Ham and Cauliflower Casserole au Gratin
Ham and Cauliflower Casserole Au Gratin is definitely a treat for low-carb comfort food and this is one of my personal favorite casseroles!
PIN Ham and Cauliflower Casserole au Gratin to try it later!
I created this Ham and Cauliflower Casserole au Gratin on a January day a few years back when I wanted some low-carb comfort food. I had ham and cauliflower in the fridge, and thoughts of Twice Baked Cauliflower gave me the idea for this casserole with lots of cauliflower combined with ham, cream cheese, Greek yogurt, Parmesan, green onion, and cheese. I’d love this as a delicious low-carb dinner for a cold winter night!
Of course I had to include this one when I updated my collection of Low-Carb and Keto Casseroles recipes. There’s not much I don’t love about low-carb casseroles, but one of the biggest reasons I love to make them is the way they guarantee leftovers.
And most low-carb casseroles also freeze well, including this one, and how I love to pull dinner out of the freezer when I don’t want to cook! (You can use the category for Can Freeze to find more dishes that freeze well.)
This low-carb casserole with ham and cauliflower has been wildly popular on the blog; hope you enjoy trying it if you haven’t made this one yet!
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is ONLY a list of ingredients for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- raw cauliflower
- salt (for water to cook cauliflower)
- diced ham
- cream cheese
- Greek yogurt
- finely-grated Parmesan cheese
- green onions
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
- grated cheddar cheese
What kind of ham should you use for this casserole?
If you want this recipe to be Keto, be sure to choose a ham without added sugar. I use thick ham steaks from Costco, but thick sliced deli ham, and cut up cubes from a whole ham will also work.
Can you make this recipe with frozen cauliflower?
I’ll be honest and say I am not much of a fan of frozen vegetables, and I’d prefer freshly-cooked cauliflower for this. But there are some comments on this post from people who have made it with frozen cauliflower and reported back that it worked well. Whichever you use, I would be sure the cauliflower is well-drained before you assemble the casserole.
What if you’re not a fan of Greek Yogurt?
If you don’t like the tangy flavor of Greek Yogurt I would use sour cream for this recipe.
Want more low-carb casseroles with cauliflower?
Check out Low-Carb and Keto Cauliflower Casseroles for lots more ideas for tasty dinners with cauliflower, including a few cauliflower casseroles from my food blogging friends.
How to Make Ham and Cauliflower Casserole au Gratin:
(This is ONLY a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- You need at least 6 cups of cauliflower, cut into small pieces.
- Cook the cauliflower in boiling salted water until it’s just getting soft; don’t overcook.
- Drain the cooked cauliflower well (at least 5 minutes).
- While the cauliflower cooks, cut up two cups of ham.
- Soften cream cheese in the microwave for a minute or so, then mix in the Greek yogurt (or sour cream), Parmesan, and sliced green onions.
- Mash the cauliflower slightly (in the pan you cooked it in) then stir in the sauce mixture so it’s completely mixed with the cauliflower and gently mix in the ham.
- Season to taste with fresh-ground black pepper.
- Spray the baking dish with nonstick spray or olive oil, put the casserole mixture in in the dish, and sprinkle with cheese.
- Bake 30-35 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted and starting to brown and the mixture is hot throughout and starting to slightly bubble.
- Let sit about 10 minutes for any liquid in the dish to be absorbed, then serve hot and enjoy! This will keep in the fridge for a few days and reheats well.
Make it a Low-Carb Meal:
Ham and Cauliflower Casserole au Gratin would taste great with Peperoncini Chopped Salad, American Greek Salad, or Lemon Parmesan Kale Salad, Spring Mix Salad, or Kalyn’s Low-Carb Coleslaw for a low-carb meal.
More Tasty Low-Carb Dinners with Cauliflower:
- Roasted Cauliflower with Red Bell Pepper, Green Olives, and Pine Nuts
- Cheesy Cauliflower Soup with Bacon and Green Chiles
- Layered Mexican Casserole with Chicken and Cauliflower Rice
- Chicken Broccoli Curry Casserole with Cauliflower Rice
- Cauliflower Rice Sausage Casserole
Weekend Food Prep:
This recipe has been added to a new category called Weekend Food Prep to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Ham and Cauliflower Casserole au Gratin
This Low-Carb Ham and Cauliflower Casserole Au Gratin is definitely a treat for low-carb and Keto comfort food.
