Loaded Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
12-ounce bag frozen cauliflower florets
10-ounce bag frozen broccoli florets
4 bacon slices
⅔ cup sour cream
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon pepper
⅛ teaspoon onion powder
⅛ teaspoon paprika
1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Garnish:
2 Tablespoons finely chopped green onions
Directions:
Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Dish: Place oven rack on middle rack, preheat oven to 450 degrees F, and generously coat 8×8-inch baking dish in nonstick cooking spray.
Steam Frozen Vegetables: Microwave frozen cauliflower florets, then frozen broccoli florets until tender, according to instructions on bags.
Cook Bacon: While vegetables cook, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy. Transfer cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, then crumble into pieces.
Mix Casserole Ingredients Together: In a small mixing bowl, stir together shredded cheeses. Then, in a separate mixing bowl, mix together sour cream, cream cheese, mayonnaise, and spices. Open bags of steamed vegetables and pour out any extra water. Then, into the bowl of cream sauce, fold in veggies, half of the crumbled bacon, and ~1 cup of shredded cheese mixture.
Transfer Mixture To Baking Dish: Transfer cream sauce mixture to prepared baking dish and, using a rubber spatula, spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese mixture, then the remaining bacon crumbles on top.
Bake Casserole: Cover dish with foil, transfer to oven, and bake for 12-15 minutes. Then, remove foil, move oven rack to top rack, and turn on oven broiler. Broil casserole until cheese on top is bubbly and golden, about an additional 1-2 minutes, watching carefully to ensure it doesn’t burn.
Garnish And Serve: Remove dish from oven, allow casserole to cool slightly before garnishing with chopped green onions and serving.
Notes:
Making Recipe In Advance: You can complete steps 2 to 4 ahead of time. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Remove the dish from the refrigerator 15-20 minutes before baking. Cover it with aluminum foil and proceed with step 5 of the recipe to finish cooking.
Refrigerator Storage: Store the casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Freezer Storage: Store the cooked casserole in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Reheating Instructions: For best results when reheating, transfer the casserole from your storage container to a baking dish and bake in the oven at 425 degrees F until warmed throughout. You can also microwave a single serving for 60-90 seconds (depending on the wattage of your microwave).
Ingredient substitutions suggestions:
Frozen Cauliflower Florets and Frozen Broccoli Florets: Fresh vegetables can be used here, as well as frozen florets that cannot be steamed in the microwave. If you choose fresh vegetables, you will need to steam the vegetables in a steamer basket on the stovetop until tender. If you choose frozen that isn’t in a microwavable steamable bag, follow the cooking instructions on the bag (you will likely need to boil or cook them in a steamer basket on the stovetop).
Bacon: Turkey bacon works well in place of pork bacon. The bacon can also be omitted.
Mayonnaise: Sour cream can be substituted for mayo at a 1:1 ratio.
Garlic Powder: Use 2 cloves of garlic that have been minced in place of the garlic powder in this recipe.
Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese: White cheddar, Gruyere, Colby, or Gouda can be used instead.
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese: Provolone or white cheddar cheese can be used in place of shredded mozzarella.
Variations:
Make the casserole spicy by including ground cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, and/or Pepper Jack cheese.
Include cooked, shredded chicken for some added protein. Add it when adding the steamed vegetables and crumbled bacon.
For an added crunch, sprinkle bread crumbs on top of the casserole before baking. Or, for a low-carb option, use finely crushed pork rinds.
Cooking and recipe tips:
After you’ve steamed the vegetables, be sure to drain them of any excess water from the bags. Doing this will ensure the cream sauce with the veggies combines well and isn’t watery. You can do this by cutting a small hole in the bags and tipping them over the sink or by pouring the vegetables in a colander and draining them that way.
Store-bought pre-shredded cheese or cheese you’ve freshly shredded both work! If you want to cut extra prep time off or if shredding cheese yourself isn’t an option, use pre-shredded cheese.
Nutritional Facts:
Serving: 6servings, Calories: 380kcal (19%), Carbohydrates: 10g (3%), Protein: 15g (30%), Fat: 32g (49%), Saturated Fat: 15g (94%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 80mg (27%), Sodium: 470mg (20%), Potassium: 445mg (13%), Fiber: 2g (8%), Sugar: 4g (4%), Vitamin A: 1085IU (22%), Vitamin C: 70mg (85%), Calcium: 355mg (36%), Iron: 1mg (6%)
Recipe courtesy of Real Balanced.com
