Shamelessly stolen Adapted from Gina at Skinnytaste, this recipe comes together almost instantly, uses only a handful of ingredients, and is ridiculously good.
If you don’t have cheddar cheese powder on hand, substitute shredded cheddar, or better yet, go buy some! Sources are available in the Notes section below.
Ingredients
- 4 cups frozen riced broccoli or broccoli/cauliflower blend
- 1/4 cup cheddar cheese powder, or shredded cheddar cheese
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly-ground pepper, to taste
- 1 lb poached or rotisserie chicken breast, roughly shredded
- 4oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Toss the broccoli and cheese powder together until evenly coated.
- Taste the mixture and add more salt if desired. (The cheese powder may make it salty enough for you. I am a salt fiend, so I do add more.)
- If using for meal prep, divide into 4 containers.
- Top with chicken, and sprinkle each one with cheddar cheese.
- Seal your containers and store in the freezer until ready to use.
- Open the steam vent on your container, or crack the lid. Microwave on high until heated through and the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before eating. (It may be very hot due to melty cheese or trapped steam.)
Notes
This recipe is incredibly adaptable. Try substituting other proteins, riced veggies, or cheeses, or adding spices for a totally different dish! (If you’d like me to post some variations, let me know in the comments.)
Cheddar cheese powder is a miracle ingredient. Besides being macro-friendly, it combines with the steam released as the riced veggies cook to create a smooth “sauce” without extra binding ingredients. (Plus, it has that classic “blue box” mac & cheese flavor with much more “real” ingredients.) See the notes below for sourcing ideas.
If you use fresh riced veggies instead of frozen, you may need to add a tablespoon or two of water before heating to create the “sauce”.
The prepped containers don’t really keep well in the fridge for more than several hours. (If the veggies thaw fully, it will still taste great, but the sauce texture might suffer.) It will do fine in your office fridge until lunchtime, but for multi-day storage, just pop it in the freezer.
I usually use poached chicken (which I cook directly from frozen with my Joule sous vide circulator*) because I find that the juiciest and I am very very lazy. Leftover or supermarket rotisserie chicken work great too.
For the cheddar cheese powder, I used Anthony’s*, but I have also heard good things about Hoosier Hill Farm* and King Arthur* brands.
* All links marked with an asterisk are affiliate links, meaning I’ll get a commission if you use them to make a purchase. See my affiliate and sponsored content policy for more details.
Nutrition Facts
Meal Prep Chicken with Cheddar Broccoli Rice
Serves: 4
| Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 330 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 14g | 21.5% | |
| Saturated Fat 7.5g | 37.5% | |
| Trans Fat 0g | ||
| Cholesterol 120mg | 40% | |
| Sodium 750mg | 31.3% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 13g | 4.3% | |
| Dietary Fiber 4g | 16% | |
| Sugars 8g | ||
| Protein 41g | ||
| Vitamin A 6% | Vitamin C 4% | |
| Calcium 28% | Iron 8% | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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