Cheesy Loaded Cauliflower Casserole Bake is a classic and rich side dish where tender cauliflower is tossed in a cheesy and creamy sauce loaded with mushrooms. People are going to come for second servings and maybe even more. A total rockstar at your dinner table.
Yes, this is a vegetarian casserole that I am baking this year for Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving. This side dish works great for Christmas too 🙂. But feel free to top with bacon bits if desired.
About the recipe
We make mac and cheese and cauliflower potato gratin for holiday dinner every year. This year instead of making two separate dishes, I wanted to make just one.
I planned to combine the cheesiness and creaminess of mac and cheese with the unique flavors of cauliflower and mushrooms in one casserole. It turned out so good that it got over in no time. Please give it a try; I am sure you and your family will also love it. My kids loved this dish as well. My son, who is picky about what he eats, comes for the second and third serving when I make this 🙂 This casserole is not a light side dish as it is cheesy, but definitely, it is low in carbs.
Just make sure to blanch the cauliflower florets for 2 to 3 minutes in boiling water until they are tender yet crispy. Blanching cauliflower florets ensures they get cooked perfectly when baked for 20 to 30 minutes.
Mushrooms are a perfect meat substitute that even die-hard meat-eaters will love. I have used sauteed mushrooms to give the dish that earthy and meaty flavor. If you want, you can replace sauteed mushrooms with crispy bacon bits.
Ingredients
1 Medium-sized cauliflower, cut into florets
1 tablespoon Oil
10 Mushroom, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon Salt
Creamy Cheesy White Sauce
2 tablespoon Butter
1 tablespoon Garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoon All-purpose flour
1 ½ cup Milk
150 + 50 grams Cheddar cheese (2 cups)
75 grams Cream cheese (3 oz)
¼ cup Spring onion or Chives, finely chopped, more for garnish
½ teaspoon Salt, adjust to taste
How to make cheesy loaded cauliflower casserole bake?
First, blanch the cauliflower florets by cooking in boiling water for 3 minutes. Then drain and keep it aside. Saute mushrooms until they become light golden in color. Season to taste and set aside.
To make the creamy, cheesy sauce, melt butter in a pan and saute chopped garlic until aromatic. Add flour and saute until light golden to make a roux. Check the video here for more details. Add milk and whisk so that there are no lumps, and cook until the sauce thickens. Follow this with cheese and cream cheese, and mix until everything comes together. Then add the blanched cauliflower, half of the sauteed mushrooms, and freshly chopped spring onions, and check for seasoning.
Transfer the prepared cauliflower mixture to a prepared baking dish. Top it with spring onions, more cheese, and some sauteed mushrooms. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 30 minutes or until the top becomes golden and bubbly.
Recipe tips and substitutes
- You can add nutmeg and cayenne for additional flavor.
- Mushrooms can be substituted with bacon.
- Instead of using cauliflower alone, you can add half broccoli and some potatoes too.
- Cheddar can be substituted with any melting cheese of your choice.
- Use any fresh herbs of your choice.
Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner menu ideas
Do check out some of our favorite and popular recipes on this blog
- Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes
- Thanksgiving Side Dishes
- Best Thanksgiving Desserts
- Christmas Food Ideas
- Best Bread Recipe Ideas for Christmas
Recipe FAQs
Cauliflower casserole goes well with almost anything from chicken, pork, and turkey to mushroom burgers, black bean burgers, and even steamed rice.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
You can reheat in the oven at 350 degrees F or in the microwave until heated through.
You can boil the cauliflower until just tender, saute the mushrooms one day in advance, and store them in the refrigerator separately in airtight containers. The next day, prepare the sauce and bake.
Alternatively, you can blanch the cauliflowers, sautee the mushrooms, prepare the cheesy sauce, toss everything in the sauce, add to the baking dish, cover the casserole dish with cling film or a lid, and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake the next day. Thaw for 30 minutes at room temperature before baking.
