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This delicious cauliflower cheese casserole is amazingly creamy, simple to make, and an impressive vegetarian side dish!
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Vegetarian cauliflower cheese casserole is a popular vegetable side dish that goes along with practically anything! The flavor of tender cauliflower florets with a bubbly cheese sauce turns this simple recipe into an impressive cauliflower dish.
It is cheesy, creamy, delicious, healthy, low-carb, rich in vitamins, and stress-free to prepare.
And since it’s loaded with cheese and covered in béchamel sauce, your kids might even love this creamy side dish! 😉
Serve it with baked potatoes, green salad, or vegetable patties to turn it into a full vegetarian meal.
Good To Know: It’s made without heavy cream and uses less cheese and butter than other recipes. Thus, it’s a slightly healthier cheesy cauliflower casserole recipe than most!
🛒 Ingredients
See recipe card for quantities.
- Cauliflower → Use fresh cauliflower or frozen cauliflower florets.
- Cheese → For the golden brown bubbly cheese layer! Use either grated parmesan cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, fontina, or a cheese of your choice.
- Béchamel Sauce → Makes the cauliflower casserole extra creamy. For this you need: Olive Oil (or butter), flour, unsweetened dairy-free milk, cauliflower cooking water, salt, pepper, and nutmeg! If you like, season the creamy sauce with a pinch of garlic powder or onion powder.
Prefer a vegan cauliflower casserole? Use a dairy-free cheese alternative or omit the cheese altogether.
Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free flour!
👩🍳 Visual Step-by-Step Instructions
This visual step-by-step instruction will help you along the way – definitely recommended if you’re a cooking beginner! 😉 → Watch the recipe video to see how easy it is to make at home! 🤓
- Preheat oven to 390°F (200°C).
- Béchamel Sauce: Melt oil or butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir constantly for 1 minute.
- Pour in dairy-free milk and cauliflower cooking water, bring to a boil while whisking constantly. Reduce heat and let it simmer for approximately 5 minutes until thickened.
- Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
- Wash cauliflower and cut it into florets. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add cauliflower florets, and cook for 5 minute until fork tender. Drain over a sieve. → Don’t forget to set ¼ cup of the cooking water aside for the sauce.
- Arrange cooked cauliflower in a casserole or baking dish.
- Pour the béchamel sauce over the cauliflower, then sprinkle the grated cheese on top.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven.
Hint: Top the cheesy cauliflower casserole with chopped parsley, chives, or green onions before serving.
🫙 Storage & Reheating Instructions
Store leftovers directly in the casserole (e.g. covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil – easiest to reheat later) or in an airtight in the refrigerator. Stays fresh for 3-4 days.
Reheat for 20 minutes in the oven, preheated to 390°F (200°C).
Prepare casserole (but do not bake) up to one day in advance and store it wrapped with plastic wrap in the refrigerator. Bake per recipe timings when you are ready!
🥦 More Vegetable Side Dishes
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📖 Recipe
Cauliflower Cheese Casserole
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Ingredients
- 1 head (700-800 g) cauliflower approx 2 pounds
- ½ cup (50 g) grated cheese I used parmesan cheese
Béchamel Sauce
- 1 tbsp oil or butter
- 1 tbsp flour
- ½ + ⅓ cup (200 ml) dairy-free milk unsweetened (or milk)
- ¼ cup (50 ml) cauliflower cooking water or water
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 390°F (200°C).
- Wash cauliflower and cut it into florets. Add them with ½ tsp salt into a pot, top with water, and bring to a boil. Let it cook for 5 minutes, then drain over a sieve. → Don't forget to set ¼ cup of the cooking water aside for the sauce.
- Arrange cooked cauliflower in a casserole.
- Béchamel Sauce: Melt oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir constantly for 1 minute.
- Pour in dairy-free milk and cauliflower cooking water, bring to a boil while whisking constantly. Reduce heat and let it simmer for approximately 5 minutes until thickened.
- Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
- Pour the béchamel sauce over the cauliflower, then sprinkle the grated cheese on top.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven.
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