Loaded Cauliflower Casserole
You’ll never grasp the perks of being a cauliflower until you direct a fork into our loaded cauliflower casserole recipe. It’s like a loaded potato with your favorite components like bacon, onion, cheese and sour cream, only without all the carbs. We’re in love!
You can save time by purchasing pre-cut cauliflower florets at the supermarket—psst, they’re next to the bagged broccoli in the produce section. While we selected the usual suspects we like in our loaded taters for this dish, you can add anything you like. Jalapeños, ham and different varieties of cheese are all solid choices.
If you notice, we decided to roast the cauliflower instead of steaming it. Roasting will reduce the water in your veggies so it won’t be soupy when it pops out of the oven. Make sure to drain as much water as you can, whenever you can, for the best results!
Loaded Cauliflower Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs cauliflower, cut into ½" pieces
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk, room temperature
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place cauliflower on a large baking sheet. Drizzle cauliflower florets with oil and season with salt. Roast cauliflower florets about 20 minutes until tender. Transfer to a colander and drain as much liquid as possible.
- Place a saucepan over medium heat and melt butter. Add flour and whisk to combine. Allow flour to cook for about 30 seconds before whisking in milk, salt and garlic powder. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and whisk in Monterey jack cheese. When cheese is melted, stir in sour cream then season to taste with salt and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine drained cauliflower, sliced green onion, crumbled bacon and cheese sauce. Stir to combine, test for seasoning and transfer to a 2-qt casserole dish that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray.
- Sprinkle top with cheddar cheese and bake 25–30 minutes until bubbly. Remove from oven and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
