This Cauliflower Cheese Bake is a creamy, cheesy side dish that uses roasted cauliflower instead of pasta for a lighter version of your favorite comfort food. With so much flavor, no one will even miss the carbs!
Cauliflower Cheese Bake
Tired of the same old mac and cheese as your go to side dish? How about something just as comforting and loaded with cheese while sneaking in some much needed veggies? This cauliflower cheese bake is just what you need. Roasted cauliflower is baked and smothered in a homemade cheese sauce and topped with more shredded cheese and baked until golden. This is a perfect side dish for holidays or larger family dinners since it can serve a large group. When the rest of the table is loaded down with heavy casseroles and piles of mashed potatoes, bring out the cauliflower for a break while still providing a family favorite!
Looking for more unique veggie packed side dishes? Try these flavorful Squash Patties with their own homemade dipping sauce or easy Zoodles for a pasta alternative!
Can I turn this into a main dish?
Of course! Just like you would with a mac and cheese base, you can absolutely toss in some extras to take this from a side to a main course. Green onions, red or green peppers, roasted tomatoes, or carrots can amp up even more veggies. Add bacon, shredded chicken (maybe in a buffalo sauce?), diced ham (perfect for leftovers), or mushrooms for protein and there you have it!
How To Make Cauliflower Cheese Bake
- Preheat. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Toss. Drizzle olive oil over the cauliflower with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and toss until coated. Spread out in an even layer onto a medium sized baking sheet.
- Bake. Do an initial bake of the cauliflower for about 15 minutes, toss, and bake for another 10 minutes until nice and roasted.
- Saute. While the cauliflower is roasting, melt butter in a saucepan and saute for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Whisk. Sprinkle in the flour, mustard, salt, and pepper and stir. Slowly whisk in the milk and continue until combined.
- Thicken. Keep whisking and simmering the milk mixture for about 5-10 minutes or until it begins to thicken up.
- Stir. Add one cup of the shredded cheddar cheese and stir until melted. Repeat with the parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste if you’d like more.
- Combine. Add the roasted cauliflower into an 8×8 casserole dish. Pour over the cheese sauce and stir.
- Bake. Add the renaming cheddar cheese over top and bake for 15 minutes. Broil on low (keeping an eye on the dish) for about 2 minutes until the cheese starts to brown on top.
- Serve. Garnish with some fresh parsley and enjoy!
Storing Cauliflower Cheese Bake
Store leftover cauliflower in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or in the microwave until warmed through.
Ingredients Notes for Cauliflower Cheese Bake
- Cauliflower – A large head of cauliflower cut into florets. You could also use pre-cut florets to save time. Just be sure to get about a pound, pound and a half.
- Olive Oil – Olive oil is perfect for a light flavor when roasting.
- Salt and Pepper – To season both the cauliflower and cheese sauce. Feel free to experiment with additional seasonings like onion powder and paprika for a touch more flavor.
- Salted Butter – Unsalted melted butter can be substituted. You can always adjust the salt added in to fit your preference.
- Garlic – You can never go wrong with more garlic but I start with 2 cloves, finely minced.
- Flour – The all purpose flour works as our thickening agent in the cheese sauce.
- Dijon Mustard – This won’t make the sauce taste like mustard, don’t worry. It does add a more complex flavor to the recipe overall so don’t skip this one!
- Milk – Whole milk is my go to for the best flavor and thickness in a sauce like this. While you can use milk with a lower fat content you may need to add more flour to meet the correct consistency.
- Cheddar Cheese – Freshly shredded otherwise it won’t melt correctly and your sauce will have a separated texture. Half will be used for the sauce and half will be used to create a crunchy golden layer over top.
- Parmesan – Freshly grated here as well.
Enjoy!
~Nichole
Cauliflower Cheese Bake
Ingredients
- 1 1-1 1/2 pound head of cauliflower cut into florets
- 1/4 Cup Olive oil
- 1 tsp Salt divided
- 1 tsp Pepper divided
- 4 Tbsp Salted butter
- 2 Cloves Garlic finely minced
- 3 Tbsp All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 Cups Milk
- 2 Cups Freshly shredded cheddar cheese divided
- 1/2 Cup Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Toss the cauliflower, olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper on a medium baking pan then spread out evenly.
- Bake for 15 minutes then toss, spread out again, and bake for another 10 minutes or until golden.
- In the meantime, melt the butter in a medium saucepan and cook the garlic for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Whisk in the flour, mustard, remaining salt, and pepper then slowly whisk in the milk.
- Continue whisking for 5-10 minutes or until thickened and simmering.
- Stir in 1 cup of the cheddar and once melted, do the same with the parmesan cheese then taste and add salt if needed.
- Stir the cheese sauce and roasted cauliflower in an 8-inch round or 8×8-inch casserole or baking dish.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese on top and bake for 15 minutes, then broil on low for 2 minutes or until golden/brown bits are on top.
- Serve with freshly minced parsley if desired.
