Looking for an easy and delicious side dish? This Loaded Cauliflower Casserole has all the feels of a loaded baked potato but without the heaviness. Cauliflower florets mixed with crispy bacon and a cheesy cream cheese sauce, all baked up in a casserole dish, will be a hit with the whole family!
Even the pickiest eaters will keep coming back for more of this delicious cauliflower casserole. It may become one of your favourite recipes perfect for any night of the week. It's also ideal for a special occasion spread along with these Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts, Sauteed Lemon Garlic Kale, and Creamy Cauliflower and Celery Root Puree.
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🥘Ingredients and Substitutions
Here's what you will need to make this cauliflower casserole.
- Cauliflower - fresh cauliflower is ideal but sometimes you want to get the job done faster so feel free to use frozen cauliflower florets. Roast until you have tender cauliflower that is no longer watery.
- Bacon - bacon pieces can be switched out for turkey or veggie bacon or chopped ham. It can also be left out completely.
- Cream cheese - I used full-fat spreadable cream cheese. You can also use light cream cheese or flavoured cream cheese such as garlic and herb.
- Greek yogurt - sour cream is a great substitute. You can also use heavy cream.
- Smoked cheddar cheese - replace the smoked cheddar with sharp cheddar, regular cheddar, or Monterey jack.
- Panko bread crumbs - regular bread crumbs work here or you can omit the crumbs and sprinkle the top with some parmesan cheese. Or for an extra cheese hit, add Parmesan cheese to the breadcrumbs.
For a complete list of ingredients see the recipe card below.
Variations
Mixed veggies - there are a few other veggies you could add to the cauliflower such as broccoli, bell peppers, grated carrots, brussels sprouts, or some leafy greens such as arugula or spinach. Keep in mind if you increase the veggies you will have to increase the other ingredients as well.
Make it a meal - turn this dish into a meal by adding some shredded chicken.
Extra creamy - Increasing the cream cheese and yogurt as well as adding a few splashes of heavy cream to the cauliflower mixture is a great way to make this casserole extra luscious!
Spicy - Kick it up a notch by adding hot sauce, cayenne, chili powder, or chopped fresh chili peppers to the cheese mixture.
Customize it! - This cauliflower casserole is so flexible the possibilities are endless. The "sauce" can be played around with to make it more cheesy or more saucy and you can toss in any combo of ingredients you love. Let us know in the comments below how you customize yours!
🔪How to Make Cauliflower Casserole
Step 1 - Cut the head of cauliflower into small florets and place in a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, and roast in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 15-20 minutes or until fork tender.
Step 1 - Cut the head of cauliflower into small florets and place in a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, and roast in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 15-20 minutes or until fork tender.
Step 2 - Meanwhile, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain on a paper towel and chop into small pieces.
Step 3 - In a large bowl mix together the cream cheese, yogurt, half of the shredded cheese, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Remove cauliflower from the oven and mix into the cheese sauce mixture along with half of the bacon bits and half the green onions. Mix until everything is well coated.
Step 4 - Pour the mixture back into the baking dish. Top with bread crumbs, the remaining cheddar cheese and bacon bits and dot with butter. Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbling and breadcrumbs are toasted. You may need to broil the top for a minute or two to brown. Remove from the oven and garnish with the remaining green onions.
For detailed instructions see the recipe card below.
Expert Tips
Prepare your ingredients - In the restaurant world we call this "mise en place" which means "everything in its place". This is my number 1 piece of cooking advice. Before you start cooking make sure you have all your ingredients measured, chopped, drained etc. This is especially helpful when making one-pan meals that come together quickly.
Uniform Cauliflower Cutting: Cut the cauliflower into uniform-sized florets to ensure even cooking. This helps prevent some pieces from being undercooked while others are overcooked.
Taste and Adjust Seasonings: After mixing together the cheese, yogurt, garlic powder and salt taste and add more salt and/or garlic powder as you feel necessary. Add in any other seasonings you like at this point.
Be Careful While Broiling: If broiling at the end keep a close watch as it can easily go from perfect to burnt. A good rule of thumb is to never walk away from the oven while broiling.
Recipe FAQs
Yes absolutely! Although fresh cauliflower is ideal, you can substitute with frozen in a pinch. Thaw and drain well to make sure the extra water doesn't thin out the casserole.
