This cauliflower cheese casserole is a creamy and easy vegetable side dish made with roasted cauliflower, bacon, and a simple cheese sauce. I originally created it as a low-carb alternative to scalloped potatoes, and I've found that partially roasting the cauliflower before adding the sauce gives it a much better texture than cooking everything together from the start.
Our easy cauliflower casserole recipe with bacon is rich, keto-friendly, and especially good for Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Sunday dinner. Just 3 net carbs per serving!
This was so incredibly good! ..it was absolutely delicious, husband and I both loved it and will make again. Thank you so much! ~ Emily
For more holiday-friendly ideas, you'll want to try our low carb side dishes collection featuring recipes like Brussel sprouts casserole, pureed butternut squash, and keto creamed spinach.
Things to Know About Cauliflower Cheese Casserole
- The cauliflower is partially roasted before the cheese sauce is added, which helps it cook evenly without becoming overly soft.
- Heavy cream keeps the sauce rich and thick without flour or a canned soup base.
- The recipe uses only 5 main ingredients plus seasoning.
- This cauliflower casserole is low carb, keto-friendly, and gluten-free. Just serve it with a simple high protein main dish for a filling dinner.
- A 7x11-inch or 9x9-inch baking dish works well for the recipe.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Cauliflower - We used a whole head of fresh cauliflower. Cut the florets into similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
- Heavy whipping cream - I would not substitute milk or half-and-half here because the sauce will be much thinner.
- Colby Jack cheese - Colby Jack melts smoothly and gives the casserole a mild, creamy flavor. Cheddar, white cheddar, Swiss, Gruyere, Monterey Jack, or a blend also work well.
- Bacon - You can cook the bacon ahead of time or use real precooked bacon pieces.
- Garlic salt and black pepper These season the cream sauce without overpowering the cheese and bacon.
How to Make Low Carb Cauliflower Casserole
Step 1: Roast the cauliflower
Preheat the oven to 400°F and grease a 7x11-inch or 9x9-inch baking dish.
Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces and spread it evenly in the pan. Bake for 25 minutes.
The cauliflower will not be completely tender yet. That is intentional because it will continue cooking after the cheese sauce is added.
Step 2: Make the cheese sauce
When the cauliflower has about 10 minutes left, add the heavy cream, 1 cup of shredded cheese, garlic salt, and black pepper to a skillet or small saucepan over medium-low heat.
Stir constantly until the cheese melts and the sauce is hot and beginning to thicken, about 6-7 minutes.
I wait until the cauliflower is more than halfway through roasting before making the sauce because it spreads best while it is still warm.
Step 3: Add the bacon and sauce
Remove the cauliflower from the oven.
Sprinkle the cooked bacon over the cauliflower, then pour the cheese sauce evenly over the top.
Finish with the remaining ½ cup shredded cheese.
Step 4: Finish baking
Return the casserole to the oven and bake for about 15 more minutes.
It is ready when the sauce is bubbling and the cauliflower can easily be pierced with a fork.
When serving, spoon some of the extra cheese sauce from the bottom of the pan over the cauliflower.
Recipe Tips
- Cut the cauliflower evenly. Similar-sized florets cook more consistently.
- Do not overbake the cauliflower during the first step. It still needs another 15 minutes after the sauce is added.
- Make the sauce near the end of the first bake. It thickens as it sits and is easiest to spread while warm.
- Use heavy cream. Milk or half-and-half will make the sauce noticeably thinner.
- Use freshly shredded cheese when possible. It melts more smoothly than many pre-shredded cheeses.
- Double carefully. The recipe can be doubled in a 9x13-inch pan, but you do not necessarily need to increase the first baking time just because the quantity is larger. One reader who doubled it found the cauliflower became too soft after extending the bake.
Substitutions and Variations
- Change the cheese. Colby Jack is mild and creamy, but cheddar gives the casserole a sharper flavor. Gruyere or Swiss add a nuttier flavor, while Monterey Jack keeps it mild and melty.
- Use broccoli. Broccoli can replace the cauliflower, or you can use a half cauliflower and half broccoli mixture.
