Loaded Cauliflower Casserole

We tried this tonight and it's like loaded cheesy potatoes and cauliflower had a baby. So good! If I am not worried about carbs, using potatoes instead would still be my favorite side dish. But if I am trying to lower my carbs, or get my kids to eat/like more veggies, then this is a great place to start. Enjoy!

To see the original recipe, go here: https://www.smalltownwoman.com/loaded-cauliflower-casserole/#tasty-recipes-21653-jump-target

Loaded Cauliflower Casserole

• 2 lbs cauliflower florets cut in bite size pieces
• 1 box (8 ounces) cream cheese softened
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar finely shredded
• 1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese finely shredded
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 6 slices crispy cooked bacon coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives (reserve one tablespoon for the top)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Steam cauliflower until fork tender; approximately 10 minutes. Drain well in colander.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
3. In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack, garlic powder and onion powder. Mix until creamy and smooth. Gently stir in cauliflower, 1/2 of the bacon and chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Spoon into casserole dish and top with remaining bacon. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Top with remaining chives and serve.

Notes:

• The cauliflower should be steamed until it is fork tender.
• Spray the casserole dish with nonstick spray as it makes for easier clean up.
• I recommend the full fat sour cream, cream cheese and cheese for this recipe.  It just tastes better with it.
• Fresh chives really make this casserole pop!  They are worth the added expense and trouble.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.  I love lots of pepper on this dish.

Notes from Marsha:

• I skipped the chives because we were out, and it was fine.
• I used a bag of mixed cheese blend that we always have on hand, and it was fine.
• I use the lower-fat cream cheese and it was fine.
• I added the cauliflower back to the warm pan that I steamed it in, put it back on the warm burner with the heat turned OFF, and then added the cheese mixture so it would warm up, melt a touch, and be easier for me to toss the cauliflower in to get it all mixed well before added to the sprayed dish to bake.
• I cut my cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. It kinda crumbles but I just scooped up all of the crumbs and bigger pieces and put it all in my pan to steam. It all gets mixed with the cheese anyway, so it didn't matter that some of the pieces were really small. You could also cut the pieces bigger (like florets) if you want that kind of look and texture to the end result. As long as you steam until fork-tender, you can do what you want.