Easy Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole Recipe
This easy cheesy cauliflower casserole recipe was first cooked by my son-in-law, Nate. He and my daughter, Heidi, love cooking together in the kitchen.
The recipe is one of my all-time favorite side dishes for the holidays, or better yet, Sunday dinner. Easy Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole Recipe is something to make that your family will love for dinner.
Everyone in the family loves this recipe. It has a creamy texture and reminds me of mac and cheese, but with cauliflower instead of pasta.
This particular recipe is usually the first one we put on the list for Thanksgiving, and you can bet people go back for seconds. Okay, maybe thirds, even.
It’s really good the next day and you can reheat it in the microwave. In case you missed this post, How To Make Corned Beef
Kitchen Tools You Need
- Saucepan
- Large saucepan or Instant Pot
- Colander
- Baking Pan
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Whisk
Easy Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole Recipe
Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole is one of those recipes that you can make any time of the year. You don’t need a special occasion to make this delicious dish. You can make it for yourself, friends, or family and everyone will love it.
Step One
The first step is to remove the leaves and wash the cauliflower.
Step Two
Cut the thick part of the stem out and discard it. This makes it easy to have cauliflower florets or large chunks of the vegetable.
Step Three
I pressured-cooked mine with one cup of water for 4 minutes. It came out perfect and it’s now ready to make the recipe.
Step Four
Be sure and drain the liquid in the pan. I hope you can see how well the florets stayed together and didn’t crumble after cooking them. You can also steam the cauliflower in 2-3 inches of water on your stove until tender if you want.
Step Five
After draining the cauliflower, place the florets in a greased 9-inch by 13-inch pan. Spread them evenly in the pan.
Step Six
Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the flour and whisk immediately. This is called a roux. Add the milk to the roux, stirring constantly, and cook until the mixture is thick and smooth. Pour in the salt, pepper, the dry mustard, and continue stirring.
Mix in the 2-1/2 cups of the shredded/grated cheese reserving 1/2 cup to top the casserole before baking. Keep stirring until the cheese has melted and the mixture is smooth.
Step Seven
Combine the cooked cauliflower and the cheese mixture and stir until mixed. Pour into the greased 9 by 13 baking pan.
Step Eight
Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese on top. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until cooked through.
Cauliflower and Cooking
Many of you may be wondering about cauliflower and what it’s like to cook and eat. Many people that are eating Low Carb or Keto, rely on cauliflower to survive.
They can’t quite get enough of it because it’s low in calories, yet also nutritious.
You will find that many cauliflower recipes are super easy to make! It can be cooked in almost any way and it’s not very expensive. So, the next time you’re looking for something to make, consider using cauliflower.
What Else Can You Make with Cauliflower?
When it comes to making cauliflower, this Easy Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole recipe isn’t the only thing that you can make. There are lots of things that you can make with cauliflower and many of these recipes are very tasty!
Cauliflower can be prepared in so many ways. One of my favorite ways is making cauliflower into a pizza crust. Who doesn’t love pizza? You can easily enjoy a lower-carb pizza, just by making it with cauliflower.
Easy Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole Recipe
- 1-2 cauliflower heads (2 small or 1 large)
- 1/4 cup butter
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 3 cups shredded cheese, mozzarella, cheddar, or sharp
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How to Boil the Cauliflower:
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil, place cauliflower in the boiling water, completely covered, and boil the whole head for about 15 minutes, flowerets 3-6 minutes or until cooked to your taste. Do not overcook. Drain and chop into finely cut pieces.
How to steam cauliflower:
1. Grab a large soup pot and fill the bottom with 2-inches of water. Place the steamer in the pot and then the cauliflower. Cover with a lid. Steam the cauliflower for 5-7 minutes. Drain and chop into finely cut pieces.
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1. Preheat the oven to (350°F) = (176°C) degrees.
2. Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking pan and set aside.
3. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the flour and whisk immediately. This is called a roux.
4. Add the milk to the roux stirring constantly and cook until the mixture is thick and smooth.
5. Add the salt, pepper, the dry mustard and continue stirring.
6. Add 2-1/2 cups of the shredded/grated cheese reserving 1/2 cup to top the casserole before baking.
7. Keep stirring until the cheese has melted and the mixture is smooth. Combine the cooked cauliflower and the cheese mixture and stir until mixed.
3. Pour into the greased 9 by 13 baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese on top. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until cooked through.
What Can I Serve With This Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole?
- Sloppy Joes
- Roast beef
- Pork tenderloin
- BBQ Chicken legs
- Spiral Ham
- Hamburgers
- Steaks
- Venison
- Green vegetables
- Pork chops
Final Word
Please let me know if you make my cheesy cauliflower casserole. I love to hear from you. Please keep prepping and stay alert with your surroundings. May God bless this world, Linda
Hi Linda, did you know that you can use sweet rice flour(also called sticky rice flour) instead of wheat flour? It sometimes takes a little less of it for the same thickening. Also, I use Peak milk powder or Nestle Nido powdered milk– you get whole milk and no waste. They last a year or more on the shelf. Peak tastes a little better, but costs more. Enjoy!
Hi Jan, what? oh my gosh, I have got to try this! Thanks for the tips on the milk brands! I have cases and cases fo Thrive Life Instant Milk that lasts 25 years if kept in optimal conditions. So that means maybe 15 years for me at 75 degrees. I need to buy some sweet rice flour! Thank you, Linda
Ooooo, gotta try this one. I do miss mac and cheese, which DH can’t have. I wonder what kind of pasta I can pass cauliflower off as? DH doesn’t know that any “rice” we have now is cauliflower… Also spaghetti squash… 😉
Hi Rhonda, oh the pasta, that’s a problem to pass off as cauliflower. It sounds like you working out trying new recipes for DH, love it! Linda
Sorry Linda, but I have to stand on my soapbox for a minute off topic. I am watching how China is running out of food because of the Coronavirus. We prep so that we are able to take care of our families at times like this. Hopefully, everyone who has read this blog for a while, would be able to feed their families, and take care of themselves during such a panic.
Thanks Linda for getting us ready for something like this.
HI Janet, you are always so nice with your kind words. Can you even imagine 11 million people in lockdown, basically? How can they get food shipped into them, fuel, water, oh my goodness, the list goes on and on. I would doubt they are prepared for this, but then who would be? It’s one thing if they lock down a city, a school, or a church. But 11,000,000 people and everyone must wear a mask? Do they have this many masks? The list goes on and on. Let’s pray people get prepared because it could be their city, state or country. We all need to get on a soap box. Linda