Baked Cauliflower Casserole with Goat Cheese

Cauliflower has never tasted so good! This Baked Cauliflower Casserole gets a hit of tangy flavor from melted goat cheese.

Two words for this baked cauliflower casserole. Spectacularly delicious! No exaggeration.

Cauliflower is one of the most versatile veggies around. It can be shredded for my favorite cauliflower rice dish, made into a raw cauliflower salad or simmered in a comforting winter vegetable soup.

For this recipe, 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 tomato sauce. It’s worth the extra few minutes!

What you need for this baked cauliflower casserole recipe:

These are the main ingredients for this recipe:

• Cauliflower: Either start with a head of cauliflower and cut it into florets or buy pre-cut florets at the grocery store.
• Goat cheese: Use chevre (soft goat cheese), which can be found in most grocery stores.
• Tomatoes: Use a large can of crushed tomatoes.
• Olive oil: Olive oil is used for roasting the cauliflower and making the tomato sauce.
• Garlic: You can never have enough garlic! Use several cloves for making the tomato sauce.
• Seasoning: Oregano for the seasoning the cauliflower and bay leaves for the marinara sauce. You’ll also need kosher salt and ground pepper.

How to make a cauliflower casserole:

Roast cauliflower:

Start by roasting the cauliflower in an oven set to 425 degrees F. Prep a casserole dish by lightly coating it with cooking spray.

Pile the cauliflower florets in the center of a large baking sheet. Drizzle it with olive oil, and season with oregano, salt and pepper. Spread it into an even layer.

Bake until the cauliflower is just barely fork tender. The florets will bake further in the casserole, so don’t overdo it in this step.

Make the tomato sauce:

There’s nothing better than a homemade tomato sauce! Start by sautéing the garlic in a little olive oil. Take care not to burn it. Between 30 and 60 seconds should do the trick.

Pour in the crushed tomatoes, add the bay leaves and simmer for about 15 minutes. Don’t forget to remove the bay leaves after cooking! Stir in the parsley and salt.

Bake the casserole:

Transfer the roasted cauliflower to a baking dish then top it with the tomato sauce. Sprinkle pieces of goat cheese over top. Pop the casserole into the oven and bake until the cauliflower is tender and the goat cheese is melted.

What to serve with baked cauliflower with cheese:

There aren’t many main dish recipes that don’t work with a cheesy cauliflower casserole. It's a versatile side dish that matches well with a variety of flavors, particularly Italian-inspired ones.

Here are some of our favorites:

Chicken:

Turkey Cutlets with White Wine Sauce
Honey Garlic Baked Turkey Meatballs

Fish:

Baked Halibut Marsala
Baked Cod with Olive Tapenade

Pork:

Herb Lemon Baked Pork Chops
Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Maple Dijon Sauce

Is this cauliflower bake low carb?

This casserole is a lower carb option than other side dishes such as roasted potato recipes or brown rice recipes. However, the tomato sauce raises the carb count when compared to keto loaded cauliflower casserole recipes made with cheese sauce. Each serving contains approximately 16 grams of carbohydrates.

Is cauliflower casserole healthy?

Cauliflower is both low in calories and high in fiber, making it a nutritious choice. The recipe includes soft goat cheese, which contains some saturated fat. However, it’s used in moderation (2 ounces for the entire recipe) and each serving of the casserole contains less than 2 grams of saturated fat.

Each serving contains about 6 grams of protein. Not too shabby for a veggie side dish!

Can this be made ahead of time?

This is best served hot from the oven. If you have leftovers, allow them to cool, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Either reheat in a microwave on LOW power or warm in saucepan set over medium-low heat. Take care not to overheat – you don’t want the cauliflower to become mushy!

I do not recommend storing the leftovers in the freezer.

This post was first published on May 8, 2017. Text was updated on October 8, 2021.

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