An amazingly rich and tasty cauliflower casserole is made with sour cream, shredded cheddar, and crumbled bacon. It's keto and low-carb.
One of my kids hates cauliflower with a passion. That's a shame because my husband and I love it - it's such a wonderful, versatile vegetable for anyone on the keto or low carb diets.
However, this cauliflower casserole is magical! It's the only way she'll agree to eat cauliflower. I guess the cheese and bacon make it tolerable. A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down - must be true for cheese and bacon too! 🥓
The ingredients you'll need
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty side dish. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
Fresh cauliflower florets: I haven't tried using frozen cauliflower in this recipe. But I suspect that fresh is the way to go.
Olive oil spray: I love cooking with olive oil. But if you'd rather use an oil with a higher smoke point, you can use avocado oil instead.
Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you should reduce the amount you use, or the casserole could turn out too salty.
Sour cream: I use light sour cream, but feel free to use full-fat.
Whole milk: You can use heavy cream instead in this cauliflower casserole.
Dijon mustard: This traditional French mustard is creamier, thicker, and less vinegary than yellow mustard. I highly recommend using it in this recipe.
Cayenne pepper: It doesn't make the dish spicy, but adds an interesting layer of flavor.
Shredded cheddar: I like to use sharp cheddar or even extra-sharp for the best flavor.
Bacon bits: If you'd rather avoid processed meats you can simply omit them.
Thinly sliced scallions: They make a beautiful garnish and they also add a nice flavor to the dish.
Why use light sour cream?
I use light sour cream in this recipe, a personal preference, but you can absolutely use full fat. Greek yogurt would probably be okay too. Although maybe a bit on the sour side and not as tasty as sour cream.
How to make keto cauliflower casserole
It's so easy! One of the best things about this recipe, apart from the fact it's delicious, is that this is such an easy recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
Prep the cauliflower. I buy bagged cauliflower, so it's already washed and cut into large florets - I just cut it into smaller florets.
Roast the cauliflower. I quickly roast the cauliflower in a hot oven.
Mix with a creamy sauce. Next, I mix the roasted cauliflower with an easy sauce of sour cream.
Bake. I top it with cheese and place in the oven until the cheese is melted.
Garnish. A sprinkle of bacon bits and sliced scallions adds flavor and color to this tasty, pretty casserole.
How to serve this casserole
Since I bake it in a 425°F oven, I like to serve this cauliflower casserole with a main dish that I can cook in the same oven. So I often serve it with one of the following:
What about leftovers?
Leftovers of this cauliflower casserole keep well in the fridge, in a sealed container, for 3-4 days. They are best reheated gently in the microwave on 50% power. I freely admit that I sometimes eat them cold and think they are excellent even straight out of the fridge!
More cauliflower recipes that you might enjoy
I have numerous cauliflower recipes on this blog. A few of my favorite ones include:
- Creamy cauliflower soup is delicate and - as its name implies - wonderfully creamy.
- Cauliflower "steaks" are substantial and filling.
- Roasted whole cauliflower is gorgeous. It's so much fun to see people's reactions when you serve this tasty work of art!
- Another big favorite of mine is cauliflower fried rice. It's so good, I can't help but feel guilty when I eat it, even though there's no reason to!
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Cauliflower Casserole
INGREDIENTS
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets (1.5 lb. florets)
- Olive oil spray
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (not fine salt)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup sour cream (I used low-fat, feel free to use full-fat)
- 2 tablespoons whole milk (or cream)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar, divided
Garnish:
- 2 tablespoons bacon bits
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions, green parts
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Arrange the cauliflower florets on the baking sheet. Liberally spray with olive oil and season with kosher salt and black pepper. Roast the cauliflower until tender-crisp, about 12 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the sour cream, milk, Dijon, garlic, cayenne and ½ cup cheddar.
- When cauliflower is done, add it to the sour cream sauce and mix to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to a greased 1.5-quart baking dish. Top with the remaining shredded cheddar. Return to the oven and bake just until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle the cauliflower casserole with the bacon bits and the scallions and serve.
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 