do the trick?
Totally! That sounds yummy! 🙂
What size can of coconut milk?
Actually, Thai Kitchen brand is 13.66 oz.
Hi! Could I use freezer (make in microwave) cauli rice for this as opposed to making the rice by hand?
Hi Allison, that should work! Enjoy!
Hey there! For the nutritional info? How much are you considering “one serving”? Thank you! Can’t wait to make this tomorrow!
Hi Emily, 1/6 of the casserole is one serving. 🙂
I have made this sauce twice and it is green…is it supposed to be?
Hi Bailey, the herbs and spices can sometimes turn it a slightly green shade. Hope that helps! Enjoy 🙂
I made this and was ok with the flavour but it didn’t look even remotely like the picture! Not sure I’ll be making it again but if I do I’ll probably mix it up instead of layering it
Just made this. delicious. thank you for the recipe 🙂
Thank you Megan!
Can I add sausage to this?
That would probably work great Carissa!
Hi there. Can I add chicken to this? Hi
Yes, that would be great!
Easy recipe. I added spinach, while sauteing the onion and garlic, for added greens. And I added a layer of chopped chicken for added protein.
Can I add boneless skinless chicken piecest
o this?
Yes, that sounds great!
I recently tried this with frozen cauliflower rice and it ended up so watery and not at all creamy. Would fresh be better?
Hi Emily, yes- that would be better.
The best part of this recipe is the creamy sauce that it produces to pour over your casserole! I could not believe how creamy and delicious it was! I added green beans to the mix here, but for the most part made it just as written. Absolutely a new favorite dish to me. BTW, I went to the trouble of ricing cauliflower for this, so as not to have it turn out watery, and it was so worth the time. Thanks again!
That’s awesome to hear! Thank you so much Laura, glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
My husband and I are doing our third Whole30 and wanted to find some vegetarian dishes to give us a break from meat. I thought this was very tasty and filling! I used frozen cauliflower rice, but did cook it beforehand to keep the dish from getting watery. My only complaint was that in the picture the mushrooms look all roasted and delicious, but because mine were under the sauce they were very moist and firm. I think next time around I would probably mix everything up and then put the mushrooms on top to see if I can get them to have that roasted taste/texture. Oh, and this recipe totally FILLED my 8×8 pan so I used a lasagna pan instead.
Could this be made in a slow cooker?
Hi Kristen, I don’t own a slow cooker, so I’m not very familiar with what goes well in one. Sorry!
I thought the taste was amazing! Mine didn’t look like the picture but I will definitely be making it again. Thanks
Can u sub with coconut cream?
Hi Mike, that should work!
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So yummy !exactly what I wanted on this cold November night. I added green beans to mine.
Great to hear Colleen!
I can’t find arrow root or tapioca flour – would cornstarch be a good sub? Thanks!
Yes! Corn starch is a great sub!