Ingredients
- 6 cups raw cauliflower flowerets, cut fairly small
- 1/2 tsp. salt (for water to cook cauliflower)
- 2 cups diced ham
- 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup Greek yogurt (see notes)
- 2 T finely-grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese (see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
- Fill a medium-sized pot half full with water, add 1/2 tsp. salt, and start to bring to a boil.
- Cut up the cauliflower into small flowerets, discarding the leaves and core.
- Put cauliflower pieces into the water and cook at a low boil until the cauliflower is starting to get barely sort. Check it often and don't overcook; the cauliflower will soften more in the oven.
- While cauliflower is cooking, cut the ham into very small cubes and slice green onions.
- Put cream cheese into a glass dish or measuring cup and soften it in the microwave for a few minutes. (Or you can soften it on top of the pre-heating oven if you don't have a microwave.) When cream cheese is soft stir in the Greek yogurt (or sour cream), Parmesan, and sliced green onions.
- When cauliflower is cooked enough to start to soften, pour into a colander placed in the sink and let it drain well (at least 5 minutes; don't rush this step)
- Put the drained cauliflower back into the pot you cooked it in and mash with a potato masher until it's barely mashed with quite a few chunks left.
- Stir in the sauce mixture and combine well with the cauliflower; then gently mix in the diced ham.
- Season to taste with fresh-ground black pepper. (I didn't use salt because the ham and the Parmesan are both salty.)
- Spray glass or crockery casserole dish with non-stick spray or olive oil. (I used a glass casserole dish that was about 8" x 10".) Pour cauliflower mixture into the dish, spread out evenly, and sprinkle with the cheese.
- Bake 30-35 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and lightly browned and all the mixture is hot throughout and starting to bubble. Let sit 10 minutes for any liquid to be absorbed, then serve hot.
- I am assuming that this freezes well, but I still haven't tried freezing it because I never have any leftovers.
Notes
You can also use sour cream if you're not a Greek yogurt fan; yogurt has just slightly fewer carbs. Definitely use more cheese if you'd like!
This recipe created by Kalyn with inspiration from Twice Baked Cauliflower.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 238Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 7gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 65mgSodium 855mgCarbohydrates 7.7gFiber 2gSugar 4gProtein 20g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Ham and Cauliflower Casserole Au Gratin as shown would be suitable for low-carb or Keto diets. If you’re wanting it to be suitable for the South Beach Diet they would recommend lean ham, reduced-fat cream cheese, fat-free Greek yogurt, and low-fat cheese.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Casserole Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This tasty casserole with ham and cauliflower was first posted in 2012. It was updated with better photos in 2017 and was last updated with more information in 2023.
180 Comments on “Ham and Cauliflower Casserole au Gratin”
Made this last night from some
leftover ham. We didn’t have any green onions so we used a jalapeño for extra flavor and a little kick. Came out perfect and even the non ham fans said it was great!
So glad it was a hit for you! And I like the idea of a slightly spicy version.
Absolutely delicious! I added some peppers to spice it up a bit. I love heat. But, left out the salt and pepper. This will definitely become a staple.
That sounds good to me; glad you enjoyed it!
Can this be made ahead of time and then cooked later in the day or the next day?
I’ve never done it that way. But if it’s refrigerated between the time you assemble it and the time you bake it, you need to let it come to room temperature before baking. I’d love to know how it works if you try it.
This is delicious and I’ve made it many times. It’s pretty versatile and easy to customize to your liking. I use a bag of frozen cauliflower rice and I have subbed the cream cheese for Velveeta (for my hubby) and sometimes use light sour cream instead of the yogurt. I’ve also added coarse bread crumbs to the top or french fried onions. Any way I make this, Including the original version, is always delicious!
I’m so happy to hear you have been enjoying it! And how fun hearing how creative you have been with adapting the recipe.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made this. Most times I just use frozen cauliflower, and I always leave out the ham to use it as a side dish – often for ham! It’s a great low carb and delicious side dish I’ll eat a few nights while my teenagers eat their noodles.
As a side note, last time I had a little left over inside cheese mixture and it made a luscious filler cold for mini peppers. I might accidentally have leftovers every time!
SO happy to hear you have enjoyed it so much, and thanks for all the ideas for variations too.
I don’t want to go to all the effort to mash the cauli. But I’d like to speed up recipe. Any ideas?
