Cauliflower has never tasted so good! This Baked Cauliflower Casserole gets a hit of tangy flavor from melted goat cheese.
There has been no shortage of cauliflower recipes around here over the past few months, but I can’t resist laying one more on you because this…THIS is spectacularly delicious. Admittedly, I walked into this recipe with a very vague idea of the outcome. Cauliflower stirred into marinara sauce? Breaded cauliflower with sauce? I knew it was going to involve cauliflower and a homemade marinara sauce, but I couldn’t quite nail it down.
I started with roasting the cauliflower because every time I’ve gone that direction, things have turned out well. Case in point: my Roasted Cauliflower Dip (try it – trust me!). Roasting cauliflower is as simple as tossing the vegetable with olive oil, salt and pepper, then cooking it at high heat for about 25 minutes. Just that simple process completely transforms the flavor. If you’re not crazy about raw cauliflower, do me a favor and try it roasted. If you’re like me, you’ll be hooked with just one bite.
If you’re short on time, you could use two cups of your favorite bottled marinara sauce. But if you have a few minutes to spare while the cauliflower is roasting, make a quick batch of this homemade sauce. It’s worth the extra few minutes!
Spread the marinara sauce on top of the roasted cauliflower, then crumble the goat cheese on top before baking. Every bite is heavenly!
#EatSeasonal
#EatSeasonal is the brainchild of my friend Becky of The Vintage Mixer , who has pulled together a group of bloggers to post seasonal recipes each month, using her produce guide as inspiration. Here’s the May produce guide.
There’s a fantastic variety of recipes, some sweet and some savory, as you can see in the collage below, all inspired by produce that is fresh and seasonal in May. For more seasonal recipe inspiration, follow the #EatSeasonal hashtag on Instagram.
Baked Cauliflower Casserole with Goat Cheese
Ingredients
- 6 cups cauliflower florets
- 4 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 ounces goat cheese chevre, crumbled
The Sauce:
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- On a baking sheet, combine the cauliflower florets, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
- Roast until the cauliflower is barely tender when pierced with a fork, turning occasionally, about 25 minutes.
- Lightly coat a 7- by 11-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place the roasted cauliflower in the baking dish, and top with the marinara sauce and crumbled goat cheese.
- Bake until the cauliflower is tender and the goat cheese is melted, about 20 minutes. Serve.
- The sauce:
- Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Stir in the salt and parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
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Becky
Lovet this idea! I’m all about all of the wild cauliflower ideas right now. cauliflower is definitely having its day 🙂
Letty / Letty's Kitchen
Dara,
This looks incredible I saved it on Pinterest for later, but it might be quite soon as I have all of the ingredients!
Kyle
This dish was so insane; we will definitely be repeat offending this one in our kitchen!
Dara
Haha! Loved this comment! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Kyle.
Barbara
Great vegetarian choice served over pasta.
Caroline Aston
I keep meaning to comment here to let you know how much we love this recipe, This is the first recipe that actually made my husband love cauliflower and we make it at least once a month. Thank you!
Mary Anne
This looks great. Several years ago, I made roasted cauliflower mixed with salt, pepper, a little olive oil and sundried tomato pesto, and topped with freshly grated parmesan, romano or asiago cheese. Delish! Also great with roasted red pepper pesto. Just a few variations on Marina sauce that I really love for their more unique flavors. Goat cheese would be good on either of these 2 options, as well!