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Get It NowThis cheesy loaded cauliflower casserole recipe is my go-to side dish for weeknight dinners, potlucks, and even holidays. My family, friends, and even kids all love it. I always get asked for the recipe — so here it is! And while I like to sneak this veggie into many meals in unexpected ways, this cauliflower bake is my absolute favorite. It reminds me of a loaded baked potato, but is also a lighter take on comfort food.
Why You’ll Love My Cauliflower Casserole Recipe
- “Loaded” with flavor – See what I did there? 😉 With creamy cheddar cheese sauce, bacon, and green onions, this dish has all the flavors you love in a loaded baked potato.
- Quick and easy – My cauliflower casserole recipe uses simple, natural ingredients you can find at any grocery store, and takes only about 30 minutes from start to finish. Must be why I make it so often?
- Major comfort food factor, but lighter – Just like my cauliflower potato salad and cauliflower mac and cheese, replacing the starch with cauliflower works amazingly well when the sauce is right (and it is). This dish is naturally low carb and gluten-free, but feels like you’re eating potatoes!
- Minimal cleanup – Many casserole recipes leave a lot of dishes to wash, so I absolutely love that I just need a bowl and a baking dish to make this one.
- Versatile for any occasion – It’s quick enough for a weeknight, but crowd pleasing enough for a potluck or holiday meal. Even the leftovers are amazing the next day.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for my loaded cauliflower casserole, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Cauliflower – I use fresh cauliflower (cut into florets), but frozen will also work (but takes longer to roast). You can take a shortcut and use bagged florets from the produce section, but it’s not my favorite thing to do because they tend to be different sizes.
- Butter – I wouldn’t normally use it for roasting, but since I roast the florets in a baking dish, the butter adds extra richness and never burns for me. You can use olive oil or avocado oil if you’re concerned about it.
- Heavy Cream – Thins out the sauce and makes it rich. You can also use half and half. Other milks, such as almond milk or regular dairy milk, are not ideal, as the sauce will be too thin. If you want to try one of those to lighten it up, use less.
- Sour Cream – For that classic “loaded” experience! I prefer to use full-fat sour cream, but lower fat sour cream or even plain Greek yogurt works as well. I’ve also made this with cream cheese when I ran out of sour cream. Just melt it in the microwave first, and add a little extra heavy cream for the right sauce consistency.
- Garlic – I love the taste of fresh minced garlic, but have also used jarred minced garlic to save time. If needed, you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder instead.
- Cheddar Cheese – Shredded sharp cheddar cheese adds that classic loaded baked potato flavor to my cauliflower casserole recipe. I use a pre-shredded variety (all about convenience over here), but you can shred it yourself if you like. You can also opt for other types of shredded cheese, but to me the dish loses some of that “loaded potato” vibe if you do.
- Bacon – I typically use leftover oven baked bacon, air fryer bacon, or even microwave bacon, but ready-made bacon bits are an easy time-saver. You could also replace the bacon with cooked turkey bacon for a lighter option.
- Green Onions – For a pop of color and flavor. Fresh chives also work, if you prefer something more mild.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
How To Make Cauliflower Casserole
This section shows step-by-step photos together with the instructions, to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Roast the cauliflower. If you’ve seen any of my other cauliflower recipes, you know that I’m a big fan of roasting cauliflower! So, let’s do this. In a large mixing bowl, toss the cauliflower florets with melted butter (or oil of your choice), salt, and pepper. Transfer to a casserole dish or sheet pan, and roast in a preheated oven until fork tender. (You can boil, steam the cauliflower, or even make Instant Pot cauliflower instead and then drain it, but roasted tastes better!)
- Make the sauce. In the same bowl (wipe it down first but no need to wash), whisk together the sour cream and heavy cream, until smooth. Add the garlic, cheddar cheese, bacon, and green onions. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper, if needed.
- Mix the cauliflower with the sauce. Add the roasted cauliflower to the cream cheese mixture, and stir to combine. (Feel free to try it here if you can’t resist, I often do!)
