This flavorful cauliflower stuffing is made with cauliflower, celery, and portobello mushrooms. Its flavor profile is very close to the real thing! It's ready in about 50 minutes, and the leftovers are just as good as the freshly baked dish.
This cauliflower stuffing is wonderfully flavorful. Much like this sausage stuffing, it's reminiscent of traditional stuffing thanks to the thyme-and-sage seasoning. The only downside: it's a lot of work to chop so many vegetables! The cooking is a breeze - I make this recipe in the oven. But the prep work is somewhat time-consuming. I do think the end result is worth it.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Fresh cauliflower: Cut it into bite-sized pieces.
- Vegetables: Chopped onion, sliced celery, and chopped portobello mushrooms.
- Minced garlic: Mince it yourself or use the stuff that comes in a jar. Freshly minced does taste better.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, dried thyme, and dried sage are wonderful in this stuffing and ensure its flavor profile is very close to traditional stuffing.
Instructions
Apart from chopping the vegetables, this is not a difficult recipe. The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Your first step after prepping the vegetables is to toss them (except for the mushrooms) with melted butter and spices.
Roast them for 15 minutes in a 450°F oven. Add the mushrooms, lightly coat the dish with oil, and roast it for 10-15 more minutes.
The last step before serving is to garnish the dish with parsley to make it prettier. Sometimes, I also sprinkle it with red pepper flakes.
This stuffing was surprisingly yummy and indeed amazing! My husband is not a big fan of veggies. This is the first veggie-based Thanksgiving dish that he’s actually gone back for seconds!!! He does not usually do that, not even for regular food. This is a perfect blend of veggies and seasonings and we plan to add this to our menu rotation.
Who wants seconds?
Read more comments
This stuffing was surprisingly yummy and indeed amazing! My husband is not a big fan of veggies. This is the first veggie-based Thanksgiving dish that he’s actually gone back for seconds!!! He does not usually do that, not even for regular food. This is a perfect blend of veggies and seasonings and we plan to add this to our menu rotation.Recipe Tips
- I use quite a bit of butter - 6 tablespoons. It's delicious, of course, and I don't find it excessive for 8 people (that's less than a tablespoon per person). But if you prefer, you could try using just 4 tablespoons. You can also use olive oil instead of butter. It's very good, although personally, I'm partial to butter.
- To promote browning, if your pan is broiler-safe, in the second step of roasting (after adding the mushrooms), you can roast the veggies for just 10 minutes, then broil them 6 inches below the heating element (not directly below) for 2-3 more minutes.
Recipe FAQs
I don't recommend that. For the best results, please use fresh cauliflower. You can make things easier by using bagged, pre-washed cauliflower florets.
Yes. You can make it up to 4 days ahead of time. On Thanksgiving day, reheat it uncovered in a 350°F oven for 20-30 minutes. If using a glass or ceramic dish, it's best to place it in the cold oven and let it slowly heat as the oven heats. You don't want to shock a cold ceramic dish by putting it in a hot oven.
Yes. You can replace the portobello mushrooms with 10 ounces of cremini or white mushrooms.
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat them covered in the microwave or uncovered in a 350°F oven.
Serving Suggestions
This is obviously a classic Thanksgiving side dish, but it's actually great any day of the year, and I do make it for my family throughout the year.
When I make it for Thanksgiving, I serve it with the usual fare, including turkey breast, turkey legs, turkey wings, green bean casserole, cornbread, and pumpkin pie.
When I serve it during the year, I like to serve it with a main course I can bake in the same 450°F love, such as:
- Pesto chicken
- Cajun chicken
- Almond flour chicken tenders
- Oven chicken kabobs
- bacon-wrapped chicken breast
- Roasted pork tenderloin
- Bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin
- Baked catfish
- Shrimp parmesan
I also like serving a plate of this stuffing topped with a couple of fried or poached eggs for a delicious and filling meatless dinner.
Recipe Card
Cauliflower Stuffing with Celery and Mushrooms
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cauliflower - medium head, cut into bite-size pieces; 2 pounds whole, 1 pound after trimming
- 1 onion - medium, chopped; 6 ounces
- ½ cup celery - thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon garlic - minced
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter - melted
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt - divided; or 1 teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- 2 Portobello mushrooms - chopped; 10 ounces
- Olive oil spray
- 2 tablespoons parsley - chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with high-heat-resistant parchment paper or nonstick foil.
- In a large bowl, combine the chopped cauliflower, onion, celery, and garlic. Toss with the melted butter, half the kosher salt, black pepper, thyme, and sage.
- Spread the cauliflower mixture on the prepared baking sheet. Roast it for 15 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Add the chopped mushrooms, stirring them into the mixture. Sprinkle the dish with the remaining salt and lightly spray it with olive oil.
- Return the pan to the oven and roast until the stuffing is browned, 10-15 more minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.
Notes
- To promote browning, if your pan is broiler-safe and you use foil (not parchment), you can roast the veggies for just 10 minutes and then broil them 6 inches below the heating element (not directly below) for 2-3 more minutes.
- I use quite a bit of butter in this recipe - 6 tablespoons. It's delicious, of course, and I don't find it excessive for 8 people (that's less than a tablespoon per person). But if you prefer, you could try using just 4 tablespoons. You can also use olive oil instead of butter. It's very good, although personally, I'm partial to butter.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat them covered in the microwave or uncovered in a 350°F oven.
Nutrition per Serving
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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Who wants seconds? says
This Amazing Cauliflower Stuffing was surprisingly yummy and indeed amazing! My husband is not a big fan of veggies. This is the first veggie-based traditional Thanksgiving dish that he’s actually gone back for seconds!!! He does not usually do that, not even for regular food. This is a perfect blend of veggies and seasonings and we plan to add this to our menu rotation. We even had enough left over to make stuffed zucchini with it for dinner, pairing it with some wild rice and a salad.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Yay! I'm so glad this was a success! That stuffed zucchini sounds really good.
Kate says
Would adding dried cranberries or raisins after cooking but before serving be good with this?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Yes, very good, if you enjoy a sweet-savory flavor combination.
The nutrition info will obviously change.
Jenny Loeb says
I plan to make it but use olive oil and not butter so that it is vegan. Do you think it could be made in advance and frozen? I will have a lot of company and a lot to do, and it would help if I could make it in advance! Thanks for your advice and your great recipe!!! I needed gluten-free, keto, and vegan, and here you were with your recipe. Jenny
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Jenny,
Yes, you can freeze this stuffing. When ready to serve, thaw it overnight in the fridge, cover it with a double layer of foil, and reheat in a 325°F oven.
If placing a cold baking dish in the oven, put it in a cold oven and only then turn the oven on.