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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.

Fully Loaded Smashed Cauliflower

Easy 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. How to make fully Loaded Smashed Cauliflower. (Scroll down for full printable recipe.)

  • Prepare Pan – Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
  • Cauliflower – Steam the cauliflower for 8-10 minutes until fork tender. Drain well.
  • Smash Cauliflower – Place into a medium-size mixing bowl. Use a fork to smash the steamed cauliflower leaving it chunky.
  • Mix-ins – Add the whipped cream cheese, sour cream, melted butter, dry buttermilk ranch, black pepper, Parmesan cheese, bacon crumbles, green onions, and 1 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Mix until fully combined.Pour into the baking dish.
  • 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 recipe until golden and bubbly.
  • Garnish with reserved sliced green onions. Serve immediately.
Fully Loaded Smashed Cauliflower

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 smashed cauliflower is one of the dishes I refer to as “company worthy.” Easy enough for a weekday but special enough to serve guests.

  • Ingredients you’ll need to make homemade Loaded Smashed Cauliflower: Cauliflower florets (fresh or frozen and steamed), chive and onion cream cheese, sour cream, melted butter, one packet dry Ranch salad dressing mix, black pepper, grated Parmesan cheese, cooked bacon, green onions, shredded colby jack cheese and french fried onions.
  • Kitchen tools you’ll need: Vegetable steamer (if using fresh cauliflower), cheese grater, 2 quart baking dish, medium bowl, measuring cups and spoons, sharp knife and chopping board and a fork or potato masher to mash the cauliflower.
  • 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 baggies.
  • 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 mix.
  • 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.
  • I like to sprinkle the top with crushed fried onions for added texture. If you want to keep this dish as low carb as possible you might use chicharrons, instead.
  • More Cauliflower recipes you may also like to try: Crispy Oven Roasted Panko Parmesan Cauliflower, cheesy Cauliflower Gratin and delicious Broccoli Cauliflower Salad.
  • Store baked Fully Loaded Smashed Cauliflower chilled in the refrigerator for up 3 days. Reheat in single servings in the microwave.
Fully Loaded Smashed Cauliflower

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!

Fully Loaded Smashed Cauliflower

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

Fully Loaded Smashed Cauliflower

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Southern
Keyword: easy-cauliflower-recipes, fully-loaded-smashed-cauliflower
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 432kcal
Author: Melissa Sperka

Ingredients

  • 2 lb cauliflower florets steamed [See Cook’s notes]
  • 1 8 oz container chive and onion cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 4 Tbsp butter melted
  • 1 0.4 oz package dry buttermilk ranch dressing mix
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 6-8 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
  • 4 medium green onions thinly sliced
  • 2 1/2 cup shredded Colby-Jack cheese divided
  • 1/3 cup crushed garlic-pepper french fried onions optional [i.e. Fresh Gourmet]

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside. Steam the cauliflower for 8-10 minutes until tender. Drain well.
  • Place into a medium-size mixing bowl. Use a fork to smash the steamed cauliflower leaving chunky.
  • To the bowl add the whipped cream cheese, sour cream, melted butter, dry buttermilk ranch, black pepper, Parmesan cheese, bacon crumbles, green onions, and 1 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Mix until fully combined. [Reserve 3 Tbsp bacon crumbles and green onions for the top]
  • Pour the cauliflower mixture into the baking dish. Sprinkle the top with 1 cup of shredded Colby-Jack cheese and a few bacon crumbles. Top with french fried onions, if desired.
  • Bake for 30 minutes until golden and bubbly.
  • Garnish with reserved sliced green onions. Serve immediately.

Notes

a) This dish works well with low fat dairy products.
b) 2 lb cauliflower florets would be approximately equal to 2 medium heads of cauliflower, stems removed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 432kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 253mg | Potassium: 409mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 351IU | Vitamin C: 56mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!

 

13 Comments

    1. Thank you, I’ve had that dish for some time as well as a 13 x 9 inch with the same pattern. I’m really not certain, maybe Christmas Tree Shops.

  1. OH YUM! My family has fresh veggies with dip every Thanksgiving & Christmas. Broccoli and Cauliflower are a must and my favorites. I’ve been looking for new ways to make Cauliflower for my sister who’s Diabetic.
    Thanks so much,
    Kari

    1. I hope you answer this no one else has but anyway what’s the nutrition value I’m doing weight watchers and I’d like to try this

      1. Please note that information at the bottom of the recipe template. Use those values as an estimate as they may vary from brand to brand depending on ingredients used. For future reference there are many online nutrition calculators that are free to use.

    1. 5 stars
      One of our absolute favorite recipes! Have made it several times. It has been a big hit even with our family members who usually don’t like cauliflower! LOVE IT!

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