Cauliflower Bake

I'm currently in farmer's market heaven.  The abundance of veggies is awesome - they're fresh, local, and humongous! I've been stocking up every weekend on some of our faves and trying some new dishes.  One dish that's been a repeat winner for the kiddos and me - cauliflower bake.

I know cauliflower isn't everyone's cup-o-tea, but this dish will change your mind.  The original recipe turns cauliflower into a pizza casserole - umm, yes please!  But when I wanted to make it for the first time, I didn't have all the ingredients.  So I used what I had on hand and it turned into a southwestern-style bake.  Instead of pepperoni, I added black beans.  Instead of ham, I added quinoa.  But one ingredient stayed true...the cheese!!  Lots of cheese! This dish kicks the flavor bucket with the sauce (I used salsa) and 3 different cheeses, resulting in a EASY one-dish bake that is SIMPLE and comforting.  

Inspired by the blog Closet Cooking:


Cauliflower Bake

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 cup cooked quinoa (optional)
1/2 cup black beans*
1-2 cups sauce (I used a mix of salsa and marinara)
1 cup shredded cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
Additional veggies - zucchini, peppers, onions, peas, broccoli (optional)


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Step 1 - Start by roasting your cauliflower and veggies (see our blog post about roasting).  Allow to cool slightly.

Step 2 - Toss roasted cauliflower in a large bowl along with rest of your ingredients. Save some shredded cheese for the top. Once combined, coat a baking dish with non-stick spray and add ingredients.  Top with cheese and bake for 20 minutes.  


Yields: 4 dinner portions or 6 side dishes


Notes: 

• I used *black beans, but you can use any beans you wish.  White beans would work well - check out our blog post about cooking dry beans!
• I would only use cooked veggies in this dish.  And if you cook them ahead of time, you'll have them on hand for snacking, lunches, meal planning, etc.
• Serve up your cauliflower bake topped with avocado, guacamole, sour cream, salsa.

If you enjoyed this recipe, here are some related posts you may like:

(Everyone loves this) Casserole
Hot School Lunch
Black Bean & Sweet Potato Enchiladas 
My Favorite Sloppy Joes

Kids' lunch portion topped with parm and paired with a side of veggies

Kids' supper portion topped with roasted chickpeas paired with polenta fries and puffed kamut

Cauliflower Bake with roasted zucchini