There’s nothing boring about this flavour-packed Cauliflower Casserole Recipe! Made with 9 ingredients, this vegetable packed casserole is the perfect side dish for any dinner.
If you’re looking for more delicious casseroles packed with vegetables, check these ones out: Make-Ahead Veggie Breakfast Casserole, Sweet Potato Zucchini Casserole, and Zucchini Casserole Recipe.
This low carb cauliflower casserole is one of those go-to recipes of mine. It’s great for potlucks, holiday dinners, weeknight dinners, and more! It’s naturally gluten-free and honestly, who doesn’t love cheese? This casserole is only made with nine simple ingredients so you might already have some of these ingredients at home!
For this recipe, the cauliflower is coated with a thick creamy cheese sauce. If you want to sneak some extra vegetables in your meal, this casserole is perfect for that as that cheese sauce will hide it from any little picky eaters you might have!
Your little ones won’t even realize that this is a cauliflower recipe! Some ideas of what else you can mix in includes broccoli, peas, carrots, and more, like my Broccoli and Cauliflower Casserole Recipe.
How to Make this Cauliflower Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- Cauliflower – large heads, cut in small florets.
- Cream cheese — you can substitute with reduced-fat cream cheese if you prefer.
- Half-half cream — it lends a little more richness to your dish, but not as much as cream.
- Mozzarella — or the cheese of your choice to change up the flavour. You can also use Monterey Jack cheese or sharp cheddar cheese.
- Spices: garlic powder, onion powder, salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Crispy cooked bacon — you can substitute for a lighter turkey bacon if you prefer.
- Fresh parsley – always great to add more flavour to your dish. If you don’t have parsley, you can use green onions.
- Optional: use Parmesan cheese to put on the top of the casserole.
Ps: I don’t use bread crumbs, flour, soup can or Panko in this recipe because they are high in carbs and they contain sugar. But even though this is a low-carb casserole, it didn’t change the flavor. It is as good as the traditional recipe.
Instructions
Prep the Oven and Ingredients
- Adjust the oven rack to the middle position, and heat the oven to 425°F.
- Fill a large pot with at least 2 cups of water and add in the steamer basket with the cauliflower to steam them by bringing the water up to a boil with the lid on.
- Steam until the cauliflower florets are fork tender (5 minutes).
Prep the Cheese Mixture
- In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, half-half cream, mozzarella, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Mix everything until all the ingredients are combined together.
ps: If you don’t have cream cheese, you can replace it for sour cream or Greek yogurt.
Bringing Everything Together
- Remove the steamed cauliflower from the pot, drain it and add it to your cheese mixture.
- Mix until the cauliflower florets are coated by the cheese mixture.
Bake and Serve the Cauliflower Casserole
- Spoon the cauliflower-cheese mixture into an oiled casserole dish or a baking dish and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and cooked bacon. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Broil at the end if you want the tops browned.
- Top with fresh chopped parsley and serve with your dishes of choice.
Tips To Making the Best Cauliflower Casserole Recipe
- Shred your own cheese! I know it can be a little bit of extra work but store-bought shredded cheese comes coated with a powder to prevent them from clumping, this can make the cheese grainy when melted. So shredding your own cheese gives you a smoother finish.
- Got some fresh herbs? Toss them in for more a herby flavour.
- Don’t have fresh cauliflower? Frozen florets work as well! Just be sure to steam them fully to avoid extra water. Sometimes my frozen florets have ice on it and that would make the casserole liquidy if it’s not steamed off!
Frequently asked questions
Is cauliflower good for you?
Yes, as all the veggies, cauliflower has a lot of nutrients, fibres, vitamins and antioxidants. It’s also great for a low-carb/keto diet.
Can this be made vegetarian?
Yup – just omit the bacon or use a plant-based bacon to make the casseroles vegetarian.
Is this cheesy cauliflower casserole a gluten-free and low carb recipe?
The ingredients are naturally gluten-free but I’d suggest double checking that there is no cross-contamination at their processing centre. This recipe is also low carb and keto friendly.
Can this loaded cauliflower casserole recipe be frozen?
Absolutely. 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.
You might have to give the mixture a stir before baking. I recommend freezing it in an aluminum tray so you can heat it up directly in it without worrying about glass cracking.
Can this be made ahead of time?
Yes! If you have a potluck to prepare for or make cooking your holiday dinner easier, make this cauliflower casserole ahead of time.
Make this casserole ahead of time, let 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 350F covered with tinfoil until the whole casserole has heated through.
The tinfoil is to prevent the top of the casserole from being dried out. If you don’t want to keep it covered, just keep a close eye on the casserole!
Some Main Dishes To Serve With
This cauliflower casserole is the perfect holiday side dish but it is simple enough that it works as a weeknight recipe. Here are some delicious healthy mains that you might want to make alongside the casserole!
Cauliflower Casserole Recipe
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Video
Ingredients
- 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.
- Before serving, top with fresh chopped parsley.
Tips
- Click HERE to watch the web stories for this recipe.
- Skip the bacon or use a plant-based bacon to make the cauliflower casserole vegetarian.
- Add in fresh herbs if you have some on hand.
- Shred your own cheese for a smoother melty cheese.
- 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: Tightly wrap up the casserole and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
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Check out the Web Story HERE.
Leta says
Can I freeze the left over cream cheese?
Olivia says
Yes you can 😉
Priscila says
It looks amazing!
Olivia says
Thanks!
Silvia says
Looks so creamy and tasty!
Olivia says
Thanks!
Pierre DiGirolamo says
It’s the best casserole recipe ever. Love the bacon !!
Olivia says
I knew you would love this recipe!!!
Bette says
I had to come back and write a review. I just fixed this and it’s actually very, very good. I was a bit reluctant to try it but I’m sure glad I did. I have special dietary needs and have to watch my dairy. I used non-dairy half and half, and I cut back just a tad on the amount of mozzarella. I also substituted the salt with a savory seasoning blend that doesn’t have salt. I also squeezed the water out of the cauliflower after it steamed.
I’m so excited to find this recipe!
Thanks you!
Olivia says
Thanks so much for your feedback 😉
Jill J says
Happy tummies here! I had to sub in cheddar because the mozzarella I thought was in the fridge was gone! I added in diced chicken and some peas and sprinkled some broken chips on top. Definitely a keeper. Thank you
Olivia says
Sounds delicious! Happy you liked this recipe!
Mary Heidt says
I made this recipe tonight and was it a hit! I made it with less fat cream cheese and it worked great. I also heated the half and half to make my sauce smooth before adding the cheese. I have a pot luck dinner coming up soon and this is the dish I am taking. Wonderful. We had bbq pork ribs with it. The next time I make it, I will add a teaspoon or so of dry mustard or maybe a tablespoon of dijon mustard. I am going to experiment a bit. Thanks also for listing the nutritional values. That is so helpful to me. I will be making this over and over.
Olivia says
I’m so happy that you liked this recipe. Thanks for stopping by and leaving your comment.