I’m on vacation so I just saw your comment. I don’t have any ideas except maybe cutting the cauliflower into even smaller pieces.
I write the recipes with the methods I think will give the best flavor and texture. But you are always free to adapt!
Very good. Love the tanginess of the greek yogurt. We will be making again.
So glad you enjoyed!
We love this casserole, I have also made it with steamed sliced summer squash and chopped sweet onion and then stirred in a little bleu cheese dressing and topped with Vermont sharp white cheddar.
So glad you are enjoying it. And I love hearing about your variations!
I made this for the second time and my 5-year-old loved it, and he’s SUPER picky (if it isn’t in nugget form or a sandwich, he’ll pass…) My tweaks to the recipe include adding heavy cream to the cream cheese mix to make it pourable (it’s too thick to even attempt to pour, but I might not be softening the cream cheese enough?) and adding ranch seasoning mix, which makes it AMAZING. Absolutely love this recipe, can’t thank you enough!
So glad you and the family are enjoying it! Fun hearing how you switched it up a bit.
My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed it. He was very surprised that he liked it since it was cauliflower based. I used two-12oz bags of frozen cauliflower florets steamed well in the microwave (no salt) and mashed them fairly well. I also used 2 single serve containers of Chobani yogurt. This was absolutely delicious and we’ll definitely have it again when we have extra ham. Thank you so much for the tasty recipe!!
So glad you liked it, and good to know it worked well with frozen cauliflower too! Thanks for taking time to tell me.
THIS WAS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO YUMMY! Thank you! will be saving in my dinner recipe collection! I just shared it with 3 others 🙂
So glad you liked it!
We made this today! We used diced pancetta because I didn’t have ham nor did I have the desire to cook ham! However- this was DELICIOUS! My husband told me to save this recipe which he only says if he really loves it. Thank for for a new staple in our kitchen!
So glad you liked it and I think pancetta sounds amazing in this!
Tried it.. liked it.. I added a can of peas too!
Thats a fun idea; so glad you enjoyed it!
Absolutely delicious.. It’s been one of the best things I’ve made since being on the keto diet
So glad you enjoyed!
Looks yummy! I’m not a fan of the tang of cream cheese, could you sub it with something else?
You probably can if you can think of a mild creamy cheese that’s also kind of thick like cream cheese is. I’m afraid I’m not thinking of anything though. Maybe just using a more regular grated cheese would work; love to hear what you come up with if you experiment!
Although more expensive, Mascarpone usually works as a good substitute for cream cheese, and doesn’t have the “tang”.
Yes, I think that’s a good suggestion.
How about a couple of triangles of Laughing Cow?
Yes, that might be good in this!
Bet you could use some Boursin cheese or even a creamy goat cheese. Think the feta, tomato, pasta video that was so popular. 😊
Boursin would be great!
Amazing!
how much is a serving?
I don’t measure out how much a serving is when I make the recipe, so other than telling you it’s 1/6 of the finished dish, I can’t really answer that.
Can we use cauliflower rice?
I haven’t tried it that way. It will definitely change the texture, but I think it might still be good. You might want to look through the comments and see if anyone talks about doing that. And if you try it, I’d love to hear how it works!
I have used cauliflower rice and it is still delicious!
Did you cook the cauliflower rice first or thaw it out if frozen?
This is a delicious and easy dish to make! I’ve made it twice this week already. I added some French’s Crispy Fried Onions on top which creates a nice savory crunch.
So glad you are enjoying it!
Oh my goodness!! Was this ever good!! This is definitely going into my favorites file. My husband and I both thought this was a home run. I cooked the cauliflower in my instant pot and then put it into the oven to bake. I then broiled it for about 5-6 minutes.
AH-MAZING. Thanks for the recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Looks wonderful – especially as not only do I like recipe as written, but it will amend beautifully for what I want this weekend – subbing in shredded or diced chicken for the ham plus our own home-cured bacon made without any sugars.
That sounds like a tasty variation; hope you enjoy!
Just went searching for a recipe to use up all this leftover Christmas ham, and yours was the first (delicious looking) one that popped up. Headed into the kitchen now! Thanks for sharing this 🙂
My pleasure Dana, hope you enjoy it!
Kids loved it. very good and easy recipe, i tried it last night
Glad you liked it!
Really good. Hubby kept saying ‘this is really good’ and even went back for seconds. Thanks for the good recipe. (No macros/nutritional info needed, lol ) 😉
Glad you liked it! And I am FINALLY starting to add nutritional info, yaay. But happy when people don’t mind not having it.
