Flavorful cauliflower stuffing is keto and paleo. Made with cauliflower, celery and portobello mushrooms and roasted in the oven, it’s healthy and tasty.
I was so happy when I served this cauliflower stuffing to my family and they gobbled it all up! I was actually planning on having leftovers for the next day – no such luck. But it was worth it!
A healthy substitute for bread stuffing
I used to make traditional bread stuffing for Thanksgiving that we all loved. When my husband and I transitioned to a low carb diet, 5 years ago, I had to find a replacement.
This sausage stuffing is wonderful. But one of our usual Thanksgiving guests doesn’t eat pork, so I wanted to find a vegetarian substitute.
This cauliflower stuffing is just what I was looking for. A healthy and wonderfully flavorful side dish, reminiscent of traditional stuffing but keto and paleo. In fact, it’s so good that I plan on serving it year round. There’s no point in serving something so good just once a year.
The only downside to this cauliflower stuffing: it’s a lot of work to chop so many vegetables! The cooking itself is a breeze – I make this cauliflower stuffing in the oven. But the prep work is somewhat time-consuming. I do think the end result is worth it, though.
Apart from the cauliflower, I use onions, celery and chopped portobello mushrooms in this recipe. All of these add wonderful layers of flavor and texture to the stuffing.
Butter is not evil
I use quite a lot of butter in this cauliflower stuffing – 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 the butter. Personally, I’m partial to butter. Keep in mind that recent research tells us that for healthy people, butter is harmless.
What about leftovers of this cauliflower stuffing?
If you are fortunate enough to have leftovers, I believe they would keep just fine for 3-4 days in the fridge, in an airtight container. You can also make this cauliflower stuffing ahead of time, then on Thanksgiving day reheat it in a 350-degree oven.
Cauliflower Stuffing
INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces (2 lb. whole, 1 lb. after trimming)
- 1 medium onion, chopped (6 oz)
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, divided (not fine salt)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
- 2 Portobello mushrooms, chopped (10 oz)
- Olive oil spray
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, stir together the chopped cauliflower, onion, celery and garlic. Toss with the melted butter, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, black pepper, thyme and sage.
- Spread the cauliflower mixture on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Add the chopped mushrooms, stirring them into the mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining teaspoon of salt and lightly spray with olive oil.
- Return the pan to the oven and roast until the stuffing is browned, about 15 more minutes. To promote browning, you can also roast for just 10 minutes, then broil, 6 inches below the heat element (not directly below or it will burn), for 2-3 more minutes.
- Garnish the cauliflower stuffing with chopped parsley and serve.
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., has been following a healthy real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She has taken 