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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 I’m 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 (this also helps me continue to provide free recipes on my site), 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. 🙂
440 Comments
Bonnie
0Can you make the day before?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Bonnie, Yes, you can do that!
Rebecca
0Could you possibly include either a “cup” measurement or a weight measurement along with the description of “1 large head Cauliflower”?
I tend to use frozen and I have no idea how much to use.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Rebecca, There are 5-6 cups of florets in a large head of cauliflower.
Suzanne
0Very Very good thank you for sharing.
Anne
0I have made this several times and the family loves it. Never any leftovers. i was wondering if I could use broccoli instead of or with the cauliflower?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Anne, Yes, you could use broccoli.
lindalee94@yahoo.com
0Everyone loved this Cauliflower Casserole. I would not change a thing!
Becky
0My husband and I had this side dish last night, and it was really good. I made enough for 2 dinners, so we will be enjoying this again tonight. Thank you, Maya, for another great recipe helping us stay healthy!!
Nancy M
0Made this tonight. I added 10 oz of ground beef to make it a main course. There are only two of us, but there’s barely enough left for a snack tomorrow. Love the idea of roasted cauliflower.
Ruth
0Loved by everyone! This is lacking nothing. For those who say keto and low carb are tasteless pleaae try this. My sister even ate it cold and raved. Tons of flavor. New family favorite
Lisa Farmer
0Can u use something else besides milk or heavy cream?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Lisa, You can use half and half.
Shirley
0I made this last night and everyone loved it! They scraped every last bit of it from the dish. No leftovers! And people wanted the recipe. Next time I will double the recipe.
Carole
0I will definitely try your recipes.
Joan Kroon
0This was excellent! Took it to a bbq tonight and everyone loved it 🙂 So nice to have a different way to serve cauliflower – and one that no one seems familiar with.
Donna
0How many cups of cauliflower florets are in a large head?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Donna, There are 5-6 cups of florets in a large head of cauliflower.
Heather
0Made this tonight as written and it was a big hit with the adults and the kids. I think next time i’ll do like some of the other users and add some rotisserie chicken and zucchini and turn this into a one dish casserole. Easy prep, and easy clean up.
Double A
0This dish was delish!!! We love and eat cauliflower weekly in our home and I was getting very bored with the usual recipes that I was serving at dinner. This dish hit it out of the ballpark! I omitted the bacon and added chopped roasted chicken (already prepared at Kroger) and I replaced the sour cream with 2% yogurt b/c my hubs doesn’t like sour cream. My 16yo & 17yo who “don’t eat cauliflower, Mom” ate it at dinner and my 16yo daughter took the leftovers for lunch the next day. THAT in itself makes this dish worthy of 5 Michelin stars.
Julie
0This was SO good-even my Mom liked it and she doesn’t like to try new things!
Dinah Ladnier Stevens
0This is an amazing recipe. I make it frequently and it is requested by my 22 year old Granddaughter. No changes or additions needed – perfect just like it is. Thank you.
Kay
0I made this for dinner tonight. It’s definitely a 5 stars !
Char G
0This is a repeat recipe in my house! I used the bacon grease to toss the cauliflower before roasting instead of butter. My husband asks me to make it all the time and he’s picky and not keto or low carb so win for me! One of our favorite sides! Delicious!!
Jackie
0I added ground turkey and a whole lotta extra cheese! Yummy!
Mary M
0I used your recipe as my base. I didn’t have bacon so substituted chicken. I roasted the cauliflower along with zucchini squash and some red pepper. I used a mixed season of oregano, basil, paprika, salt and pepper. I also used 8 oz of cream cheese softened along with the sour cream. I whipped it together and then folded in sharp cheddar. Spread it in a 9X13 pan. Shredded some pepper Jack on top and baked. 400 degrees until hot throughout.
Gina M.
0I made this recipe for my family last night. I added 3 diced chicken breasts and turned it into a meal. There was NOTHING left! Even my VERY PICKY 9yr old ate every bite! I’m making the Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole tonight! So excited! Great recipes! Will be sharing this with everyone!
Ag
0Excellent! This is a sure keeper! Tastes exactly like a family member’s potato casserole which everyone loves but too many carbs. Excellent way to use cauliflower!!! I love it.
I did adjust timing and temp on cauliflower. At 420 with just a bit of butter it started to burn, but I used convection.
Added olive oil and would turn down a bit. Baked the end product for closer to 20 minutes at 400. Thank you for this amazing recipe.