I’ve just come across this recipe and want to thank you, I’m excited to make this as part of meal prep tomorrow! I also want to say that I’m sorry for the constant comments you get asking for nutritional information… I see this on every blog, and I wish that people realized that different brands can vary widely in nutritional values. I never use the values given on recipe posts and figure it out based on the individual ingredients I use. This is something we all should be accountable for, and realize that the macros can vary drastically with different brands. Thanks again for all the hard work you do to offer us these free recipes… it’s much appreciated!!
Thank you so much! I really appreciate that attitude!
I wish there was an easy way for me to make that happen. This post talks about my efforts after I switched my blog from Blogger to WordPress and had to edit 2,000+ recipes. I am planning to add nutritional information, but not until the editing project is done.
If you look after the recipe itself, I give two links (where it says “Nutritional Information”) for suggestions of two ways to get that information. That’s all I am able to do at this time.
Thank you for the information on the Nutrition Analyzer.
This was so good, and so easy to use with a giant bag of frozen cauliflower and leftover ham from this week. Perfect for a busy night when we’re going in different directions–I made it and left and people could eat it when it was ready and I had it reheated when I got home. Thank you!!!
Hi Tina,
So glad to hear that everyone enjoyed it!
What kind of side dish do you suggest with this for dinner?
I edited the post and added some suggestions where it says “Make it a Meal.” Hope you enjoy!
We love this so much!!! It is going to be hot today to turn the oven on. Do you think this would work in the Crock-Pot? I was thinking the 4-Hour setting would be fine for my schedule.
I was at the doctor and just saw this, so maybe you already started it. But yes, I do think that might work. The slow cooker generally releases more water in foods, that’s the only thing I wonder about. Let me know how it works if you do end up trying it!
Could you use cauliflower rice for this?
I can’t say for sure how it will work because I haven’t made it that way. I think it might be good but it will definitely be a different result than using bigger pieces of cauliflower. I worry about it getting mushy with cauliflower rice, but as I said I can’t say for sure how it will work. If you try it, I’d love to hear what you think.
Thank you for answering my question. I’ll look at the other recipe you suggested.
Kaylee, I am starting a low carb diet, not keto, i just want to eat better. I am looking forward to trying your recipes. Do you have a cook book published anywhere?.
Thank you for all your hard work.
Hi Jackie Ann. I’m a retired teacher who now works 6-8 hours a day on my two websites, so I have no desire to write a cookbook! I do get offers, but turn them all down so I can have some fun in my retirement years!
Can I sub in zucchini instead of cauliflower?
The cooking time for zucchini is much shorter than cauliflower, so definitely you couldn’t just sub in zucchini for the cauliflower in this recipe and get a good result. You may be able to make something similar with zucchini, ham, and cheese, but I do find that zucchini can be watery in casseroles if it’s cooked for a very long time. I haven’t ever tried anything similar to this with zucchini, so I’m not able to tell you exactly how to adapt it, sorry.
You might like this popular zucchini recipe on the blog and possibly this might work with some diced ham added. Let me know if you try an experiment that works!
It is delicious!! Thanks for this recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it!
I just want to let you know that this is one of my favorite recipes!! My humans I are enjoying it again tonight.
Thank You, Ruth Pacelli
SO happy to hear that, thanks for taking time to let me know you’re enjoying it!
This was delicious! For a minute I actually thought I was eating potatoes.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Wonder if this would be ok in a crock pot all day?
Truthfully I am not sure. I haven’t cooked anything like this in a crockpot. I wonder if it might be really watery, since the oven dries things out and the slow cooker creates more liquid. But if you are careful to drain the cauliflower really well it might work. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
I have this saved in Pinterest and it will NOT take me to the recipe, grrr, so aggravated!!! When I click on visit it takes me to just a large picture to pin. No recipe!! Please fix this. If anything happens to Pinterest I guess I lose my recipes!! This is a wonderful recipe! Takes some time to make it but worth it and no carbs. I always double it for a 9×13 pan.
Hi Deborah,
Unfortunately anybody can copy one of my pins, make a new pin with it, and link it to any site they want. There is no way for me to fix that or even find the pin. But if you pin from the link at the top of my post (where it says “Click here to PIN) that’s the pin I made and it will always link to my site.