Bacon can be substituted with turkey or veggie bacon or left out entirely. Smoked tofu or tempeh would be an excellent alternative to bacon if you are looking to replicate the smoky flavour.
Any bread crumbs or crushed crackers will work instead of panko bread crumbs. For a gluten free version, use gluten free bread crumbs or crackers or chopped nuts or seeds for a nutritional boost and tasty twist.
While the cauliflower casserole can be prepared in advance, it's best to add the toppings just before baking to maintain their crispiness. Bake it just before serving for the best results.
More Recipes Using Cauliflower
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Want to say thank you?📖 Recipe
Loaded Cauliflower Casserole
Ingredients
- I head of cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 slices bacon
- ½ cup spreadable cream cheese, 130g/4 oz
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt, 2% minimum
- ¾ cup smoked cheddar cheese, grated (70g/2.5 oz), divided
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ½ cup Panko bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C)
- Place cauliflower florets in a 9x13 baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes.I head of cauliflower,, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Fry bacon strips until crisp. Drain on a paper towel lined plate and chop or crumble into small pieces.4 slices bacon
- Mix together cream cheese, yogurt, ½ cup grated cheddar, garlic powder, salt and pepper.½ cup spreadable cream cheese,, ½ cup plain Greek yogurt,, ¾ cup smoked cheddar cheese,, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Remove cauliflower from the oven and leave the oven on. Add the cauliflower to the cheese mixture along with half of the bacon bits and half the sliced green onions. Toss to coat everything. Add the mixture back into the baking dish. Top with bread crumbs, the rest of the grated cheddar and bacon, then dot with butter pieces.½ cup Panko bread crumbs, 3 green onions,, 2 tablespoon butter,
- Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbling and browned. You may need to broil the top for a couple of minutes to brown. Remove from oven and garnish with sliced green onions.
Ardith says
Making this for the 2nd time. It is easy but so good.
Beatrice Schori says
Delicious. I added a Boursin cheese Garlic and Fine Herbs.
A family favorite.
Andrea says
That sounds delicious! So happy you enjoyed it!
Beatrice Schori says
Absolutely delicious. I added a Boursin cheese Garlic and Fine Herbs.
It tasted very nice. Thank you
Mary Muir says
Perfect for company during the holidays for sure. Going to come in handy for sure. Thank you Andrea.
Andrea says
My pleasure! Hope you enjoy it!
Sheila Builder says
Amazing! So yummy- everyone loved it
Barbara Barraclough says
I absolutely love every one of your recipes, Andrea! We tried this cauliflower recipe tonight and it was a smashing hit! I have a big binder full of your recipes and so many people just love them all! I feel so good serving company your recipes! Thank you.
Andrea says
What a wonderful compliment! Thank you so much Barbara. I’m so happy you are enjoying all the recipes 😊
Mary Muir says
My sisters favorite meal. I’ll make this on a Friday. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Ashley says
This has become a staple in my weekly rotation! I want to make it to bring to a pot luck, the only problem is there isn’t a stove to heat it up. Do you think I could throw this is a crock pot at some point in the process to keep it warm?
Andrea says
Hi Ashley! I haven't tried keeping it warm in a crockpot but I think it's worth a try! Here's what I would change if I was testing this: Omit the breadcrumbs because they will become soggy. Don't bake it in the oven for the last 20 mins but instead assemble the casserole in the slow cooker and use the warming up as the final cooking time. Otherwise the cauliflower could over bake and become soggy. Let me know how it turns out if you try it!
Deborah says
Ridiculously good! Had it with Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs.
Diana says
Just made a variation as a side for my lunch. Added spinach in the second cooking step and decided to forego the bread crumbs. So good, I’m glad my family doesn’t like cauliflower 😀
Andrea says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it Diana! Thanks for the comment
Jean says
Great option for a side dish
Joan black says
This is amazing. Just made it. I didn’t have any yogurt so I used lactose sour cream. It was so,so good.
Sharon Van Dyke says
This is our family favorite! As requested I made this as a side for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Keep them coming Andrea! Sharon- Livy Loser
Nancy Croucher says
I made this ahead for Thanksgiving and it was gone!
Everybody loved it, including me! It’s now added to our veggie list. I so love make ahead recipes for holidays. Post more if you can
Dian says
Dee-lish This going in heavy rotation at our home for Sunday dinners!
Yummy 🤤
Lynda says
Made this and your maple Brussel Sprout recipe for our big family thanksgiving dinner and they were both a big hit!
