Easy Cauliflower Casserole Recipe (Made In Just 30 Minutes)

This cauliflower casserole is loaded with flavor. It combines roasted cauliflower with melty cheddar cheese, crispy bacon bits, and a rich and creamy sauce to make the ultimate comfort food casserole. Oh, and the best part is that this loaded cauliflower casserole recipe takes just 30 minutes to make! 

The Best Cauliflower Casserole

Cauliflower typically isn't something to get excited about, but once you get a taste of this recipe, you'll be jumping for joy. Seriously, this casserole dish takes bland cauliflower florets and turns them into something amazing.

This creamy cauliflower casserole has tender roasted cauliflower, a creamy cheese sauce, salty bits of bacon, and tons of melty shredded cheese on top. Honestly, it kind of reminds me of a loaded baked potato, and I totally dig it. 

Now, along with being crazy delicious, this cheesy cauliflower casserole is really easy to make too. The only thing you really have to do is mix the ingredients together and then transfer them to a casserole dish. That's really all there is to it! 

Also, since there's not much active cooking involved with this recipe, you can easily make a delicious side dish to go with it. Personally, I like to make either this air fryer garlic bread recipe, these copycat Texas Roadhouse rolls, or these green beans to go with it. 

Ingredients

Another reason I'm obsessed with this easy cauliflower casserole recipe is that it's made with super simple ingredients. In fact, I can almost guarantee you have most of them on hand already!

Anyway, here's everything you'll need to make the casserole:

• 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• ½ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1 ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• ¼ cup chopped chives or green onions

Simple stuff, right?!

Oh, and as I said earlier, this casserole is basically a loaded baked potato but with cauliflower, so you can use every single one of these ingredients to make this air fryer baked potato recipe as well!

Ingredient Substitutions and Suggestions

I think this cauliflower casserole recipe tastes best when it's made with the ingredients listed above. However, that doesn't mean you can't get creative with the way you make it!

First off, this cauliflower casserole has a cheddar and bacon topping, but you could also add some grated parmesan cheese and a panko breadcrumb - or Ritz cracker - topping to it too. I especially recommend doing this if you want a crunchy topping to your casserole.

Secondly, you can substitute the garlic paste with garlic powder. Just use ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder in place of 1 teaspoon of garlic paste.

As for the sauce, this loaded cauliflower casserole is made with sour cream, but you can substitute it with softened cream cheese if that's all you have on hand.

By the way, if you make this recipe as written, it's naturally a keto cauliflower casserole. So it's the perfect dinner for a low carb diet, and you can even make it more keto friendly by adding extra cheese. I love using a sprinkle of Monterey jack cheese for another flavor element. 

How to Make Cauliflower Casserole

Now, it's almost time to make this cauliflower casserole!

Like I've said a few times, this recipe really couldn't get any easier to make. Essentially, you'll roast the cauliflower, make the cheese sauce, top it with cheddar cheese and bacon, and bake it. Yup, that's all there is to it!

So with that said, let's not waste any more time and get cooking.

Step 1: Roast the Cauliflower

First, you're going to preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Next, you can take out a large bowl and toss the cauliflower florets with the melted butter, salt, and pepper. Once the cauliflower is coated, you'll want to transfer the cauliflower florets onto the baking sheet and roast the cauliflower for 20 minutes in the preheated oven.

Step 2: Make the Cheese Sauce

While the cauliflower is roasting, you can make the cheesy sauce. So, to do that, you'll want to take out another bowl and whisk the heavy cream and sour cream together. Then, you can add a little salt and pepper and give it a taste to make sure it's seasoned to your liking.

Next, you can stir in the garlic paste, half of the shredded cheddar cheese, and half of the bacon and give everything a good mix until it fully combines. 

Step 3: Build The Cauliflower Casserole

Once the cauliflower is done roasting, you can grease a 7-inch baking dish or casserole dish with a layer of butter and add the roasted cauliflower to it. Then, follow that up by pouring the sour cream mixture on top of the cauliflower, and finish it off with the remaining cheese and bacon.

Now you can put the casserole dish in the oven and bake your cauliflower casserole for 10 minutes or until the cheese is nice and melty.

Step 4: Serve The Casserole

After 10 minutes is up and your loaded cauliflower casserole is baked to perfection, you can remove it from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes before.

Then, finally, garnish it with some chives or green onions and serve it warm.

Enjoy! 

How To Store Cauliflower Casserole

This recipe for cauliflower casserole makes 6 servings. And honestly, it's so good that I wouldn't be surprised if you don't have any leftovers. At least there aren't usually any when I serve it for dinner!

Anyway, if you do have some leftover cooked cauliflower casserole, you can store it in an airtight container - or put the lid on the casserole dish - and keep it in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Alternatively, if you want to keep it for even longer, you can transfer the casserole to an airtight container - or freezer-safe bag - and store it for about 10-12 months.

How to Reheat Cauliflower Casserole

Whenever you're ready for another taste of this irresistible cauliflower casserole, you can reheat it in a couple of different ways.

The quickest way to reheat this cauliflower casserole is by microwaving it in 1-minute intervals until it's hot.

Another way to reheat this cauliflower casserole - especially if you're heating up a few servings - is in the oven. Just transfer the leftovers to an oven-safe dish, and bake 'em at 350°F for about 10 minutes or until they're heated through.

Wrapping It Up

Well, that's how to make cauliflower casserole!

Who would have thought making a veggie could be this delicious? I mean, the combination of crispy bacon, melty cheddar cheese, and perfectly roasted and seasoned cauliflower is tough to beat.

Gah, it's just so good, and since it's so easy to make, it really makes the perfect busy weeknight dinner option.

I know I'm biased, but I really think this is one of the best cauliflower recipes you'll ever make. Atleast my family thinks so.

Anyway, I hope your family likes this loaded cauliflower casserole recipe as much as I/we do.

As always, if you give this recipe a try, let us know how it went in the comments below.

More Casserole Recipes

If you're looking for some more easy casserole recipes to make, we have a ton on the blog that you can try next! 

Check these out:

• Artichoke casserole
• Vegetable casserole
• Veg-All casserole
• Corn casserole without Jiffy
• Chicken noodle casserole
• Chicken mushroom casserole
• Million dollar spaghetti casserole

Oh, and as always, make sure to check us out on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok! We post new recipes on 'em every day.