Glad you have enjoyed the recipe!
Can you use frozen cauliflower in this?
I wouldn’t use frozen cauliflower, I worry that the casserole would be watery and the cauliflower too mushy since the frozen cauliflower is already partly cooked. But I know sometimes people do successfully use frozen vegetables in recipes where I’m skeptical it will work. I’d love to hear how it goes if you try it.
Made this today and it is delicious!! Didnt change a thing other than I didnt add green onions. Will definitely make this again!
Thanks Jenny; so glad you enjoyed it!
Kalyn,
Would you consider using whipped cream cheese?
It might work, but I haven’t tried it so that’s only a guess.
Absolutely Delish!
So glad you liked it!
I have over 2000 recipes on the site and spend 6-8 hours most days working on the blog. I’m not able to provide nutritional information for the recipes for several reasons, including the additional time it takes, the difficulty in doing it accurately, and the sheer number of recipes on my site. If you look after the recipe itself, I give two links (where it says “Nutritional Information”) for suggestions of two ways to get that information.
I just can’t edit over 2,000 recipes to add that info, and I know once I do it on one recipe people will expect to see it on every recipe.
Can i replace the yogurt with sour cream?
Yes, I’m sure that would be fine.
What type of ham do most people find the best to use? Ham steak?
I always buy the ham steaks that come in a 3-pack at Costco, so I’m sure that’s what I used. But I think any kind of ham will work except for thinly sliced deli ham.
This casserole is absolutely DELICIOUS. It puts macaroni and cheese to shame!
So glad you liked it!
This tasted a lot like Mac N Cheese with Ham. I mean that in the best possible way. Delicious and simple to make.
I used the microwave to soften the cauliflower.
Glad you liked it! Very smart to use the microwave to cook the cauliflower if you’re short on time.
I steam my cauliflower instead to boiling in salted water.
Your choice of course! Be sure the cauliflower is drained well either way you cook it.
Love this recipe!! Have tried several times and my husband eats it up every time. One thing I tried with great results is sprinkling a small amount (1 – 2 TBLS.) of breadcrumbs on top before baking. I find I prefer roasted/baked Cauliflower to boiled – I can never get all the liquid out if I boil it!
Jacqueline, so glad to hear you’ve been enjoying it. I love roasted/baked cauliflower too!
Just made this today, it was AMAZING!!!!! I used good Cabot white cheddar, gruyere, and a terrific smoked ham. SO good, I’m already thinking about leftovers for lunch 😉
Glad you liked it!
Has anyone froze this before? I was wanting to make it into a freezer meal but I wasn’t sure if the cauliflower would be ok?
If you’re talking about a freezer meal where you freeze before baking, I have never tried that. But I’ve frozen the leftovers and that worked fine.
Hi, Kalyn. My husband loves cauliflower but hates mashed potatoes. Do you think this would work if I didn't mash the cauliflower? Several people have said this reminds them of a potato casserole. In my husband's case, that would be a negative. But he does love all the ingredients.
The cauliflower is barely mashed here, still quite a few big pieces of cauliflower, and I think it would be fine if you wanted to mash it even less than that too. Hope you enjoy!
Made this yesterday and even my picky eater gobbled it up. Definitely a keeper. Thanks for sharing!
I tried this last night and it was Great! My husband even took some for lunch, which he's never done before with anything involving cauliflower. I did use Laughing Cow pepper jack cheese, yum. Tonight we are trying your ground beef and sauerkraut soup. Thanks so much for your blog, it's making phase one very easy and delicious!
So glad you are enjoying the recipes Lori! Love the idea of using pepper jack cheese.
I've been eating low carb for 4 years now and am running out of good recipes. This is THE BEST LOW CARB RECIPE ON THE PLANET. It completely satisfies that cold weather, cheesy, hot comfort food craving. I made it for my girlfriend who eats anything and everything under the sun loved it equally and couldn't believe it was low carb. Thank you for changing my life!!!! This will be my once a week go to.
That's pretty high praise! So glad you both enjoyed it.
Can you steam the cauliflower? Or will you not get the desired result?
That should work but be sure to drain VERY WELL or it will be watery!
Making it right now. Can't wait to taste it!!!!!!
Hope you enjoy!
Hi, Kalyn – really appreciate and enjoy your recipes, especially the chicken mock enchilladas. Question about this recipe: I can't have yogurt – do you recommend any particular modification or substitution for that? (ie: more cream cheese?)