Patty Campbell says
An absolute hit at my Thanksgiving dinner !! Forgot to buy plain Greek yogurt so I substituted a mixture of mayonnaise and tzatziki plus used Monterey jack/jalapeno cheese. This will now be a staplecat family dinners. Sooòoo good, thank you for sharing this recipe. Love it
Andrea says
Great substitutes! So happy you all enjoyed it. Thanks for commenting!
Arlene B says
Fantastic recipe Andrea. My husband and I both loved it. I want to make it again for Thanksgiving but need to make this next batch gluten-free. I've read that you can use plain General Mills Rice Chex Gluten Free Cereal (zapped in food processor) in place of the Panko. I may make a half batch tonight as a test run, lol. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend.
Andrea says
That will definitely work as a substitute. Hope your test batch turns out great!
Debbie Belbin says
Oh my gosh. I had family visiting last week. Made this dish along with another of your veggie dishes. It was so easy and flavourful. Everyone loved it and there was a little left over for me the next day. Am making it again this evening. Another winner as all your recipes are. Thank you so much for gifting us with your talent.
Andrea says
It's my absolute pleasure! I'm so happy everything was enjoyed!
Julie says
Absolutely delicious Andrea and so easy to make. Loved by the whole family
Sue Noonan says
I made this tonight with a special Anniversary dinner with my husband. I treated it as a side dish to our grilled tenderloin steak. What a delicious combination.
This recipe was easy to make and for someone who doesn’t like cauliflower, I watched my husband help himself to seconds! I am adding this to my regular rotation! Thanks Andrea.
Andrea says
My pleasure and Happy Anniversary! So happy you both enjoyed it!
Christina says
Perfect dish! Comforting and delicious. 10/10!!!!!
Jennifer C says
OMG! I don’t even have words. This is the most delicious thing I have ever eaten. My family LOVED it. Will be in regular rotation. Keep feeding us all, Andrea.
Andrea says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it Jennifer! Thanks for your comment!
Susan Webber says
Did this last night, it was absolutely fantastic and so easy to do. Had it with BBQ chicken. Looking forward to lunch leftovers today 🙂
Diana says
Excellent dish, will be making it for a side for Thanksgiving as an alternative for people who don't want the mash pototatoes. It was so yummy! Thank you Andrea for making things so simple and delicious! I served mine as a main tonight over a bed of spinach!
Andrea says
Sounds like a delicious dinner and a perfect side for Thanksgiving! So happy you enjoyed it.
Anne Melia Giguere says
Made this as a side for a dinner party on Saturday! It was an absolute hit!!
Arlene says
You’ve done it again Andrea! I made this dish tonight and it was a hit! The first comments were that it tastes exactly like a stuffed baked potato! Your recipes are amazing! Thankyou!!!
Andrea says
Thanks so much Arlene! I'm so happy everyone enjoyed it!!
Irene says
Omg delicious! Made it with the pork medallions, a rich delicious meal and still on plan! Amazing!
Andrea says
What a perfect combo! So happy you enjoyed it and thanks for commenting!
Anne Brodie says
So good - really enjoyed this dish! Hard to stop eating it. It will make the regular dinner cycle.
Andrea says
Love hearing that! So happy you enjoyed it!
Irene Hilden says
Yummy, just made this today. Looks great and tastes just a good as it looks. Thanks Andrea!
Andrea says
My pleasure! So happy you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for the comment!
Eileen says
Made without bacon and didn’t have green onion so used red onion instead - DELICIOUS!!
Andrea says
Fantastic! So happy you enjoyed it!
Karen says
Made this for dinner tonight, added chicken and some broccoli! It was delicious! A definite keeper. My husband wanted me to print it out so he has the recipe when it’s his turn to cook!
Andrea says
I love that! Chicken and broccoli are great additions. So happy you both enjoyed it! Thanks for commenting 😊
Sharon Graham says
How much chicken and broccoli did you add to the recipe?
Sally McPherson says
Delicious
Jeanine says
Another delicious recipemto try...thank you Andrea.
I am adding the items needed to my grocery list right now to make this for Sunday dinner, and hopefully have leftovers for early next week! An addition of chicken or other protein would make this a good choice for WLBG...I hope!!
Andrea says
Yes absolutely! Enjoy!
Karen says
There are no leftovers when I make this! It is delish