Creamy Mushroom Bacon Chicken with Cauliflower Rice Risotto (Paleo, Whole30)

This is the ultimate comfort food healthy dish!! A creamy mushroom sauce with skillet chicken, crispy bacon, and plated on top a Cauliflower Rice Mushroom Risotto. It turns out, cauliflower is good for a whole lot more than I gave it credit for. This recipe can be made fast for a healthy weeknight meal, but also is elegant enough to serve to guests!

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OMGEEEEEE. You guys are going to love this dish! I finally took one of my personal favorite dinners and reader favorites, Creamy Maple Dijon Chicken with Bacon, and made it into a Whole30 friendly dinner.

My goodness…. it is pure perfection.

Bacon is cooked to crisp, followed by pan seared chicken, then the addition of mushrooms and leeks.  I like adding in mushrooms to recipes like this—they soak up all the flavors and add a wonderful earthy richness. Just like the original recipe, the creamy portion comes from full fat coconut milk (no coconut taste), and dijon mustard. I then served on top a bed of cauliflower rice “risotto”.

I mean, if there was ever a dinner you would love to eat every day, this would be it!  The risotto is topped with some fresh thyme, and mixed with other dried herbs for bold flavor. Add some extra sauce to your risotto to make it nice and creamy, and your belly will be so happy.

I’m so glad this ridiculously tasty dinner can be enjoyed by my Whole30 peeps. With dinners as tasty as this, who wouldn’t love Whole30?

I also love that I can throw this meal together pretty quickly on a weeknight. These easy meals have been a lifesaver for me during our busy fall season. My kids have been in school for a few weeks, we just started our fall activities schedule, and I still need to find time to get a healthy dinner on the table! For a shortcut in this recipe, you can buy pre-made cauliflower rice. Trader Joe’s makes an organic cauliflower rice that works perfectly in this dish!

Enjoy!

4.78 from 9 votes

Creamy Mushroom Bacon Chicken with Cauliflower Rice Risotto (Paleo, Whole30)

By Amy Rains

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 25 minutes mins

Total: 35 minutes mins

Servings: 5 -6

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Creamy Mushroom Bacon Chicken with Cauliflower Rice Risotto is a cozy, flavor packed dinner with tender chicken, crispy bacon, earthy mushrooms, and a creamy sauce served over a rich cauliflower rice risotto. This easy weeknight meal is naturally gluten free, packed with wholesome ingredients, and satisfying enough for the whole family. It is perfect for anyone craving healthy comfort food that feels special without requiring hours in the kitchen.

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Ingredients 

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For the Chicken:

• ▢ 4 slices of thick bacon
• ▢ 1.5 lbs chicken breasts or tenders, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
• ▢ 1 tbsp coconut oil or avocado oil
• ▢ 1 cup sliced leeks
• ▢ 12 oz sliced mushrooms
• ▢ 1 cup full fat canned coconut milk
• ▢ 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste

For the Risotto:

• ▢ 1 large head of cauliflower*
• ▢ 2 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic
• ▢ 1/2 cup diced white onion
• ▢ 8 oz sliced mushrooms
• ▢ 1 tsp dried basil
• ▢ 3 tbsp fresh thyme
• ▢ 1/3 cup chicken broth
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions 

• Start by prepping the risotto. Cut the cauliflower into florets, and place inside a food processor (may need a few batches). Pulse until cauliflower resembles a rice like texture.
• Begin by heating a large skillet to medium heat. Place bacon inside the pan, cook 4-5 minutes per side (or until desired level of crispiness). Set aside. Reserve bacon fat.
• Add chicken to the skillet, season with salt and pepper. Cook 3-5 minutes per side (depending on thickness of chicken), and remove chicken from pan (it won’t be cooked all the way through). Keep the pan and burner hot.
• Add additional oil to pan if it’s dry. Now toss leeks and mushrooms into the skillet. Saute for 5-6 minutes, or until mushrooms are fragrant and leeks are softened.
• Crumble bacon into small pieces and return to the pan with mushrooms. Add chicken and coconut milk, stir to combine. Now add dijon mustard.
• Simmer at medium low heat for 8-10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the risotto. Heat up a separate skillet to medium high heat, add oil once hot.
• Toss in onion, saute for a 2-3 minutes. Then add garlic and mushrooms. Cook for another 5-6 minutes, until mushrooms are browned.
• Now toss in cauliflower rice, chicken broth, and dried basil. Reduce heat to low, and let simmer for 8-10 minutes while the rice absorbs the broth.
• Add salt to taste and top with fresh thyme.
• Serve chicken with sauce on top of risotto.

Nutrition

Calories: 449kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 36g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 98mg, Sodium: 389mg, Potassium: 1251mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 535IU, Vitamin C: 25.1mg, Calcium: 69mg, Iron: 3.9mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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