Baked cauliflower casserole is so easy to make as a quick side dish for almost any dinner recipe.
Fresh cauliflower is combined with diced tomatoes and herbs. Topped with cheese and breadcrumbs for an easy and delicious recipe that’s baked in the oven. Pair this with your favorite chicken recipe, beef, marinated pork or fish.
An Easy Veggie Side Dish
Today’s recipe is the perfect healthy addition to any main dish on the table.
- Cauliflower is a budget-friendly vegetable that welcomes other flavors easily. In today’s recipe it’s combined with diced tomatoes, fresh herbs, cheese and breadcrumbs. The result is a simple and delicious savory dish with herb-infused flavor.
- Cauliflower bakes beautifully in the oven. In this recipe, the cauliflower first needs to be roasted alone for 20 minutes, then it’s combined with other ingredients in the casserole dish to bake again.
- Frozen cauliflower can be used in this recipe. I would still recommend baking for 20 minutes before adding it to the casserole. This will give it time to thaw.
- I love this vegetable for it’s versatility! Regularly I pick up a head of cauliflower to use for cauliflower rice, to make a low carb pizza crust, in the air fryer with buffalo bites, and for my favorite lunch recipe, creamy pureed cauliflower soup.
Recipe Ingredients
CAULIFLOWER: This recipe uses one full head of cauliflower. Look for one with a fresh green base and little to no dark spots on the cauliflower surface.
FILLING: This recipe is kept simple with a small amount of onion, canned diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
TOPPING: Shredded cheddar cheese is combined with breadcrumbs to create a simple topping. Feel free to use any style of cheese for this recipe.
How To Make Baked Cauliflower Casserole
To prepare the cauliflower, slice off the thick stem base and remove all the green leaves. Give it a good rinse under cool water, then pat dry thoroughly. Slice off any dark spots on any of the cauliflower. Then break apart (or slice) into smaller bite-size florets.
- Bake the cauliflower alone for 20 minutes according to the full recipe instructions below.
- Mix tomatoes, onion, and spices together. Add in the baked cauliflower.
- Pour into a greased square casserole dish. Top with cheese and breadcrumbs.
- Bake until edges turn golden brown. Let cool, serve and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Slice the cauliflower into smaller florets. If they’re too big, they will take longer to cook.
- Strain the canned tomatoes thoroughly before using them. Any leftover juices will be at the bottom of the casserole dish.
- Substitute breadcrumbs with gluten-free versions or leave them out completely if you want to make this recipe low carb.
- Baking the cauliflower first allows it to cook and soften. If you avoid this step you will end up with raw cauliflower inside the baked casserole.
More Side Dish Ideas
- Potatoes Au Gratin is another casserole-style side dish using potatoes, cheese and breadcrumbs.
- Spinach Feta Pie is crispy and crunchy. Made with spinach, feta and phyllo pastry.
- Marinated Ham Asparagus Salad is served in a sweet tangy marinade.
- Crab Stuffed Zucchini is delicious as a side dish or appetizer.
- Cinnamon Sweet Potato and Squash is so simple and one of our favorite side dishes.
Did you love this side dish recipe? Be sure to leave a rating below!
Baked Cauliflower Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 cauliflower head - chopped small
- 1 ½ cups diced tomatoes - drained
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground pepper
- ¾ cup grated cheese
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Wash and chop the cauliflower into small florets. Pat dry throroughly with a towel.
- Place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spray with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven but keep the temperature on.
- Spray a square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Drain the canned diced tomatoes thoroughly from all juices.
- Add diced tomatoes to a large bowl along with onion, italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix together.
- Add in the cooked cauliflower and mix again.
- In a separate bowl, combine the grated cheese and breadcrumbs.
- Scoop the tomato cauliflower mixture into the greased square dish. Spread into an even single layer. Sprinkle the cheese and breadcrumbs on top.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then let cool 10 minutes. Scoop on to plates, serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
- Slice the cauliflower into smaller florets. If they’re too big, they will take longer to cook.
- Strain the canned tomatoes thoroughly before using them. Any leftover juices will be at the bottom of the casserole dish.
- Substitute breadcrumbs with gluten-free versions or leave them out completely if you want to make this recipe low carb.
- Baking the cauliflower first allows it to cook and soften. If you avoid this step you will end up with raw cauliflower inside the baked casserole.