Jo Connelly
0Hi. this recipe sounds delicious. Can you please explain why you use unsalted butter, but then add salt later. Could this recipe be cooked in a slow cooker?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Jo! In most of my recipes, I use unsalted butter and add salt separately because this lets you control the salt content better. I have not tested the recipe in a slow cooker to see what modifications would be needed.
Sam
0This was great! I cooked a bell pepper in the bacon grease and subbed the heavy cream with more sour cream bc I didn’t have any. Turned out awesomee. I love so many of your recipes. They make low carb so tasty!
Kasey
0Absolutely delicious! This was amazing. My husband and I both loved it! I did mix the sauce ingredients together and heat on the stove for a minute before mixing together just to make sure it was hot. I’ll be making this often, thank you!
Kristy
0Great recipe! I was in the process of making the sauce when I realized we didn’t have heavy cream. I improvised – a LOT, haha – with the following: used the sour cream as instructed, then added a few scoops of whole milk ricotta, a couple of egg yolks, a little kewpie mayo, and some grated parmesan. Added a little hot water to thin it a bit, then added the cheese and bacon. I’d roasted the cauliflower earlier then just left it covered on the stove while I cooked a ham (jam+adobo sauce a little dijon for the glaze…so good)! It was all delicious. We made the ham after Christmas since I always do prime rib for that, but the ham sales were too good to pass up. It made for a nice dinner with loads of leftovers for the coming days!
Victor Calteaux
0Just started making Cauliflower rice today… wow what a huge success, my wife loves it as well… both of us on Keto and have discovered such creative ways to eat. Your recipe process as shown, is the BEST I’ve ever seen and I appreciate so much all the comments that may or may not be helpful when bringing the dish together…. The next challenge is the cheesy caserole, however I’m confident and again so appreciate your description…
Rose Lambert
0I’ve not tried this recipe but I like all ingredients and will most definitely make it
Tammy
0Easy and Delish!!
Debra
0Loved this recipe! I was looking for something to take to a potluck next weekend. Did a trial tonight. I substituted some Monterey Jack for some of the cheddar and also did not add any more salt. It would have been too salty for me. My Father In Law said it was a winner. Coming from a man who pretty much only eats meat and rice. I will be making it for my potluck and probably doubling the recipe! Mahalo!
ron
0VERY SIMPLE DIRECTIONS
Abby
0This is my new favorite way to prepare cauliflower! So delicious even the kids liked it.
Journa Liz Ramirez
0I love this cheesy loaded cauliflower casserole recipe! My family likes this recipe and can’t get enough of it. Would probably make it again. Highly recommended!
Kellie Hemmerly
0This is soooo good! I’m always looking for a healthier potato alternative and this one checks all the boxes. So easy to make, too!
Scarlet
0This cauli casserole has so much flavor with the bacon and green onions. Yum!
Rhonda Anderson
0We serve this every Thanksgiving and Christmas.. one of my Family’s Holiday Favorites!! So tasty .. I add a little more cream and cheese we love it gooey .. and oh so full of flavor!
Cindy
0Yes! I was looking for cheesy comfort food that was a little less carby than a potato dish. Perfect recipe and I highly recommend.
Dana
0What a delicious way to use cauliflower! My kids even asked for seconds of this casserole they loved it so much.
Isaac
0Great recipe! I doubled the sauce and added some garlic powder and a bunch of shredded chicken into the recipe and it was awesome! I also threw it under the broiler for a few minutes. BOMB!
Journa Liz Ramirez
0My family enjoyed this easy cheesy loaded cauliflower casserole recipe. I would love to try it again at our next family gathering. Must-try!
Mona Moorman
0I make this recipe for my family and Church dinners often and it’s always a big hit. Now I get requests to make it at holiday dinners as well. It is easy and yummy. Give it a try.
Keto Me Life
0The information is very useful and impressed me, is very good guideline for the health.
Shanea
0Made this tonight, it was delicious, will make again and again
Debbie
0Very good, thank you. I used turkey bacon but it was too salty, that’s ok I will remember next time to leave the Sea salt out. 😋
Stephanie
0Love this! Making again as a Thanksgiving side!
Melissa
0If I premake up until the last bake, how long would I cook for the final bake if I refrigerate overnight before cooking?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Melissa, When I’ve done this I usually start at 15 or 20 minutes and check at that time if it’s warm or needs more time.
Cindy
0Can I make this without heavy cream?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Cindy, You can use any kind of milk you prefer, but the heavy cream makes the richest and creamiest sauce.
Gwen
0Family loved it, even my 14 year old picky eater. Will make again.
Kay
0Everyone loved this cauliflower casserole!
Gerle
0Thank you, it was an amazing recipe.