My hot and bubbly cauliflower casserole is a super creamy, cheesy and irresistible side dish. Filled to the brim with tender cauliflower, a creamy parmesan sauce, an added sprinkle of savory fontina cheese, plus a crispy panko topping, this cauliflower casserole recipe is sure to make everyone enjoy their veggies!
Cauliflower Casserole, a Creamy and Cheesy Take on Cauliflower
If you were to ask me which cruciferous veggie I cook with most often, I would probably tell you that it's cauliflower.
Delicate in flavor and easy to work with (not to mention inexpensive), I use cauliflower in everything from making low-carb cauliflower rice, to cauliflower cheese soup, cauliflower mac and cheese, cauliflower curry, or these spiced cauliflower steaks.
I love how versatile it is, and how wonderfully it either blends into a dish or becomes the star!
And because cauliflower is such a stellar veggie, it makes for a delectable cauliflower casserole when combined with a creamy parmesan sauce and fontina cheese, plus a crispy parmesan and panko breadcrumb topping.
Baked until hot, bubbly and golden-brown, this scrumptious cauliflower casserole is a wonderfully cheesy and creamy side dish, sure to make everyone ask for seconds on their veggies!
My Recipe for Cauliflower Casserole
Preparing cauliflower casserole is just a matter of having the components ready, then combining everything and baking off this scrumptious side dish.
The basic components for my recipe are the cauliflower, the sauce, a flavorful sprinkle of fontina cheese, and the crisp topping.
For convenience, I like to use pre-packaged cauliflower florets—they're already pretty much the perfect size, making them a breeze to prepare.
And I make my creamy sauce using a little butter, flour, milk, garlic, and parmesan. This is quick to simmer and whisk up, lending lots of savory, creamy flavor.
Here'a sneak peek at my Cauliflower Casserole recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)
- To begin, I prepare my parmesan cheese sauce, and set that aside to keep warm.
- Next, I combine the ingredients for the crispy panko breadcrumb topping.
- I blanch the cauliflower florets in salted, simmering water for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until they are slightly tender yet still crisp/firm, and then I drain them.
- Next, I assemble my cauliflower casserole, then top my panko/parmesan topping and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and bubbly.
Recipe
Cauliflower Casserole
by Ingrid Beer
This creamy cauliflower casserole with a crisp panko and parmesan topping is a scrumptious way to turn cauliflower into a cheesy side dish!
Category: Side
Cuisine: American
Yield: Serves 8
Nutrition Info: 273 calories per serving
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, divided use
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
- 4 ½ tablespoons flour
- 2 ½ cups milk (I use 2%)
- 1 ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, divided use
- Salt
- Black pepper
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 3 pounds cauliflower florets, or cauliflower head, cut into florets
- ¼ teaspoon granulated onion
- ½ cup grated fontina cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, for garnish
- Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
- Preheat the oven to 375°, and have medium-large baking dish (about 2 ½ quart size) ready on hand.
- To prepare the parmesan sauce, place a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add in 2 ½ tablespoons of the butter, and once it has melted, add in the garlic, and stir until aromatic.
- Sprinkle in the flour evenly, and stir to create a roux, or a paste-like consistency. Then, pour in the milk, whisking all the while to avoid lumps.
- Cook the mixture for about 5-6 minutes (whisking often), or until it comes to a vigorous simmer and thickens up.
- Whisk in a pinch or two of salt (I used 1 teaspoon total) and a pinch of pepper, and remove the sauce from the heat. Add in 1 cup of the grated parmesan cheese, and whisk that in until well blended; set aside to keep warm.
- Prepare your panko topping by mixing together the panko breadcrumbs with the remaining ¼ cup of the parmesan, plus the paprika. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, and drizzle that into the mixture, mixing it together with a fork. Set aside.
- Blanch the cauliflower florets in salted simmering water for about 4-5 minutes, or until slightly tender yet still crisp/firm. Drain well and pat dry.
- To assemble the cauliflower casserole, spread about 1 cup of the parmesan sauce onto the bottom of the baking dish. Add in the blanched cauliflower florets, and sprinkle over them the granulated onion.
- Pour the remainder of the parmesan sauce over the seasoned cauliflower, smoothing it out, then sprinkle over the fontina cheese.