Do not add frozen cauliflower directly to the recipe. Thaw the cauliflower for 30 mins at room temperature, and then boil for 2 to 3 minutes until tender yet crispy. Finally, mix with the cheese sauce and bake as instructed in the recipe.
Broccoli, Brussel sprouts, Asparagus, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Butternut Squash, pumpkins, etc., are some vegetables that pair well with cauliflower.
Broccoli, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Butternut squash, Pumpkins, etc., can be used as partial or complete substitutes for cauliflower.
Substitute regular cream cheese with the low-fat version. Alternatively, you can also substitute half portion of the cream cheese with low-fat sour cream and the remaining half with low-fat cream cheese. Finally, to make this dish less calorie intense reduce the amount of cheese.
Yes. This dish is low in carbs, and cauliflower and mushrooms are keto friendly. The cheese and cream cheese are rich in fat and protein, thus making this a perfect keto-friendly dish.
Any melting cheese is suitable for this dish. I prefer to use Cheddar, Gruyere, Gouda, Swiss cheese, etc. I sometimes also love to add good quality Parmesan cheese for its nuttiness.
You can add nutmeg powder, Italian seasonings, and fresh herbs like basil, thyme, rosemary, etc.
Video
Watch the video recipe for Cheesy Loaded Cauliflower Casserole Bake with Cheddar and Mushroom here!
Recipe card
The Best Cheesy Loaded Cauliflower Casserole Bake with Cheddar and Mushroom | Easy Side for Dinner
Equipment
- 1 Baking pan 7-inch by 8-inch was used, use any pan/casserole dish that is available
Ingredients
- 1 Cauliflower Medium-sized, cut into florets
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 10 Mushroom finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Creamy Cheesy White Sauce
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- 1 tablespoon Garlic finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon All-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cup Milk
- 150 + 50 grams Cheddar cheese 2 cups
- 75 grams Cream cheese 3 oz
- ¼ cup Spring onion or use Chives, finely chopped, keep more for garnish
- ½ teaspoon Salt adjust to taste
Instructions
STEP I (Blanch Cauliflower)
- Add cauliflower florets to boiling water and cook for 3 minutes on medium-high flame. Drain and keep it aside.1 Cauliflower
STEP II (Saute the Mushrooms)
- Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped mushrooms and saute on a medium flame for 5 to 6 minutes or until they become light golden in color. Add salt to taste and mix well.1 tablespoon Oil, 10 Mushroom, ¼ teaspoon Salt
- Switch off the flame and keep it aside for use later.
STEP III (Making of Creamy, Cheesy White Sauce)
- Melt butter in a pan. Add garlic and saute until aromatic.2 tablespoon Butter, 1 tablespoon Garlic
- To this, add flour and continue to saute until it becomes light golden, and aromatic. Check the video here for more details.2 tablespoon All-purpose flour
- Add 1 cup of milk and mix/whisk well so that there are no lumps. Continue to cook till the sauce thickens.1 ½ cup Milk
- Add cheddar cheese (reserve ½ cup for garnish), cream cheese, and remaining milk, and mix.150 + 50 grams Cheddar cheese, 75 grams Cream cheese
- Add the blanched cauliflower, half of the sauteed mushrooms, spring onions, and salt to taste, and mix well. Switch off the flame.¼ cup Spring onion, ½ teaspoon Salt
STEP IV (Baking Cheesy Loaded Cauliflower Casserole)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease your baking dish and keep it ready.
- Transfer the prepared cauliflower mixture to the baking dish. Top it with spring onions. Add the remaining cheese and sauteed mushrooms.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the top becomes golden and bubbly.
Notes
- You can add nutmeg and cayenne for additional flavor.
- Mushrooms can be substituted with bacon.
- Instead of using only cauliflower, you can add half broccoli and some potatoes too.
- Cheddar can be substituted with any melting cheese of your choice.
- Use any fresh herbs of your choice.
Nutrition
Louise
Cauliflower cheese has never tasted so good! Perfect with a big Sunday roast dinner.
Andrea
This cheesy loaded cauliflower casserole looks and sounds fantastic. My family will really love it.