Fully Loaded Smashed Cauliflower

This Fully Loaded Smashed Cauliflower is an over-the-top cauliflower side dish. It’s filled with bacon, green onion and a a creamy cheese sauce much like a loaded baked potato minus the extra carbs. It’s certain to delight everyone at you family dinner table.

Ingredients to Make Fully Loaded Smashed Cauliflower Recipe

Cauliflower is such a versatile and often under-used vegetable. Long gone are the days when it’s served steamed and devoid of any taste at all.At our house, I can’t think of enough ways to use it. We love it raw in salads, sautéed, roasted, curried, breaded, turned into a gratin as well as this fully casserole reminiscent of a twice baked potato. Ingredients to make fully Loaded Smashed Cauliflower. (Scroll down for full printable recipe.)

• Cauliflower: Two pounds of steamed cauliflower florets.
• Bacon: Classic bacon fried and chopped or crumbled to a smoky flavor.
• Cream Cheese: Chive and onion cream cheese binds the filling and enhances the flavor of the cauliflower.
• Sour Cream: Sour cream adds a creaminess to the filling.
• Butter: Salted or unsalted butter for richness.
• Seasonings: Buttermilk ranch seasoning and black pepper.
• Shredded Cheese: Colby Jack cheese for a mild cheesy flavor.
• Grated Cheese: Parmesan cheese adds a salty bite.
• Onion: Thinly sliced green onions for a mild onion flavor.
• Topping: Crushed garlic-pepper french fried onions optional [i.e. Fresh Gourmet].

How to Make the Best Fully Loaded Smashed Cauliflower Recipe

I can’t think of a single way that I don’t enjoy cauliflower. This mashed cauliflower is one of the dishes I refer to as “company worthy.” It’s easy enough for a weekday dinner, but special enough to serve guests.

• Prepare Pan – Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
• Cook Cauliflower – Steam the cauliflower until fork tender. Make a special effort to drain well.
• Mash Cauliflower – Place into a medium-size mixing bowl. Use a fork to smash the steamed cauliflower leaving it chunky. You can also use a potato masher.
• Add Mix-Ins – Add the whipped cream cheese, sour cream, melted butter, dry buttermilk ranch, black pepper, Parmesan cheese, bacon crumbles, green onions, and colby jack cheese. Stir until fully combined. Pour into the baking dish.
• Sprinkle the Top of the Casserole with Cheese – Sprinkle the top with shredded Colby-Jack cheese and a few bacon crumbles. Top with french fried onions, if desired.
• Bake – Bake per the cook time in the recipe until golden brown and bubbly.
• Serve – Garnish with reserved sliced green onions. Serve immediately.

Tips for Making Loaded Smashed Cauliflower Casserole

• Kitchen Tools You’ll Need: Vegetable steamer (if using fresh cauliflower), cheese grater, 2 quart baking dish, large bowl, measuring cups and spoons, sharp knife and chopping board and a fork or potato masher to mash the cauliflower.
• Prep the Ingredients in Advance: To save time you can prep some of the ingredients ahead of time. Grate the cheese, slice the green onions and cook the bacon then pop them into the fridge in separate baggies to expedite assembly.
• Make-Ahead Tip: You may also choose to fully assemble the entire dish one day in advance and then chill in the refrigerator. When doing so, allow 15-20 minutes on the counter to warm a but and increase the baking time as needed. This will have it ready to bake when you’re ready to eat.
• More Ways to Make Cauliflower: Crispy Oven Roasted Panko Parmesan Cauliflower, cheesy Cauliflower Gratin and delicious Broccoli Cauliflower Salad.
• When to Serve: Serve this loaded cauliflower casserole for weekday dinners, entertaining, as a Thanksgiving side dish or alongside your holiday ham for Christmas and Easter. It also goes well with chicken, steak, pot roast or pork in place of potatoes.

Recipe Variations

• Fresh Cauliflower: Two pounds of cauliflower florets would be approximately equal to 2 medium heads of cauliflower, stems removed. You could use steamed frozen cauliflower.
• Cheese: You can use mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, gruyere cheese, swiss cheese or monterey jack cheese.
• Sour Cream: You could swap out the sour cream and use plain Greek yogurt for added protein.
• Spice: If you’d like to add a little heat, use pepper jack cheese and add one 4 ounce can of diced green chiles to the cauliflower mixture.
• Alternate Topping: I like to sprinkle the top of this cauliflower casserole with crushed fried onions for added texture. If you want to keep this dish as low carb or keto as possible, you can use crushed chicharrones, instead.
• Salt: The ranch seasoning mix and Parmesan cheese add ample salt to the dish overall. Taste the filling and adjust the salt to your personal taste.
• Lower Fat Substitutions: This dish works well with low fat dairy products. Low fat cream cheese, light butter and sour cream.

Storage and Leftovers

• Leftovers: Store baked Fully Loaded Smashed Cauliflower in an airtight container or covered with foil chilled in the refrigerator for up 3 days.
• Reheating: Reheat in single servings in the microwave or in a preheated 350°F oven just until heated through.
• Freezer: You can freeze leftovers for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat just before serving.

More Easy Casserole Recipes to Make

There are many ways to add cauliflower to the menu. Checkout these recipes and add them to your menu soon!

• This Green Bean Casserole features a completely homemade sauce that takes it to another level.
• Easy Broccoli Casserole is a cheesy classic side dish that never gets old.
• Cheesy Cabbage Casserole just may have the kiddos eating their veggies and loving it.
• Sweet and delicious Easy Cornbread Casserole.
• Pineapple Casserole is a Southern favorite to serve at the holidays with ham.
• Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole will take you from breakfast to supper.
• Carrot Casserole from Num’s the Word.

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

• 13×9-inch Dish
• Cheese Grater
• Spatula
• Chopping Board and Knives