- Sprinkle over the panko breadcrumb topping evening, then bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden-brown and crisp on top.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.
Tips & Tidbits for Cauliflower Casserole recipe:
- Pre-packaged cauliflower florets for ease: While you can certainly use a head of cauliflower for this recipe, cutting it into florets, I recommend pre-packaged florets as they'll save you little time preparing and even some cleanup at the end!
- A quick blanching: You'll want to take just a little of the raw crunch out of the cauliflower, so a 4 to 5 minute blanching in salted, simmering water will do the trick.
- Cheesy sauce: I like the savory-salty flavor of parmesan for this creamy sauce, but you can substitute different cheeses such as cheddar, gruyere, or a four-cheese blend.
- Crisp breadcrumbs: Panko breadcrumbs are my crumb of choice, but you can use fresh breadcrumbs or traditional crumbs, your choice.
- Make ahead for easy cauliflower casserole: You can simplify things if you blanch your florets, prep your parmesan sauce, and mix your breadcrumb topping the day before you want to serve this side. You could even allow things to cool, then combine the sauce with the florets in the baking dish, and wrap in plastic. Then simply top with the breadcrumbs before baking.
Hungry for more cozy cauliflower recipes? Check out this Fried Cauliflower, this hot and bubbly Cauliflower Dip, this Cauliflower Burger, this Roasted Cauliflower with harissa tahini sauce!
Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2018, and has been updated with even more love!
JJ
Could you come up with a vegan version of this recipe, please? I would like to include a couple who are vegans to an upcoming dinner party and have no idea how to cook for them
The Cozy Apron
Hi JJ, there are certainly tweaks that can make it vegan, but I honestly don't know if I'd recommend it with this particular recipe, as it heavily depends on the cheese. The cheese is what thickens things up, and makes things extra creamy and flavorful; and without the cheese, it simply is not the same.
But here are some adjustments if you still want to go ahead with this recipe:
Substitute some type of nut milk or soy milk. I personally like to sub almond milk, but you have to be certain to choose unsweetened and unflavored (!), otherwise it will taste terrible! 😉
You can also sub a non-dairy "butter" such as Earth Balance to use during the process you make the roux (thickener).
Because you'd be leaving out all the cheese, you'd need to add more flavor elsewhere, and so I'd add more garlic (double it).
To be completely honest with you, if you're wanting to prepare this particular recipe, prepare it as is. I'd make something completely different for them, something that doesn't rely heavily on the cheese component for texture/flavor.
I have many sides that are free of dairy, etc. Roasted vegetables, roasted carrots, asparagus...you'd be able to search in our menu.
I also have a mushroom stroganoff recipe on the site (with this you can more easily sub non-dairy ingredients/versions), or a stuffed acorn squash where you can leave out the meat and cheese (at least in their portions, or use a non-dairy cheese...).
Hope this helps you somewhat, whichever direction you choose to go in!
Lauren
I am making this vegan by just subbing out the cheese for Vegan shredded cheese. There are so many options in store these days that its easy to swap out familiar ingredients with vegan versions!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Lauren, hope you enjoy your vegan version!
Eileen
This seems to me basically a lower carb mac and cheese. Delish as is for a quick family meal but I tried a version replacing some of the milk with white wine to give it a more grown-up flavor. I suppose you could leave out the cheese for a vegan version but then it’s a totally different dish.
The Cozy Apron
Glad you enjoyed, Eileen! Thanks for commenting. 😉
Karen
Where in the recipe do you add the fontina?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Karen!
You'll see that particular direction in the 9th step of the actual recipe. It will be added after you pour the sauce over the cauliflower, before you sprinkle over the panko crumbs. Hope you enjoy!
Deb S
Do you have the nutritional values for this casserole?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Deb, we provide the calories per serving, which can be found in the recipe portion near the yield, cook time, etc.
The calories for this recipe are 273 per serving.
Karen
Can you freeze this?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Karen, I don't recommend freezing this casserole, as it may become watery.
Carrie Brown
Can you make this recipe a day ahead? How would you change it?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Carrie, please see the "Tips & Tidbits" section in the middle of the post for that info—it's the last tip (number 5). 😉
Hope you enjoy!
