Cauliflower Casserole Recipe

This Cauliflower Casserole is the comfort dish you’ll want on repeat. Creamy, cheesy, and packed with tender cauliflower florets covered in rich sauce and melted mozzarella. It’s made with just nine straightforward ingredients, so it comes together easily and still feels like a special treat. Whether you’re serving a weeknight dinner or a holiday spread, this is the kind of side everyone will ask for seconds.

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Olivia’s Personal Note

This cauliflower casserole is one of my go-to recipes for a reason. It works for everything from cozy weeknight dinners to potlucks and holiday gatherings.

Who doesn’t love a cheesy, bubbly casserole on the table? Made with just nine simple ingredients, there’s a good chance you already have most of what you need in your kitchen.

In this recipe, tender cauliflower is coated in a rich, creamy cheese sauce that feels comforting and indulgent. It’s also a great way to sneak in a few extra vegetables!

This dish fits beautifully on a Thanksgiving or Christmas spread, pairing effortlessly with turkey breast recipe, reverse sear prime rib, or any holiday favorite. It’s simple, delicious, and guaranteed to disappear fast.

Key Ingredients:

Cauliflower: You’ll need a large head of cauliflower, cut into small florets. After testing this recipe, I’ve found that smaller florets cook more evenly and absorb the creamy sauce better, giving the casserole a smoother, richer texture.

Cream Cheese: I’ve made this casserole with both full-fat and reduced-fat cream cheese, and both work. Full-fat gives the creamiest, most decadent sauce, but reduced-fat still melts nicely and keeps the dish a little lighter.

Half-and-Half Cream: Half-and-half adds richness without making the sauce overly heavy. I’ve tested this recipe with heavy cream too. It’s delicious but much richer. Half-and-half is the perfect middle ground and gives the casserole a silky sauce that isn’t too thick.

Mozzarella (or Other Cheeses): I’ve tried this casserole with mozzarella, Monterey Jack, sharp cheddar, and even a mix of all three. They all melt beautifully, but mozzarella gives the creamiest pull, while cheddar adds a sharper, more flavorful bite. Feel free to use your favorite or mix a couple for extra depth.

Crispy Bacon: Bacon gives the best crunch and smoky flavor. The crispy bits add the perfect salty contrast to the creamy cauliflower.

Optional Parmesan: Adding Parmesan on top before baking creates a golden, slightly crispy crust. I’ve tested the recipe with and without it, and the Parmesan adds a delicious salty-nutty finish that makes the casserole feel extra special.

Instructions to Make Cauliflower Casserole:

1: Steam the cauliflower florets until they’re fork tender (5 minutes).

2: In a large bowl, combine the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

3: Add the steamed cauliflower florets to your cheese mixture. Mix until they’re coated by the cheese mixture.

4: Spoon the cauliflower-cheese mixture into an oiled casserole dish and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and cooked bacon. Bake uncovered or until the cheese is melted.

Can this be made ahead of time?

Make this casserole ahead of time, let it cool, cover with cling film, and store in your fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat it in the oven on a lower temperature, such as 350°F covered with tinfoil, until the whole casserole has heated through.

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Cauliflower Casserole Recipe

3.41 from 112 votes

Author: Olivia Ribas

ServingsServings: 6 people

Prep TimePrep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Custom Time0 minutes minutes

Cook TimeCook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total TimeTotal Time: 15 minutes minutes

This Cauliflower Casserole is the comfort dish you’ll want on repeat. Creamy, cheesy, and packed with tender cauliflower florets covered in rich sauce and melted mozzarella. It’s made with just nine straightforward ingredients, so it comes together easily and still feels like a special treat. Whether you’re serving a weeknight dinner or a holiday spread, this is the kind of side everyone will ask for seconds.

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Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 cauliflower large heads cut in small florets
• ▢ 8 oz cream cheese softened
• ▢ ½ cup half-half cream
• ▢ 2 cups mozzarella shredded (save some for topping)
• ▢ ½ tsp garlic powder
• ▢ ½ tsp onion powder
• ▢ Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 5 slices of crispy cooked bacon chopped
• ▢ Fresh parsley chopped

Instructions 

• Adjust the oven rack to the middle position, and preheat oven to 425°F.
• Steam the head of cauliflower by filling a large pot with about 2 cups of water and place a steamer basket in the bottom. Bring the water to a boil.
• Meanwhile cut the cauliflower head up into florets and remove the stem from the cauliflower. Place the cauliflower florets into the steamer basket. Cover the pot and steam the cauliflower florets for 5 minutes.
  
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl add cream cheese, half-half cream, mozzarella, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix everything well to combine all the ingredients together.
  
• Remove the cauliflower from the heat and place in the cream cheese mixture bowl. It’s not necessary to let the cauliflower cool down. The hot cauliflower will help to melt the cheese.
  
• Spoon the cauliflower-cheese mixture into an oiled casserole dish and top with remaining mozzarella cheese and cooked bacon. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
  
• If you want the cauliflower to be a little bit browned, you can turn the broiler on high for the final 3 minutes and broil it. Keep a close eye on it, so that it does not burn.
  

Notes

• To store: Tightly wrap up the leftover cauliflower casserole and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days. 
• To reheat: Reheat the casserole in the oven at 350F covered with tinfoil until the whole casserole has heated through. 
• To freeze: Be sure to store this in an airtight freezer-safe container. Freeze it for up to three months. When ready to eat, thaw it in your fridge overnight and bake until heated all the way through.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6, Calories: 366kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 25g, Cholesterol: 79mg, Sodium: 911mg, Potassium: 895mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 7g

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

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