Cauliflower just got a Southern makeover. This cheesy cauliflower casserole with cornbread topping is creamy, crunchy, and downright irresistible - the kind of comfort food side dish that steals the show at any holiday dinner. Tender cauliflower florets mingle with sautéed bell peppers, sharp cheddar, and a buttery cornbread crust mixed with crispy fried onions and baked until golden brown in the oven. It's easy, make-ahead friendly, and perfect for your Thanksgiving table or Sunday supper. No one's gonna miss the potatoes - promise.
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🗝️ This cauliflower casserole is just showing off
Here's the thing - this casserole isn't pretending to be healthy, it's just delicious. The buttery cornbread topping turns crisp and golden while the inside stays creamy, cheesy, and cozy as a quilt fresh from the dryer. It bakes up beautifully in your favorite ceramic or cast iron dish, travels well for holiday potlucks, and reheats like a dream for those leftover-for-breakfast moments.
One bite, and suddenly everyone at the table's a cauliflower convert - even your brother-in-law who swears he doesn't eat vegetables unless they're fried.
🧾 Ingredients for this cheesy side dish recipe
Ordinary ingredients that turn absolutely magical once the oven gets involved. It's a great way to use up leftover cornbread, too!
- Cauliflower - fresh florets steamed or frozen to save time.
- Onions - a little bite keeps things honest.
- Bell peppers - color and sweetness never hurt a soul.
- Cheese - sharp cheddar or whatever makes your heart flutter when it melts.
- Sour cream - for that creamy, tangy Southern richness.
- Parmesan - the salty, sassy cousin of cheddar that sneaks in a little extra flavor and a whole lot of confidence.
- Crispy fried onions - the crown jewels of every good casserole.
- Cornbread - crumble it up, butter it up, make it golden.
- Butter - we don't measure that with guilt in this kitchen.
- Paprika - for color, for flavor, for drama.
- Salt - because bland food is a travesty of epic proportions.
Grab the free Cauliflower Casserole Kitchen Cheat Sheet before you forget! It's packed with storage tips, make-ahead hacks, and easy swaps so you can bake like a Southern memaw on a deadline. Print it, pin it, or tape it to the fridge next to that "bless this mess" magnet - your future self will thank you.
📖 Recipe
Cauliflower Casserole with Buttery Cornbread Topping
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 24 ounces frozen cauliflower, thawed or fresh cauliflower steamed
- ¼ cup green bell pepper, diced
- ¼ cup red bell pepper, diced
- ¼ cups diced onion
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided use
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 ½ cups cornbread, crumbled (day-old is best)
- ¾ cup fried onions, the French's-style ones from the can or homemade (recipe here on blog)
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 2-quart baking dish.
- Saute the peppers and onion in 1 tablespoon of the butter until softened.
- In a large bowl, stir together sour cream, cheddar, peppers, salt, and smoked paprika.
- Gently fold in cauliflower, peppers, and onion and spread the mixture into the prepared dish.
- In a separate bowl, combine crumbled cornbread, remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter, and Parmesan.
- Gently mix in the fried onions and sprinkle evenly over the top.
- Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and the topping is golden brown.
- Serve hot and watch it disappear faster than the last slice of pecan pie.
To make up to 3 days ahead
- Mix the cooked cauliflower, peppers, and onions with the sauce mixture. Spread in prepared dish.
- Cover and refrigerate.
- Crumble the cornbread mix in the parmesan. Place in a ziploc bag on top of the casserole.
- When you are ready to bake preheat the oven, stir the butter into the cornbread crumbs and mix in the fried onions. Sprinkle over the top and bake as directed.
To freeze for up to 2 months
- Assemble the casserole up to the point of adding the topping. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then foil. Label it like the domestic goddess you are.
- Freeze for up to 2 months. When ready, thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Mix up the cornbread + onion topping fresh and sprinkle it on before baking. Bake as instructed in recipe.
Notes
- Save time by buying cornbread or cornbread muffins ready made at the store.
- Drain cauliflower after cooking or thawing frozen. Any leftover water will sabotage your creamy base - blot it, strain it, whisper threats, whatever works.
- Let it rest. Ten minutes out of the oven makes it creamy instead of runny. Patience is a virtue - or at least a serving suggestion.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
🔪 How to make this quick, cheesy cauliflower bake
Time to turn that pile of ingredients into pure comfort. Follow these steps and you'll have a bubbling, golden casserole that smells like Sunday dinner at your favorite aunt's house.
- Sauté the veggies. Cook onions and bell peppers in a little butter until soft and fragrant - this is where the flavor wakes up.
- Mix it all up. Combine the frozen or steamed cauliflower, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and those sautéed veggies in a big bowl. Stir like you mean it.
- Make the topping. Crumble the cornbread, toss it with melted butter, parmesan, and fried onions. It's your golden halo of crunch.
- Assemble and bake. Spread the creamy cauliflower mixture into your dish, top with the cornbread mix, and bake until it's bubbling and irresistible.
👩🍳 Have questions?
Every casserole brings new challenges, and this one's no different. Here's where we settle the great debates - frozen vs. fresh cauliflower, make-ahead magic, and whether it's socially acceptable to eat the leftovers cold at midnight. (It is.) Have other questions? Download the free cheat sheet or ask me in the comments!
You bet your cast iron you can. Assemble the casserole (hold the cornbread topping), cover, and refrigerate up to 3 days. When you're ready to bake, add the topping and pop it in the oven. It's the ultimate holiday stress saver.
Absolutely. It's best to freeze before baking and without the topping. Wrap it tight in plastic wrap and foil. Freeze up to 2 months. To bake, thaw overnight in the fridge, add the topping, and bake in a 350°F oven until bubbly. Bonus: it still tastes fresh as gossip at a church potluck.
You can. It's best to thaw it and let it drain in a colander to ensure your casserole doesn't get watery.
📚 More side dish casseroles for your comfort-food era
If you love a side recipe that doubles as main dish, you're in good company. Keep the creamy, cozy vibe going with my over-the-top Bacon Ranch Crack Green Bean Casserole - it's smoky, cheesy, and dangerous in the best way. Or try the Broccoli Stuffing Casserole, where buttery stuffing meets veggies and decides to stay forever. And don't sleep on the Southern Sweet Onion Casserole - she's golden, caramelized, and just dramatic enough to steal attention from the main course.
Each one's proof that Southerners can turn any vegetable into a reason to preheat the oven and call it supper.
🥣 When the casserole dish comes home clean
...you know you did it right - not a crumb left, just happy silence and someone scraping the corner for "one more bite." This cauliflower casserole with cornbread topping is pure Southern magic: easy to make, impossible to forget, and guaranteed to earn you family legend status. Go on, print the recipe, tuck it in your church cookbook, and act humble when everyone asks for it at Christmas.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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