Mashed Cauliflower Casserole with Cheese and Bacon
Mashed cauliflower casserole is loaded with cream cheese and cheddar cheese and served with bacon and green onions. Great for the holidays!
Yield: 8 -10 servings
Ingredients
- 2 medium heads cauliflower, cut into florets
- ¼ cup plain cream cheese, I use ⅓ reduced fat
- ¼ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt, or use sour cream or more cream cheese
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 2-4 tablespoons skim milk, see notes
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 5 slices cooked, crumbled bacon
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- Place the cauliflower florets in a steamer basket in a pot with water, cover the top, bring to a boil and steam for 10-15 minutes, until very tender. (The exact time will depend on the size of your florets.)
- Drain the cauliflower well and pay dry.
- Transfer the steamed cauliflower to a food processor. (You may need to do this in batches.) Add the cream cheese, Greek yogurt, butter, salt and pepper and process until smooth. Add 2-4 tablespoons of milk, as needed, to get it to come together and get the right consistency.
- Taste and add salt, pepper and more butter if needed.
- Stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese.
- Transfer the mixture to a 1 ½ quart baking dish that’s sprayed with cooking spray (or brushed with melted butter, if you prefer).
- Smooth the top to make it even then sprinkle with the paprika and the remaining cup of cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes, until the dish is warmed through and the cheese is melted.
- Top with the cooked, crumbled bacon and sliced green onions. Serve hot and enjoy!
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Notes
You’ll want to pat your cauliflower dry with paper towels or a dishtowel after they’ve steamed so you don’t have watered down mashed cauliflower.
I use 2-4 tablespoons of milk, as needed, to get the mashed cauliflower, cream cheese and cheddar to come together and have the right consistency. I use skim milk but 2% or whole milk would be fine here as well.
You can prep this casserole ahead through step 8 where you assemble it in the casserole dish. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to go. Let it come to room temperature and then bake as instructed. Or, if you are taking it to the oven straight from the fridge, I’d say add an extra 10 minutes of baking time to get everything warmed through. And you can of course also cook the bacon ahead of time and store it in a tiptop bag or small bowl until you’re ready to use it.
Feel free to substitute sour cream or extra cream cheese for the Greek yogurt if you don’t have any on hand.
Finally, the bacon for this recipe needs to be cooked, so please plan accordingly. You can fry some in a pan on the stove while the cauliflower is steaming or you can bake it in the oven or cook it in the microwave.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 202kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 348mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g
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