Cauliflower Casserole

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my loaded cauliflower casserole, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

• Cauliflower – I use fresh cauliflower, cut into florets. Frozen will also work — just keep in mind it takes a bit 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. You can also swap in 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 can 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

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

1. 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!)
2. 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.

3. 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!)
4. Assemble and add toppings. Return the cauliflower to the baking dish. Top with more cheese and bacon.
5. 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.

Serving Ideas

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 – Because this dish is so rich, you can even serve it as your main entree! When I do this, I like to balance it with something light, like my pomegranate salad or arugula salad.

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:

Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole

Pesto Chicken Casserole

Cabbage Roll Casserole

Pizza Casserole