Glad you are enjoying the recipes! There is a lot of yogurt in this so I wouldn't replace it all with cream cheese unless you thin it. If you can have sour cream, that would be my first choice to replace the yogurt. You could also use pureed cottage cheese to replace the yogurt. If neither of those work I'd definitely thin down the cream cheese with milk or water and maybe use a bit less than the recipe calls for yogurt. Good luck, hope one of those ideas will work.
We really enjoyed this; another keeper recipe from you Kalyn!
So glad you liked it Anna; thanks for taking the time to tell me!
Delicious! I used mostly cauliflower, but part broccoli, and finely diced onion instead of green onions. I also tried a bite with a tiny bit of spicy brown mustard and it was really good,so next time I might add a little to the recipe.
This is delicious! My husband and I have it almost once a week. I use turkey ham and I put 1/2 the mixture into the casserole, add 1/2 the cheese and then the other 1/2 of the mixture and top with the rest of the cheese. It makes it seem cheesier.
Suzanne, that sounds good to me!
Used goat cheese in place of the sour cream and some chopped green chilies, made for a yummy twist
This recipe is delicious! I tasted it cold and it reminded me of like a potato salad and baked was like eating scalloped potatoes and ham without all the guilt. Thanks so much for your great recipes!
Hannah, love hearing how you've switched it up!
I started making this recipe about six months ago and just LOVE it!!! I play around with it a lot too. My partner and I both love spicy food so I add sautéed jalapeños to the cream cheese mixture instead of the spring onions which is always tasty! We've tried adding broccoli to the mix too which gives it a rich color and another nice dimension.
Heather, so glad you enjoyed it!
I LOVED this recipe! I've been on South Beach for three weeks and still really miss potatoes, which are my favorite food. This recipe did a great job of making me feel like I was eating a yummy potato casserole. Thank you!
Mine easily filled a 9X13 baking dish, by the way.
Toni, so glad you like it!
This is a really great recipe Kalyn!! My hubby and I make this at least once a month. Thanks!
Cristin, I know what you mean about those "not quite right" cauliflower recipes. Glad you liked this one!
Just made this for my family and WOW! I was very skeptical because my previous attempts at using cauliflower as a "faker" have been major flops. When I put it in the oven I was sure I would be eating sugar free jello for dinner, but when I opened the oven to check on it 30 minutes later a delicious smell wafted out! The taste did NOT disappoint! I'll be adding this to our regular menu! Thanks so much for the wonderful recipe!
Misty, thanks; so glad you liked it. (When you're on phase two but you're partly doing phase one, my brother and I call that Phase 1.5!)
Oh and I'm a Salt Lake girl living far from home in Cleveland, Ohio!
Can't wait to try more recipes!
This was amazing! New fan over here. It was just the comfort we needed. My husband and I are doing South Beach…we are newly into Phase 2, but (mostly me) we are struggling and I try to do 2 Phase 1 meals a day. And my 9 year old gobbled it up! YUM!
It's hard for me to know what you would like in this, but maybe some type of sausage?
What could I use instead of ham? Don't care for ham at all. Recipe sounds so good though.
Thanks!
Alisha, thanks for the ideas. Love the sound of this with some broccoli mixed in.
A great recipe that adapts well to different veggies and meats. I threw in a handful of leftover broccoli and it was excellent. It adds a bit more bulk and holds up well during baking. Will use half broccoli and half cauliflower next time. When the cauliflower was nearly cooked, I threw the broccoli florets into the boiling water to blanch them slightly and then drained it all together. I also used turkey sausage instead of ham and it turned out great!
Thanks Stuart. Not sure I am a legend, but I'm really glad you're enjoying the rcipes!
Just cooked this for SB phase 1. It was delicious (as is the pesto chicken too!)
Thanks! You're a legend!
Cheri, so glad you enjoyed it!
oh man this is good! re-heats very well and tasted great with spinach.
Cool! I love the site. There's a little bit of a learning curve, but it's not too bad and there's lots of community support and whatnot.
BTW, my daughter made this recipe for our family last night and paired it with the Kale & Romaine Caesar salad – I had the leftovers of both for lunch today. This recipe is outta the ballpark (and so is the salad – SO yummy)! Thanks again!
Kevin, everyone in my family who's made it has loved the recipe, even people who "don't like cauliflower."
