Cheesy Cauliflower Pizza Casserole
Cauliflower Pizza Casserole is a cheesy, easy vegetarian dish for dinner that you can fill with all your favourite pizza toppings!
Is it just me, or is anything smothered in cheese pretty much perfect? You know I am all for healthy, clean meals that are delicious, but sometimes your love for cheese wins a bit, am I right? Not to worry, you can have your pizza and eat it too without any guilt because this cauliflower pizza casserole is filled with delicious creamy cauliflower, pizza sauce, meaty mushrooms and topped with melty bubbly cheese.
Dinner, anyone?
This casserole came together pretty easy, and for anyone wondering about the cauliflower taste, cauliflower is one of my favourite meat substitutes. Being vegetarian doesn’t mean you don’t want something hearty to eat, and vegetables like cauliflower are perfect for that. It gets soft and creamy but maintains a texture that makes this casserole not only delicious, but very filling. Even better, the addition of mushrooms takes it over the top leaving you with a casserole that could easily replace Friday night pizza once in a while.
While I thought this cauliflower pizza casserole tasted delicious fresh, reheated it seemed that the flavours melded together even better and tastes so great – kind of like leftover pizza that’s heated back up. While it seemed pretty easier to cream the cauliflower, I really wanted the vegetable to shine through, and it really does in this dish. I honestly think this is a great dish to get someone who is on the edge about cauliflower over on the right side! Okay, so I’m totally a cauliflower cheerleading, but you will definitely love this dish! And let’s not forget, melty, bubbly, golden brown cheese.
Need I say more?
Cheesy Cauliflower Pizza Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 large cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 2 to matoes, 1 diced, 1 in sliced
- 1/2 medium onion, sliced
- 1/2 bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/4 cups mozzarella, shredded
- chopped parsley, for topping (or herb of choice) (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick spray or grease with oil.
- Season cauliflower with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and roast for 20 minutes.
- In a bowl, add the marinara sauce to the cauliflower and mix to coat. Add the rest of the ingredients, except parsley, sliced tomato and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and stir together with a wooden spoon until add combined.
- In a greased 8×8 baking pan, add the cauliflower mix and cover with the rest of the cheese. Top with tomato slices. Lower oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 25 minutes until cheese is melted and golden brown.
- Remove from oven, top with chopped parsley and serve.
Notes
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
I am always craving pizza flavors, and I love that this also has some health mixed in from the cauliflower! Yum.
Thanks Joanne! I’m always craving pizza flavours too haha
Oh YUM! I need more vegetarian centered dishes in my cooking repertoire and this looks like just the thing! 🙂
Thanks Renee glad to hear! 😀
Jessica, you had me at smothered in cheese! I love that you updated the cauliflower pizza crust into this awesome casserole! I’m slowly but surely coming around to cauliflower (and it certainly helps that this one is loaded with cheese 🙂
Thanks Amy! Cauliflower is a beaut, you’ll love it!
Rough chop some fresh basil and garnish the top with whole leaves of basil. The cauliflower really takes on the flavors of herbs and basil goes great with pizza.
OMG this casserole sounds AMAZING!! I love the idea! Cauliflower lends itself so well to all sorts of flavors!
Thanks Sophia, it really does!
Jessica, this sounds like the perfect fall comfort food. It’s cheesy enough to be a treat but vegetable-packed enough to not be guilt-inducing. Love it!
Mmmm cheesy goodness! My love for cheese definitely wins quite often 🙂 This sound fantastic lady!
What a great idea! I love that you smothered all that cheesy over cauliflower! Such a tasty and healthy twist Looks fabulous!!
This is a wicked idea, I love and will borrow it.
Cauli is the absolute BEST. You can make so many amazing things with it, it’s kinda unreal. 😉 This casserole looks absolutely amazing, Jessica.—I wanna just grab all that cheesy goodness and run. 😀