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This loaded cauliflower bake is full of cheese, bacon, and cauliflower for a low carb side dish that the whole family enjoys. It’s creamy cheesy perfection and I can never get enough!
Oh, January. I kind of hate you.
You know the temperature is just ridiculous. I don’t know who authorized below zero temperatures, but I insist that we rethink all that. I mean, nose hairs should not freeze. That should not be a thing that happens to human beings.
But worst of all? Diets.
Who decided to put January right after December??
Cookie, cookie, cookie, lettuce leaf. <—- Who thought that was a good idea?
Anyway, after eating like an unsupervised 5 year old for the past couple of months, I’m trying to cut out carbs as much as possible…and that includes potatoes.
This loaded cauliflower bake is the perfect swap!
Cheddar, bacon, cream cheese…all the good stuff is there, we’ve just swapped out taters for cauliflower!
Ingredient Notes:
Cauliflower – We always prefer fresh cauliflower, but frozen will work in this recipe.
Dairy – This loaded cauliflower bake is packed with lots of creamy flavor from the sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, and cream cheese! And the butter doesn’t hurt either.
Bacon – It’s true that bacon is the best part of a low carb diet and we didn’t skimp in this dish.
What Readers are Saying!
“This sounds absolutely delicious! And you could pair it with so many things! It just screams comfort food to me! Perfect for winter!” -Cassie
How to make loaded cauliflower casserole:
Bacon: Dice 10 slices of raw bacon and fry it to your liking, then set it aside.
Cauliflower: Cut the cauliflower into small florets and place in a microwave-safe bowl with a couple tablespoons of water and microwave for 3 minutes. This just gets the cooking process started.
Combine: Stir together your cream cheese, sour cream, butter, green onions, and half of your shredded cheddar. Stir in the cauliflower and half of the cooked bacon and spread it in your baking dish. Top with the rest of the cheese and bacon.
Bake: Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until the cheese has melted.
Helpful Tips!
- Use the pre-chopped cauliflower from the produce section at the grocery store to save a bit of time.
- No microwave? Boil or steam the cauliflower for 2-3 minutes, just to heat it through and start softening it.
- Want to make this lower in fat and calories? Reduce the sour cream by half and omit the butter. Use low fat cheese, if desired.
- Make it a full meal by adding cooked and chopped chicken to the mixture.
Leftovers?
This loaded cauliflower casserole reheats beautifully in the microwave or the oven.
Microwave, covered, for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.
Pop in a baking dish and bake, covered, at 350 for 10-15 minutes to heat through.
FAQs:
This loaded cauliflower casserole is a low carb recipe, with just 5g total carbs and 4g net carbs per serving.
Cauliflower does have a bad rap for being stinky! The vegetable contains sulfur compounds which can cause it to have a less than pleasant odor. This is perfectly normal, though if it smells overwhelmingly bad it may be a sign to toss that cauliflower and get a fresh one.
MORE LOW CARB RECIPES!
- Cauliflower Risotto
- Low Carb Meatloaf
- Cauliflower “Potato” Salad
- Low Carb Air Fryer Zucchini
- Keto Cauliflower Crust Pizza
- Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup
Want more low carb recipes? Find me over on ThatLowCarbLife.com, my new blog dedicated solely to low carb living!
Loaded Cauliflower Bake
Ingredients
- 1 pound cauliflower florets
- 1 cup grated cheddar divided
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons butter soft
- 1/4 cup green onions chopped
- 10 slices bacon cooked and diced, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8×8 baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Add the cauliflower to a microwave safe bowl, add 2 tablespoons of water to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 3 minutes or until tender crisp.
- In a large bowl, stir together 1/2 cup of the cheddar, cream cheese, sour cream, butter, and green onions until well combined.
- Stir in the cauliflower to coat. Stir in half of the bacon.
- Pour cauliflower mixture into prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining cheddar and bacon.
- Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until cheese has melted and cauliflower is as soft as you’d like.
- Serve immediately.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Photos updated in January 2022. Original photo below.