- Assemble and add toppings. Return the cauliflower to the casserole dish. Top with more cheese and bacon.
- Bake the cauliflower casserole. Place the dish in the oven and bake until the cheese on top is melted. This goes pretty quick! When it’s done, I like to sprinkle it with more green onions for a pretty finish.
My Recipe Tips
- Make sure your florets are uniform in size, and not too large. Consistent sized pieces ensure that they cook at the same rate. And the sauce mixes in better if your florets are small or medium, rather than large.
- Roast in the casserole dish to save on cleanup time. Although roasting on a sheet pan is a little bit faster (more airflow), I prefer to cook the vegetables in the same baking dish I’ll use for the actual cauliflower casserole. Fewer dishes to wash = win!
- Go light on the salt. When mixing the sauce and adjusting salt to taste, keep in mind that the sauce will get saltier as cheese melts later. The right amount will vary depending on your preferences and the brands of cheese you use, but oftentimes I don’t even need to add extra salt to the sauce. (I do always salt the cauliflower before roasting, though.)
- Add protein for a one-pan meal. Turn this into a full dinner and call it a day! Simply stir in about 2 cups of shredded chicken or cubed chicken breast, leftover turkey, or cooked ground beef or sausage. I typically increase the amounts in the sauce by 50% to account for the added meat.
Storage Instructions
- Store: The leftovers from this dish are great the next day! Keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The cauliflower does soften a bit, but I still think it tastes delicious.
- Meal prep: One of my favorite things about this loaded cauliflower bake is that I can make it in advance — so convenient for holidays when cooking is hectic, or weeknights when I know we’ll be home late. Just assemble the whole thing, cover with plastic wrap, and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. Bake it fresh right before serving. Keep in mind that it does take longer if you place in the oven directly from the fridge.
- Reheat: You can warm up the entire casserole in the oven at 350 degrees F, or reheat individual portions in the microwave.
- Freeze: I’ve frozen this dish both before and after baking, and both ways work quite well. This was a bit surprising, since there is so much dairy, but it just works! The cauliflower casserole keeps well in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before heating if you can, or you can bake from frozen at 325 degrees F, but it takes a while.
Serving Suggestions
I’ve served this loaded cauliflower casserole in dozens of ways over the years — it goes with just about anything! Try it with one of the options below, or choose one of my other healthy dinner recipes:
- Chicken – Simple baked chicken legs make a nice main dish with this, or make healthy chicken breast at the same oven temperature, so you can cook them together. When I want something even faster and more hands off, I make Instant Pot chicken drumsticks.
- Beef – Since we’ve got major comfort food vibes going on with this casserole, beef is one of the best main dishes to go with it. I like to keep it simple and serve it with juicy burgers or a sirloin steak.
- Pork – Make some quick air fryer brats or juicy cast iron pork chops while the cauliflower casserole is in the oven.
- Salad – Since this dish is so rich, you can even serve it as your main entree! When I do this, I tend to balance it with a colorful pomegranate salad or a light arugula salad on the side.
More Cauliflower Casserole Recipes
Cauliflower is one of my favorite real-food “fillers” for casseroles! Here are a few other ways I like to do this:
My Baking Dish For This Recipe
You might have seen this baking dish in many of my recipe photos, because it’s the one I use the most! It’s durable, heats evenly, and looks elegant when I bring it to the table. And it still looks new after all these years.
Cauliflower Casserole (Loaded Style!)
Bake this cheesy loaded cauliflower casserole recipe with sour cream, bacon, and cheddar in just 30 minutes. Tastes like loaded potatoes!
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (232 degrees C).
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In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower florets with butter. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
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Transfer the cauliflower to a small 1.5 quart (1.4 L) casserole dish in a single layer. (Roasting in the baking dish saves on dishes, but you could also roast on a sheet pan to make it faster.) Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes if using a sheet pan, or 25-30 minutes if using the baking dish (stir halfway through if using this method), until crisp-tender.