Mama Maggie's Kitchen
Oh my! I need this in my life. Must print your recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Tru
This dish was Delicious! That said, while the primary ingredient, cauliflower, ranks low on the glycemic index and Panko and skim milk are healthier ingredient options, the amount of cheese in this recipe seemed excessive (i.e., scratching my head over a recent high-cholesterol test result). However, this recipe is now in my cooking wheelhouse. In future, I will likely dial-down the amount of cheese, consider a flour alternative, add-in some ground flax seed and finely sliced green onion.
Thanks again for sharing this recipe. You elevated cauliflower, and I successfully made this dish. My recent attempts at making cauliflower pizza crusts...no so much.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Tru, glad you enjoyed the recipe so much, and have an idea of how you'd like to tailor it to your personal needs next time. 😉
Always love to know that something—especially a veggie—has been "elevated" for someone! Thanks for sharing.
Debbie
Oh my this is good! I used primarily Jarlsberg because that’s what I had on hand, but I did use Parmesan in the topping. Otherwise, I followed directions exactly. I’ve tried a lot of cauliflower with cheese recipes over the years, and this one is absolutely the best. Plenty of flavor, creamy, and a nice crunchy topping. It came out perfect. Thank you for posting it.
The Cozy Apron
Oh, I'm so happy to read that, Debbie! I'm honored that you find this recipe to be the best that you've tried. 😉
Roseanne Sabol
We made this for our Christmas dinner and oh-my-goodness, it was loaded with lots of good flavors and so delicious! I steamed a large, whole cauliflower and not too much was leftover after 8 people enjoyed it. This will probably be added to our list of must-haves.
Thanks, Ingrid - loved this one.
The Cozy Apron
Roseanne, I'm thrilled this was a hit for you! So glad it was enjoyed by all. Much love!
A. Dreyer
I made this for the first time for Chrismas dinner and received rave reviews and requests for the recipe. I thought it was worth it to use fontina.
The Cozy Apron
Thank you for taking some time to share your experience with the recipe! So glad it was enjoyed by all.
Julia
Can I substitute broccoli? That’s all I have on hand right now! Thanks in advance! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
The Cozy Apron
Julia, I don't see why not! I haven't tried it with broccoli, but I can't imagine it wouldn't give a little "oomph" to it with the cheesy sauce and topping!
Hope you enjoy!
Maureen
This was delicious. Instead of adding granulated onion I just sliced up some cooking onion and mixed it in with the cauliflower before pouring the sauce over top. Will definitely make this again. Very tasty.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Maureen, so glad you enjoyed. Your onion addition sounds very tasty as well, and I'm happy it worked out for you!
Thanks for commenting, and happy cooking to you!
Logeni
Hello when you say grated Parmesan cheese are you talking about the powdered cheese from the can or thinly shredded Parmesan because I see some bags that say grated but it looks like shredded
The Cozy Apron
Hi Logeni, phenomenal question/observation!
I do not use the powdered version (such as Kraft brand, etc that are typically next the dry pastas), but the freshly grated in the refrigerated section. It actually looks like the one from the can, that more "powdery" consistency, but it's freshly grated. I typically purchase the Whole Foods Market brand that's in the fridge in a larger square container, labeled "grated parmesan", and get organic.
So not the larger, more "shred" looking ones, but the more powdery-yet-freshly grated version. Hope that helps!
MissWorkForIt
WOW! This was delish. I accidentally added the Fontina in with the Parmesan sauce but it didn’t matter. This is a side dish to impress.
The Cozy Apron
So glad you enjoyed! Thanks for sharing your experience with me. 🙂
Jaci
Oh my the parmesan sauce alone is delicious, delicious….dee-lush-us!!!!!! Having this as our side dish with copycat McRibs and a green salad. Thank you for the recipe. Happy 2022! New follower on your Pinterest board.
The Cozy Apron
Thrilled that you're enjoying this yummy casserole, Jack! Thanks so much for sharing with me, and may you have a healthy and happy 2022!
Molly
Loved this recipe but it was a little watery after baking. Next time I’m going to roast the fresh cauliflower in the oven instead of parboiling.
The Cozy Apron
Molly, glad you enjoyed! And roasting the cauliflower off before assembling the casserole is also a terrific way to cook the cauliflower.