Broccoli cauliflower cheese casserole with cream of mushroom soup

Cheesy Loaded Cauliflower Casserole Bake is a classic and rich side dish where tender cauliflower is tossed in a cheesy and creamy sauce loaded with mushrooms. People are going to come for second servings and maybe even more. A total rockstar at your dinner table.

Yes, this is a vegetarian casserole that I am baking this year for Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving. This side dish works great for Christmas too 🙂. But feel free to top with bacon bits if desired.

Jump to:

• About the recipe
• Ingredients
• How to make cheesy loaded cauliflower casserole bake?
• Recipe tips and substitutes
• Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner menu ideas
• Recipe FAQs
• Video
• Recipe card
• User Reviews

About the recipe

We make mac and cheese and cauliflower potato gratin for holiday dinner every year. This year instead of making two separate dishes, I wanted to make just one.

I planned to combine the cheesiness and creaminess of mac and cheese with the unique flavors of cauliflower and mushrooms in one casserole. It turned out so good that it got over in no time. Please give it a try; I am sure you and your family will also love it. My kids loved this dish as well. My son, who is picky about what he eats, comes for the second and third serving when I make this 🙂 This casserole is not a light side dish as it is cheesy, but definitely, it is low in carbs.

Just make sure to blanch the cauliflower florets for 2 to 3 minutes in boiling water until they are tender yet crispy. Blanching cauliflower florets ensures they get cooked perfectly when baked for 20 to 30 minutes.

Mushrooms are a perfect meat substitute that even die-hard meat-eaters will love. I have used sauteed mushrooms to give the dish that earthy and meaty flavor. If you want, you can replace sauteed mushrooms with crispy bacon bits.

Ingredients

1 Medium-sized cauliflower, cut into florets1 tablespoon Oil10 Mushroom, finely chopped¼ teaspoon Salt

Creamy Cheesy White Sauce

2 tablespoon Butter1 tablespoon Garlic, finely chopped2 tablespoon All-purpose flour1 ½ cup Milk150 + 50 grams Cheddar cheese (2 cups)75 grams Cream cheese (3 oz)¼ cup Spring onion or Chives, finely chopped, more for garnish½ teaspoon Salt, adjust to taste

How to make cheesy loaded cauliflower casserole bake?

First, blanch the cauliflower florets by cooking in boiling water for 3 minutes. Then drain and keep it aside. Saute mushrooms until they become light golden in color. Season to taste and set aside.

To make the creamy, cheesy sauce, melt butter in a pan and saute chopped garlic until aromatic. Add flour and saute until light golden to make a roux. Check the video here for more details. Add milk and whisk so that there are no lumps, and cook until the sauce thickens. Follow this with cheese and cream cheese, and mix until everything comes together. Then add the blanched cauliflower, half of the sauteed mushrooms, and freshly chopped spring onions, and check for seasoning.

Transfer the prepared cauliflower mixture to a prepared baking dish. Top it with spring onions, more cheese, and some sauteed mushrooms. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 30 minutes or until the top becomes golden and bubbly.

Recipe tips and substitutes

• You can add nutmeg and cayenne for additional flavor.
• Mushrooms can be substituted with bacon.
• Instead of using cauliflower alone, you can add half broccoli and some potatoes too.
• Cheddar can be substituted with any melting cheese of your choice.
• Use any fresh herbs of your choice.

Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner menu ideas

Do check out some of our favorite and popular recipes on this blog

• Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes
• Thanksgiving Side Dishes
• Best Thanksgiving Desserts
• Christmas Food Ideas
• Best Bread Recipe Ideas for Christmas

Recipe FAQs

Video

Watch the video recipe for Cheesy Loaded Cauliflower Casserole Bake with Cheddar and Mushroom here!

Recipe card

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Top 11 broccoli cauliflower cheese casserole with cream of mushroom soup edited by Family Cuisine