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Meanwhile, in the same bowl, whisk together the sour cream and heavy cream, until smooth. Stir in the minced garlic, half of the cheddar cheese, half of the bacon, and half of the green onions. If desired, season sauce with sea salt and black pepper. (Don't over salt — it will get more salty as the cheese melts later.)
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When the cauliflower is done roasting, take it out and leave the oven on. Add the cauliflower to the bowl and mix with the sauce.
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Return the cauliflower mixture to the casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and bacon.
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Bake for 5-10 minutes, until the cheese melts. Top with remaining green onions.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers, or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 3/4 cup
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
443 Comments
Katherine Ramberg
0If a recipe calls for all purpose flour and I am doing Keto… Use all almond flour??? 2cups
Thanks ✌️✌️
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Katherine, It really depends on the type of recipe you are converting. What are you making? I’m sorry I can’t help more.
Mia Sessions
0I made this for a potluck at work (wanted to make sure there was something keto there for me to eat) and it was a hit! Even 3 weeks later I have people coming up and asking for the recipe. SO GOOD!!! I did only do about a quarter of the green onions in it and let the rest on the side for people to add as they like but other than that made it exactly as listed.
Janine
0I made this for Thanksgiving this year for those who needed a low-carb/diabetic alternative dish. Everyone loved it. The only problem was, I didn’t make enough and we ran out. Haha! It has been requested for the big family Christmas dinner tomorrow. I’ll be making a double batch. Thanks for a delicious recipe!
Diane Barham
0Incredibly good!!! It’s the one dish I must bring to family dinners.
Dana Burgin
0I have not cooked one recipe of yours that I didn’t like. I am making this dish for Thanksgiving for all to try. It is smelling wonderful. The only difference is I am baking it the second time once I get to my nieces for dinner. But it is mixed in and ready to go. Hope it works out.
Linda Brensinger
0Can this be made a day in advance?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Linda, Yes, this can be made ahead of time.
Traci
0Forget side dish…this was dinner! Fast. Easy. And, oh so delicious!!
Janine
0Is there a slow cooker version of this recipe?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Janine, I don’t have a slow cooker version, but I think it should be fairly easy to do in a slow cooker. I would roast the cauliflower in the oven as written in the recipe, and then transfer it to the crock pot. Add remaining ingredients and set to low for 2-3 hours.
jbiggerstaff95
0Can you tell me how many grams of Saturated Fat is in this casserole?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi! There are 18g of fat per serving. I am unsure of the specific amount of saturated fat, but a food calculator may be able to help you.
Sheila Snyder
0My daughter (40 yrs) is on a keto diet, this is her most requested dish. So easy and delish!
Shala Massa
0Talk about an amazing dish! This is something that would definitely add to one’s Thanksgiving spread! I have made this recipe several times and always double the recipe. My son and Husband love it! I have made it exactly to recipe and I have tweaked it due to not having specific ingredients and every time it just tastes amazing. Regular onion or jar garlic were my substitutes, but still amazing. And…..it only tastes better the next day! I love this dish and it will be a regular for me. Thanks!!!!
barbara Fleury
0i am so going to try this thanks
Robin
0Any idea how many weight watchers points?
Wholesome Yum A
0Hi Robin, sorry, I don’t have that information.
Tampa Mom
0Followed the directions to a T. The dish was amazing. However, not sure if it’s for those experiencing insulin resistance even though it is considered a low carb dish. Will try it again but I urge anyone with any type of Diabetic issues, to take your BS number before consuming, than 1 and two hours after. I consumed a small portion with a side of scrambled eggs and woke up with a BS number of 113 on overnight fasting. I have always maintained no higher than 99 with fasting BS’s with an occasional spike of 105. The Hidden proteins between the cheese, bacon, green onion, cauliflower, probably the side of scrambled egg may have been a factor when combined. Green onion is not considered Keto/low carb friendly as it turns to sugar in the body along with the rest of the ingredients.
Shannon Saunders
0Would doubling this recipe be about the right amount for a 13×9 baking dish?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Shannon, Yes that is correct.