Rosemary Debes says
Can I make the loaded cauliflower bake the day before I need it? If so how do I cook it
Karly says
I think that would work. I’d probably go up to step 5, refrigerate, then let it set out for 30 minutes or so before baking. You’ll still need to increase bake time a bit.
RB says
It’s a nice recipe. I doubled the cauliflower (and microwaved it for 10 minutes), used half the (turkey) bacon and substituted greek yogurt for the sour cream. These ‘lighten’ it up a little, add a bit more veggies and still got good marks from my daughters.
Tom J. says
Tastes just like twice baked potatoes. My wife and I enjoyed the dish, however our sons were not fans, they prefer their veggies without cheese. But thanks for the recipe.
Bari Cooper says
Made this last night and wow, it is SERIOUSLY delicious! I mean, how could it not be, with these ingredients? Followed the recipe exactly, which I don’t often do, but I did need to add quite a bit of cooking time. I learned my lesson from the broccoli casserole and steamed the cauliflower for six minutes and baked for 40 min. It came out tender but not mushy. Oh and I added salt and pepper because I don’t cook anything without those. This will definitely be added to the rotation, thank you!
Deborah says
For the first time I can say I like cauliflower! Up till now none of the keto cauliflower recipes did anything for me. Made it last night and husband and I loved it…..Can’t wait for leftovers with our steak tonight!
Karly says
So glad to hear that!
sue | the view from great island says
This looks like my favorite decadent mac and cheese, minus the carbs ~ love it!
Jenny says
That is a delicious side! My kids hate cauliflower and they licked their plates clean. My 8 year old asked what he was eating and when I told him he said he thinks he was wrong about cauliflower. He said this dish made his heart happy.
Karly says
Oh, that makes me so happy to hear that!! Love it when kids learn to love something new! <3
Natalya says
How did you get only 4 net carbs per serving? I calculated it all and it’s way more.
Karly says
I calculated using My Fitness Pal. It’ll depend on the exact ingredients you use, for sure.
Kat M says
Just made this Cauliflower Bake tonight along with the meatloaf. They are both delicious! The Cauliflower Bake is our favorite dish so far (we are new to Keto). This will definitely be in the rotation, probably more frequently than other dishes. I appreciate your site, you have a new follower, can’t wait to try your others. Thank you! thank you1 Thank you! 5 stars
Karly says
Thanks, Kat! I actually started a second blog devoted to all low carb, if you want to check that out! It’s thatlowcarblife.com. Hope you find it helpful! 🙂
Kat M says
Thank you, headed to it right now!
ChuckTom says
Hey there I just wanted to chime in that so far I made two of your recipes and they were a hit with my family. I just wanted to add that I was hesitant to use plastic in the microwave and substituted it with a damp paper towel and it worked out great. Your recipes have helped me stay on my low carb diet. I look forward to any new low carb/keto recipes.
– ChuckTom
Karly says
So glad you’re enjoying the recipes! I’ve started a new blog dedicated to low carb, so new keto recipes will be posted there. You can find it at thatlowcarblife.com!
Enjoy!
Christina says
I’m straight up drooling over this post right now! Your recipe looks redonkulous! And your comment about cookie cookie lettuce leaf almost made me fall to the floor because I was laughing so hard. You’re hilarious and an amazing cook! Can’t wait to try this, pinning!
Karly says
Glad I could bring some laughter during this trying time of diets and lettuce leaves. 🙂
Jane |OilDiffuserZone| says
Gorgeous article! Such lovely photos)
Good luck to you in 2018!
Dawn @ Words Of Deliciousness says
I hate January too. The cold weather and the weight that I should lose after eating all of the Christmas cookies in December. I love this loaded cauliflower dish it a great dish to get me through January!
Cassie says
This sounds absolutely delicious! And you could pair it with so many things! It just screams comfort food to me! Perfect for winter!
Ramona @ The Merchant Baker says
I’m with you, Karly! Every year I have a freezer full of excess Christmas cookies that absolutely no one will accept after January 1st! Which ultimately means that yes, we are still eating cookies during diet January :/