Loaded Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole
Loaded cheesy cauliflower casserole recipe with cheddar cheese and lots of freshly chopped dill. Cauliflower casserole can be served for dinner or holidays, like Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Looking for a delicious and healthy side dish to add to your dinner repertoire? Look no further than our mouthwatering loaded cheesy cauliflower casserole! Packed with flavor, creamy cheese sauce, crispy bacon, and savory seasonings, this low-carb alternative will satisfy even the pickiest eaters. Get ready to indulge in all the cheesy goodness!
A casserole that you can’t resist! It’s made with cauliflower, creamy sauce and lots of freshly chopped dill which makes the dish very appetizing. Topped with cooked bacon and baked in the oven.
Loaded Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole Recipe
Texture: tender cauliflower, smooth sauce.
Taste: cheesy with crunchy bacon that adds so much flavor.
Simplicity: simple to prepare, cook cauliflower and bacon, make the sauce, pour it over cauliflower and bake.
Meal Type: dinner, Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Cheesy Cauliflower Ingredients Needed
- Cauliflower Head – cut into florets.
- Bacon – raw bacon slices
- Salt – Himalayan, sea salt or table salt etc.
- Flour – to thicken the sauce.
- Milk – cow’s milk to make the sauce: whole milk, 2% milk or 1% milk. Non dairy milk can be used as well.
- Garlic Powder – for flavor.
- Mustard Powder – for flavor.
- Cheddar Cheese – for cheesy flavor.
- Dill – fresh dill will the best, but dried dill can be used as well.
How to make Cauliflower Casserole
- (Full recipe and video below). Prepare all ingredients: head of cauliflower, bacon, milk, flour, salt, garlic powder, mustard powder, cheddar cheese and dill.
- Boil cauliflower for 10 minutes, cook bacon and crumble or cut.
- Make the sauce: reserve 4 tablespoons of bacon dripping, add flour and cook. Add milk, salt, garlic powder and mustard powder, cook few minutes.
- Remove from heat, add cheddar cheese and fresh dill.
Loaded Cauliflower Casserole Tips
- I recommend adding fresh dill, it makes the casserole very delicious.
- Try not to boil cauliflower too long, we don’t want a very soft vegetable, 10 minutes of boiling is sufficient. The cauliflower will still be baking in the oven, so it will become softer.
- Remove the sauce from heat before adding cheddar cheese, this will prevent the cheese to curdle. We want a smooth, silky sauce.
- You can also use butter instead of bacon dripping.
- What to serve it with? Loaded cauliflower casserole is a great addition to any meal, it can be served for holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas with Paprika Slow Cooker Chicken or Homemade Garlic mashed Potatoes.
Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole FAQ’s
Yes, any non-dairy milk will be great to make the sauce for instance: soy milk, oat milk, almond milk or coconut milk.
You can store a cauliflower cheesy casserole in the refrigerator for about 3 to 5 days. Follow these steps to ensure proper storage: Allow the casserole to cool down to room temperature before refrigerating. Hot foods can raise the temperature inside your fridge and affect other items. Transfer the casserole to an airtight container or cover it tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. This helps prevent moisture loss and prevents the casserole from absorbing odors from other foods in the fridge.
I like using these meal-prep containers
No, you don’t have to cover the dish for baking in the oven.
Other Casserole Recipes
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Loaded Cauliflower Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 cauliflower whole head
- 8 bacon slices
- 1 tsp. salt divided
- 4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. mustard powder
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese shredded, divided
- 1/3 cup dill fresh, chopped
Instructions
- Cut cauliflower into florets, place in a large pot. Pour water, just to cover all cauliflower florets. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, keep remaining salt for the sauce.
- Start cooking on medium-high heat, once it starts to boil, lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, heat large frying pan, add bacon slices, cook for 3-5 minutes on each side. Remove bacon from the pan and cut into small pieces, set aside.
- Drain cauliflower when it's done cooking.
- Keep 4 tablespoons of bacon dripping on the large frying pan, discard the rest. Add flour to the frying pan, cook for 1-2 minutes on low-medium heat, mixing all the time.
- Whisk in the milk, add 1/2 teaspoon salt, garlic powder and mustard powder. Cook on low heat, mixing often until thickens for about 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the sauce from heat, add 1 cup of cheddar cheese and dill, mix it.
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Place cauliflower florets in the deep baking pan, pour sauce. Top it with remaining cheddar cheese and bacon.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted.
Equipment needed
Video
Notes
- I recommend adding fresh dill, it makes the casserole very delicious.
- Try not to boil cauliflower too long, we don’t want a very soft vegetable, 10 minutes of boiling is sufficient. The cauliflower will still be baking in the oven, so it will become softer.
- Remove the sauce from heat before adding cheddar cheese, this will prevent the cheese to curdle. We want a smooth, silky sauce.
- You can also use butter instead of bacon dripping.
- What to serve it with? Loaded cauliflower casserole is a great addition to any meal, it can be served for holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas with Paprika Slow Cooker Chicken or Homemade Garlic mashed Potatoes.
Nutrition
Update Notes: The recipe was originally posted in September, 2020, it was updated with new tips in August, 2023.