Manjiri Mathew
0Hi there I just couldn’t find how the each ingredients I had to put. For the sauce. Not sure it was me. I looked over this 4 times.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Manjiri, You may have to turn off your browser’s ‘Reader Mode’ to be able to view the recipe card.
Raquel
0Irresistibly good. Made some Monday, now I have another batch in (it’s Wednesday)… So good. I shared with my keto friends and it’s a winner. Thanks!
David Smit
0I love it when people knock two stars off because it doesn’t meet their super special dietary needs even though it was a “fantastic dish”. These people only have friends who see the world exactly as they do; all others aren’t good enough.
Christine
0I know this is an old post but also don’t think it’s fair for others to see misinformation. Perhaps you are thinking of regular onions or shallots? Most experts consider green onions/scallions very keto friendly as they have FAR less sugar than other onions. 1T *6g of chopped scallions contain .2g of net carbs with .1g of sugar. Even if you upped it to 15g (most people would never consume this much in a single serving), it’s .7g net carbs… not to mention the nutritional benefits. Scallions are actually recommended in the management of diabetes. In 15 years I have never had a spike due to green onions and suspect yours was due to something else, could have easily been your bacon depending on how it was cured. I don’t suspect a scant amount of scallions was the culprit… in my opinion. Heck, the cauliflower in one serving has much more natural sugar (while still not a lot), than the scallions.
Andrea
0I made it and received rave reviews! I may have had larger pieces of cauliflower and because of that, I had to nearly double the roasting time of the florets in the oven.
Instead of the sour cream/heavy cream mixture, I substituted tzatziki and everyone enjoyed it just the same. It can be a lighter alternative if you are lactose sensitive!
Kimberly H Deloatch
0Wow! My significant other usually refuses to eat cauliflower. But I strong-armed him to try this and he loved it. Me too! Its a great alternative to potatoes! I probably needed to cut the cauliflower into smaller pieces, so found that I needed to cook it a bit longer to get to the texture I liked. But overall, this one is a definite 5 star keeper!
Jennifer
0Made this tonight…SO GOOD! Thanks ❤️
Wendy
0This was delicious! My husband had 2 big helpings ! Can’t wait to get your book!
Jennifer Leigh
0I’m not a fan of cauliflower but this was amazing! I will be making this again and again. Thank you!
Gloria Valle
0Amazing, amazing absolutely amazing dish! Thank you.
Beverly Goodman
0It looked great! It tasted great! But the bottom was watery.
Kathy Line
0Did you use fresh or frozen cauliflower? whenever I try to roast frozen veggies they are watery which makes sense. The end result is still good but fresh is better
Lance
0I par-cooked my fresh cauliflower by steaming for 4-5 minutes then put the florets on a parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkled with paprika and Himalayan salt. I then roasted the cauliflower for @ 15-20 minutes at 400°F. This allowed the excess moisture to cook off without over-drying the veg.
One of our favorite appetizers to order out is Loaded Potato Skins. My wife and I have been Keto for about three weeks now and this recipe absolutely conquers our cravings for a potato dish. Thanks so much!
Neisha
0Mixed in some shredded pork I had left over and some smoke paprika. So good! On my new go to list.
Lorelei
0Yay! Just what I was looking for to satisfy my “potato-esque” desire! What’s even better is my cauliflower hating crew had no clue that my loaded potato casserole had no potatoes! The key to faking everyone out is chopping the cauliflower small – or use riced cauliflower – then roasting till golden brown! This recipe will definitely be in regular circulation. Thank you for making Keto easy AND delicious!
Stephenie
0I made the cauliflower loaded casserole and my 13 year old daughter loved it. She ate 3 plates and asked if I could make it again. Thank you!
Denise
0Hi there. Looking to make this, but does heavy cream mean half and half, 18%, or 35%?
Wholesome Yum
0Hi Denise, you’ll want heavy cream with 36% (or more) milk fat. Half and half may work, but the final texture may be a little less creamy.
Gerald
0Omg way to good
Lola Miller
0Great Recipe!!! We loved it!
Almut
0I finally got to make it,it was delicious thank you for the recipe.