Now this is a tasty looking casserole! What a great way to finish off that ham languishing in my freezer.
Oh my goodness the mock kale lasagna was wonderful. Many thanks for the great recipes!
Gay
Gay, glad you have been enjoying the recipes! I do like the flavor the ground fennel adds to the sauce for the Sausage and Kale Mock Lasagna, but if you have flavorful sausage it will probably be fine without it.
I made this again tonight, my son is having potatoe withdrawals and this seems to help. I left out the ham and added garlic. I am going to try the moke kale lasagana tomorrow night. I just discovered I don't have fennel. How critical is it to the success of the recipe? I am a huge fan. Many thanks,
Gay
Holly, glad you liked it. Sending good thoughts for your mom.
Wow – this was so good! I needed comfort food after a very long day at hospital with mom. Thank you for a great recipe!
Made this for dinner tonight and it is absolutely delicious! Thanks for all you do.
Gay, so glad you liked it!
Keith, I do like the idea of adding some Rotel tomatoes to this for a slightly spicy touch!
My wife & I made this last night. It was great, but it's even better today! Some things just need to sit in the fridge overnight to reach their full potential.
Next time, we plan to try it with a can of well-drained Rotel thrown in.
Wendy, glad you liked the photo!
I am not sure how this would work with broccoli, but if anyone tries it I'd love to know what you think.
Can I use broccoli instead?
Kalyn,
You may think your photo isn't photogenic but it was so pretty that it caught my attention enough to want it for dinner this week!
Just finished reading the entire recipe, comments and all, and cannot wait to try it.
Jill so glad everyone enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing about the pan size; that will help others who might want to double it.
Made this last night and it was delicious! I doubled the recipe and it fit perfectly in a 9X13 dish. Everyone in my family loved it and the best part is I have leftovers for lunch today!
I just found your website by accident and I am so glad I did. Struggling with the 'same old' SB phase 1 recipes, it's nice to find some fresh ones. I am going to try this, and several other recipes from the site, this next week.
I made this last night and it was delicious! I was getting stuck in the chicken breast and green beans rut and this casserole was a welcomed change! Thank you so much for your awesome recipes!
I know this will be good! I tried the twice baked cauliflower and loved it, who wouldn't like it with ham!
Yum.
Thanks for the nice feedback everyone. I like the idea of replacing the cream cheese with Laughing Cow.
That looks so sinful but when you dig apart the layers it is made very thoughtfully. I love 'responsible cooking'! Very nice.
Kalyn, a delicious recipe as usual. I don't often use fresh cauliflower, but rather the frozen florets. Is there anything I should do differently when using frozen cauliflower rather than fresh?
I don't think I would make this with frozen cauliflower. Since the frozen cauliflower is pre-cooked I think it would be overly done and probably too watery by the time it was done. (Let me know if you try it and I'm wrong, but personally I would use fresh cauliflower.)
Hi Kalyn, looks like a great recipe – and I have everything in my Fridge! I think, I try and use a piece of The Laughing Cow (light Queso Fresco – I like it spicy) for part of the Cream Cheese, because its lowfat and low in Sugar and Cholest.
Let you know, how it went.
By the way, I made your Roasted Cauliflower With Red Bell Pepper, Green Olives… again a few days ago and it vanished in no time.
Claudia
Great!!!
Oh. My. Goodness. I just made your Cauliflower Gratin with Sharp Cheddar last week and my DH was bowled over. This sounds amazing and I can't wait to try it!!! Thank you so much from those of us who try to trim our DH waistlines!
I am loving all of that cheese!
Thanks Brenda, Joanne, and Deborah!
The recipe makes about 6 main dish servings, but a moderate serving meant to be eaten with a green salad or some vegetables on the side. I haven't tried cooking with laughing cow, but I'm guessing it would work. The wedges are not one ounce though, they are .75 oz. so you'd need about 5.5 wedges to equal the same amount as the cream cheese. If you try it, would love to hear how it works.
Looks delicious! The recipe "makes about 6 servings" — is that main dish or side dish servings? Also, could I use 4 laughing cow wedges in place of reduced fat cream cheese?
I just finished making my way through a whole ham (last of it is in the slow cooker right now!), but now I'm wishinig I had more! This looks fantastic!
I feel like this is the time when some willpower starts to wane, so yes comfort food is necessary! Bring on the cheese and cauliflower!
I can't wait to try this! Looks amazing and has so many ingredients that I love.