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 bรฉchamel sauce, your kids might even love this creamy side dish! ๐
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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!
๐ Ingredients
See recipe card for quantities.
- Cauliflower โ Use fresh cauliflower or frozen cauliflower florets.
- Cheese โ For the golden brown bubbly cheese layer! Use either grated parmesan cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, fontina, or a cheese of your choice.
- Bรฉchamel Sauce โ 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!
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๐ฉโ๐ณ Visual Step-by-Step Instructions
This visual step-by-step instruction will help you along the way โ definitely recommended if youโre a cooking beginner! ๐ โ Watch the recipe video to see how easy it is to make at home! ๐ค
- Preheat oven to 390ยฐF (200ยฐC).
- Bรฉchamel Sauce:ย 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. โ Don’t forget to set ยผ cup of the cooking water aside for the sauce.
- Arrange cooked cauliflower in a casserole or baking dish.
- Pour the bรฉchamel 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.
๐ซ 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 390ยฐF (200ยฐC).
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!
๐ฅฆ More Vegetable Side Dishes
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๐ Recipe
Cauliflower Cheese Casserole
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Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower approx 2 pounds
- ยฝ cup grated cheese I used parmesan cheese
Bรฉchamel Sauce
- 1 tbsp oil or butter
- 1 tbsp flour
- ยฝ + โ cup dairy-free milk unsweetened (or milk)
- ยผ cup cauliflower cooking water or water
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 390ยฐF (200ยฐC).
- Wash cauliflower and cut it into florets. Add them with ยฝ tsp salt into a pot, top with water, and bring to a boil. Let it cook for 5 minutes, then drain over a sieve.ย โ Don't forget to set ยผ cup of the cooking water aside for the sauce.
- Arrange cooked cauliflower in a casserole.
- Bรฉchamel 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 bรฉchamel sauce over the cauliflower, then sprinkle the grated cheese on top.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven.
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