- Make it vegetarian. Leave out the bacon and increase the garlic salt slightly to make up for the missing salty flavor.
Meal Prep and Storage
- Store leftover cauliflower casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm a larger amount in the oven until heated through.
- I do not recommend freezing this casserole because the cream and cheese sauce can become grainy after thawing.
- You can also prep the bacon and chop the cauliflower ahead of time to make assembly faster.
Macros
Per serving, this low carb cauliflower casserole has approximately:
- Calories: 301
- Protein: 12g
- Total carbs: 5g
- Fiber: 2g
- Net carbs: 3g
- Fat: 26g
With about 3 net carbs per serving, this casserole fits well into a low carb or keto-style meal. It is a richer side dish, with most of the fat coming from the heavy cream, cheese, and bacon.
FAQs
Is cauliflower casserole low carb?
Yes. This cauliflower casserole has about 5 grams of total carbs and 3 grams of net carbs per serving based on the current nutrition calculation. It uses heavy cream and cheese instead of flour or breadcrumbs.
Is cauliflower casserole keto-friendly?
Yes. This recipe is keto-friendly because it is made with cauliflower, heavy cream, cheese, bacon, and seasonings without a flour-based sauce.
What cheese works best in cauliflower casserole?
Colby Jack works especially well because it melts smoothly and has a mild flavor. Cheddar, white cheddar, Swiss, Gruyere, Monterey Jack, or a blend of cheeses also work well.
Why roast the cauliflower before adding the cheese sauce?
Roasting the cauliflower first gives it a head start on cooking and keeps the final casserole from becoming too soft. It also allows the cauliflower to develop more roasted flavor before the cream sauce is added.
More Low Carb Vegetables
- Keto green bean casserole
- Low carb broccoli cakes
- Cheesy baked green beans
- Keto Brussel sprouts casserole
- Air fryer green bean bacon bundles
- Low carb radishes recipe
- Low carb cauliflower mac and cheese
- Crock Pot cabbage with bacon
- Cauliflower mashed potatoes (keto)
Recipe
Easy Cauliflower Casserole with Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ cup shredded Colby Jack
- 4 slices of bacon cooked and chopped
- ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F and grease a casserole baking dish. Ours was 7x11 in size, a 9x9 pan will work as well. Just fill the cauliflower pieces to the top of your dish.
- Add the cauliflower to the pan and cook it for 25 minutes, it won't be cooked through at this point.
- While the cauliflower cooks, start on the sauce. In total, it'll take less than 10 minutes to make the cheese sauce so start it when there are 10 mins left on the cauliflower.
- Heat a greased skillet over medium-low heat. Add the cream, 1 cup of shredded cheese, garlic salt, and black pepper. Combine the sauce ingredients and stir it constantly until the cheese is melted and the sauce is heated through.
- Sprinkle the cooked bacon over the top of the cauliflower and then drizzle the cheese sauce over the top of the entire dish. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of shredded cheese on the very top of the cauliflower bacon casserole dish.
- Bake the dish for 15 more mins or until the cheese sauce is bubbling, the cauliflower is cooked through, and can easily be pierced through with a fork.
- Be sure to scoop up any extra sauce at the bottom of the pan to drizzle it over the cauliflower when you serve it! Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Use a 9x9 pan if you don't have an oval casserole dish. Just fill the cauliflower pieces up to the top of the pan.
- Broccoli can be substituted for the cauliflower or you can do a half and half variety of each.
- The bacon is entirely optional and can be left out if you want a vegetarian baked cauliflower casserole. Increase the garlic salt to ½ teaspoon if you skip the bacon.
- Colby Jack works great but you can use any mix of yellow and white cheeses, or you can just use one variety. Good options include sharp cheddar, medium cheddar, white cheddar, Colby Jack, Swiss, mozzarella, Monterey Jack, or Gruyere.
Nutrition
Emily says
This was so incredibly good! I'm kind of a newbie with cooking, so when I doubled this recipe, I thought it would take longer to bake the cauliflower before adding the sauce. The end result was a little on the soft side, totally my fault. But it was absolutely delicious, husband and I both loved it and will make again, and stick to the recipe timing! 😉 Thank you so much!