Gluten Free Chicken Casserole With Tomato Sauce

My husband’s love for chili runs deep. Any recipe that has peppers, onions, ground meat and a tomato sauce base is right up his alley. And I mean, I love a good traditional turkey chili too, but I like to add a little italian flair to it: mozzarella, garlic marinara sauce, italian seasoning. But at that point, is it still chili? Either way, this Gluten Free Chicken Casserole With Tomato Sauce is perfect for a 30-minute weeknight dinner.

This ground chicken casserole is way faster than making a traditional chili but similarly also be made with ground chicken or a ground turkey version. This recipe is one of our favorites because you basically throw all the ingredients in one pan together, cook it up and its easy to clean up! I also love a gluten free casserole where extra veggies can be hidden!

If you’re as into easy gluten free dinner recipes made with chicken as we are, you’ll also love these spicy zucchini roll ups and these yogurt marinated chicken skewers.

why you’ll love this Gluten Free Chicken Casserole recipe

• This gluten free chicken casserole is a cheesy, comforting and cozy!
• This dinner is perfect for those cozy winter nights, especially when I want a warm meal.
• This recipe makes for the BEST comfort food. Sometimes on a sunday night we just want a bowl of a cozy casserole.
• I love bringing this to a potluck! No one ever knows it is actually gluten free and I get to safely enjoy it without having to tell everyone I’m gluten free.
• The best part about this recipe is that it is a one pan meal. I absolutely hate doing dishes so a one pan meal is easy to clean up!
• This gluten free casserole recipe is allergy friendly. It is naturally gluten free and can be made dairy free by using dairy free cheese.
• One of the best perks is that this is an easy freezer friendly meal! It is a great option for a simple meal prep! I love having this ground chicken casserole ready to go when I need to just pull a dinner out of the freezer and heat it up quick. I often make a double batch just so I can freeze some.
  

ingredients & substitutions

Ground chicken: I like ground chicken because its a lean meat option but you could also sub ground turkey or ground beef. Totally up to you! You can also switch it up every time you make it so it continues to feel new and exciting.

Garlic marinara sauce: I love a garlic marinara here because I just hands down love garlic but you can use any marinara or tomato sauce here. A tomato basil sauce or a four cheese sauce would work great here in this Gluten free chicken casserole too.

Bell peppers: I love the red the best but orange, yellow or green work great. For a little bit of a spicer gluten free casserole, can use poblano peppers!

White rice: The idea here is to cook the rice ahead of time, use leftover rice or frozen rice to save time.

Shredded mozzarella cheese: A mild cheese that melts well and adds a creamy texture. You can also use sliced mozzarella or sliced provolone on top of this Gluten free chicken casserole too.

directions

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Step 2

Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the bell peppers and onion and cook until softened, about 15 minutes.

Step 3

Add the ground chicken to the skillet and cook until browned, breaking it up with a spoon.

Step 4

Stir in the cooked rice, marinara sauce, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the mixture.

Step 5

Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Let the Gluten free chicken casserole cool slightly before serving.

expert tips & tricks

• You can use a 13×9 baking dish if you want to make this in the oven. You can also use an instapot, slow cooker or crockpot to make this gluten free casserole. Cook times will vary but it will come out the same.
• For a low carb Gluten free chicken casserole you can use brown rice instead of white rice!
• For a dairy free ground chicken casserole, I use dairy free cheese.
• You can sub frozen spinach instead of fresh spinach.

serving, storing and meal prepping the Gluten Free Chicken Casserole

This Gluten free chicken casserole can be served as is or even with a side salad. I like one with balsamic or italian dressing to keep the italian theme going! I like to serve it hot right out of the oven for the freshest taste.

To store, I let the ground chicken casserole cool completely before refrigerating in an airtight container for up to four days.

For longer storage, I love to portion the Gluten free chicken casserole into freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 2 months.

To meal prep into individual portions, I divide the Gluten free chicken casserole into separate containers. These individual portions are my favorite for great grab-and-go lunches or quick dinners during the week.

Looking for more allergy friendly easy recipe?

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