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A casserole dish filled with cheesy potatoes topped with bacon bits and chopped parsley, with a serving spoon inside.
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5 from 2 votes

Cauliflower Casserole

🥓🧀 A loaded bacon cheddar cauliflower casserole with tender cauliflower in a creamy cheese sauce that's topped with crispy bacon and more melted cheddar cheese! A cauliflower side dish that's perfect for holiday entertaining, game days, or weeknight comfort food. See step 5 below for Make-Ahead instructions.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Course: side, Side Dish, Sides, Sides, Salads & Vegetables
Cuisine: Sides
Diet: Gluten Free
Keyword: bacon cheddar cauliflower casserole, broccoli cauliflower casserole, loaded cauliflower casserole
Servings: 8
Calories: 294cal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 24 ounces cauliflower florets in bite-sized pieces (I use two 12-ounce bags cauliflower florets, or use 1 large head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into bite-sized florets)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ cups whole milk half-and-half may be substituted
  • 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese divided (grate by hand for best melting)
  • ½ cup grated white cheddar cheese divided (grate by hand for best melting)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste for sauce
  • ¾ cup bacon cooked and crumbled into small bits
  • Optional garnishes chives, green onions, parsley, red pepper flakes, sour cream, etc.

Instructions

  • Roast Cauliflower: Preheat oven to 425F, and place the cauliflower on a large baking sheet, evenly drizzle with olive oil, evenly season with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and use clean hands to toss and coat evenly. Roast for about 20 minutes.
    Roasted cauliflower florets spread out on a metal baking sheet, lightly browned in some spots.
  • Roux: While the cauliflower roasting, make the roux. To a medium or large skillet, add the butter, flour, and cook over medium heat for about 1 minute, stirring continuously, to create the roux. This is what helps the sauce thicken later so don't shortchange this step.
    A stainless steel pot containing a thick, beige roux mixture with visible black specks, resting on a light textured surface.
  • To the lightly golden browned roux, slowly add the milk, whisking continuously as you add it.
    Shredded cheddar and white cheese sitting on top of a creamy sauce in a stainless steel saucepan.
  • Creamy Cheese Sauce: Add ¾ cup sharp cheddar, ¼ cup white cheddar, garlic powder, onion powder, and stir continuously to melt the cheeses, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and adjust salt and pepper, to taste.
    Cheese Tips - I prefer using two types of cheese in this recipe but if you want to use just one, it's technically fine and I'd select the sharp cheddar.
  • Transfer: Remove the roasted cauliflower from the oven and transfer into a sprayed or greased 2-quart baking dish (or 7×11-inch, 9x9-inch, or similar sized baking dish).
    To Make-Ahead, stop now, tightly cover with foil, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking off. If you're going to do this, make sure to let it sit on your counter for at least 30 minutes to come to room temp before baking because you won't have good results with a fridge-cold casserole.
    Oval baking dish filled with roasted cauliflower florets topped with a layer of melted cheese sauce, placed on a textured surface.
  • Pour: Evenly pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower.
  • Sprinkle: Evenly sprinkle the top with the remaining cheeses, about 1/4 cup each of the sharp cheddar and white cheddar, and the bacon.
    An oval baking dish filled with a mixture of shredded cheese, chopped bacon, and pasta, ready to be baked.
  • Bake: Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese mixture is bubbly and the top is as lightly golden browned as desired.
    Oval baking dish filled with a cheesy cauliflower casserole topped with chopped bacon and garnished with parsley.
  • Broil, optionally: If you know how to use your broiler and are confident broiling, you may broil the casserole for 1-2 minutes, or as needed, to lightly brown the top. Tip – Whenever broiling, take care not to become distracted because food can go from underdone to burnt in the span of 30 seconds, and you ruin it all. Keep a very watchful eye on it.
    A close-up of a cheesy, baked pasta dish with visible bacon bits and herbs, being scooped from a white bowl with a spoon.
  • Garnish, optionally: With extra cheese, chives, green onions, more salt and pepper, etc. as desired, and serve immediately.
    A serving of cheesy cauliflower casserole topped with bacon bits and chopped parsley on a white plate.

Notes

Storage: Leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 4-5 days, taking care to reheat it gently in the microwave for about 30 seconds, or as needed, since there’s a cheesy cream sauce involved. For that reason, I’ve never frozen leftovers, although it may be possible. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 294cal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 620mg | Potassium: 400mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 385IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 231mg | Iron: 1mg
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