Jill
0Can this be made ahead of time and put in the freezer?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jill, Sometimes dairy has issues when freezing, but you should be able to do it if you stir it well after reheating.
Patty Sisk
0Jill, did you try freezing it? We travel to the mountains for Thanksgiving, and our family stays together in a cabin. I like to make casseroles in advance and freeze them so all I have to do for Thanksgiving meal is to thaw and bake.
Dee Johnson
0Can you use frozen cauliflower florets?
Wholesome Yum
0I think that would work Dee! You might need to add a few more minutes to the roasting time to make sure they get brown enough.
Jennifer
0Everyone loved it and so easy to make.
Dawn Woody
0This looks amazing. Making it tonight. I have made many of your recipes and every single one has been DELICIOUS!
Wendy S Rockwood
0I made this tonight with Ham for our Easter dinner instead of the normal potatoes au gratin…I thought this was way better! So delicious!! Can’t wait to have it again!
Lorri
0I made this dish last night. I did a couple of things different, I roasted the cauliflower with the garlic & added some chopped onions. I also broiled it the last 5 minutes to brown the cheese a bit. It came out delicious. I will definately make this again. Thanks Maya
Jennifer Campbell
0I can’t wait to try this for Easter! Would riced cauliflower work for this recipe? I didn’t see any comments about anyone substituting it but I have a huge bag of riced cauliflower I could use for this if you think it would work.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jennifer, Yes, you can definitely do that! Just cook the riced cauliflower any way you like (I prefer stir frying) instead the step where you cook the florets in the recipe.
Kelsey
0This was an awesome side dish. Made a few modifications – roasted some onions alongside the cauliflower, included sauteed bell peppers and kale, used yogurt and milk instead of sour cream and heavy cream, and added some dijon to the sauce. I may add even more veggies next time. Thanks for the recipe!
Sonji Lewis
0Ok….so I’m very NEW to the Keto diet but was experiencing the Keto flu. I NEEDED some type of satiety…potatoes, bread, idk!! I came upon this recipe AND read the reviews carefully…..OMG!! I made it tonight and am soooo satisfied with how this turned out! It tastes AMAZING! My husband who, reluctantly, joined my journey said this is the best meal I’ve ever made! I added chicken because he won’t eat anything without it. But this was my FIRST time eating cauliflower and I will have it no other way!!! Thanks for helping us during our start up!
Sandra Lee Anderson
0Hi! Can this be made with frozen cauliflower florets? I’m not opposed to buying fresh, but we already have frozen 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Sandra, Yes, definitely! The roasting time would just be a longer.
Lynn
0Hi Maya.
Can I use almond milk?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lynn, What are you trying to use it for?
Helen
0OMGosh! This is my new fav cauliflower dish! It gives me that baked potato fix! Super easy too! My son said it would be a great thanksgiving side! That’s a BIG compliment! I’ll share and make again.
Nancy
0Oh my goodness! I didn’t have cheddar so I subbed Monterey Jack – oh.my.word. DELICIOUS!!!
Jennifer
0This was AMAZING!!! I do not like cauliflower, but I am trying to eat less carbs. This recipe changed my opinion. It is full of cheesy goodness, and my son who stated that he is a carnivore even loved it. I will definitely be making this again. Next time I am going to add some chicken and green chilies. I love the idea of dinner in one pan. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Susan
0This is one of the BEST things I have tried! I added some cooked, cubed chicken for a all in one casserole and it will be made VERY often in my house!
Wilhelmina
0This is top notch comfort food! So much cheesy goodness!
Jenn
0This cauli casserole is seriously crave-worthy! Such an impressive dish!
Aimee Shugarman
0This was so delicious, my family gobbled it up!
sugrbug2
0This sounds delicious! I haven’t made it yet, but have a question. Since I am already home and have frozen cauliflower, how could I go about roasting It? Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0You can roast frozen cauliflower and use it in this recipe. It would just take longer, and the texture turns out slightly different, but it’s still really good!
Kim
0Do you roast the cauliflower while frozen or let it thaw first?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kim, Let it thaw first.