Steamed fresh cauliflower mashed with crispy bacon, ranch dressing, cheddar cheese and chives; then baked in a delicious casserole.
Growing up I wasn't a huge fan of vegetables. In fact, cauliflower was on my 'do not eat list'. That is until I tried roasted cauliflower and now it's one of my favorite vegetables.
Cauliflower is one of those vegetables that are versatile and has a mild flavor. It makes a great substitute for pizza crust and potatoes, like this delicious Bacon Ranch Mashed Cauliflower Casserole.
This recipe can be ready in 30 minutes, was super flavorful and a tasty way to get your kids to eat their vegetables.~Enjoy!
Suggested Equipment
Ingredients Needed
To make this recipe you're going to need the following ingredients:
Cauliflower: I prefer using fresh, steamed cauliflower, but you can use frozen, defrosted and drained cauliflower florets instead.
Cooked Bacon: You'll need about 4 slices of cooked bacon or ½ cup of bacon bits. You can prepare the bacon using your preferred preference (oven, stovetop or microwave).
Ranch Dressing: You want the creamy salad dressing; which will add a zesty flavor to this mashed cauliflower.
Milk: I used milk to help thin out the dressing, but you can use any derivative (skim, half & half, heavy cream or any non-milk product)
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Chives: Dried or fresh chopped chives are fine in this recipe.
Garlic Powder
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
Gather and prepare all of the ingredients to make this bacon ranch mashed cauliflower!
Preheat the Oven
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Steam the Cauliflower
If using fresh cauliflower as recommended, cut the core out of the head of the cauliflower; then cut into florets. Add the florets to the steamer part of a double boiler and rinse under warm water.
Fill the bottom portion of the double boiler about halfway with water; then place the steamer portion on top and cover with a lid. Bring the pot to a boil; then cook until the florets are tender; approximately 15-20 minutes depending on how large you cut the florets.
Drain the water from the bottom of the double boiler and add the cooked cauliflower florets to the pot.
Mash the Cauliflower
Add the crumbled bacon, ranch dressing, milk, half of the shredded cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the cauliflower.
Using a hand mixer, blend together until combined; then add the mixture to a 1-quart casserole dish.
Top the cauliflower mixture with the remaining shredded cheese and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the casserole is hot and bubbly.
VISIT THE RECIPE INDEX TO SEARCH FOR MORE RECIPES BY CATEGORY.
More Cauliflower Recipes
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
- Italian Style Cauliflower Milanese
- Roasted Cauliflower Steaks Parmesan
- Cauliflower Black Bean Chili
- Parmesan Fried Cauliflower
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Bacon Ranch Mashed Cauliflower Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower (5 cups florets)
- 4 strips cooked bacon (½ cup bits)
- ½ cup ranch salad dressing
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (divided)
- 2 teaspoons chives
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cut the core out of the head of the cauliflower; then cut into florets. Add the florets to the steamer part of a double boiler and rinse under warm water.
- Fill the bottom portion of the double boiler about halfway with water; then place the steamer portion on top and cover with a lid. Bring the pot to a boil; then cook until the florets are tender; approximately 15-20 minutes depending on how large you cut the florets.
- Drain the water from the bottom of the double boiler and add the cooked cauliflower florets to the pot.
- Add the crumbled bacon, ranch dressing, milk, half of the shredded cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the cauliflower.
- Using a hand mixer, blend together until combined; then add the mixture to a 1-quart casserole dish.
- Top the cauliflower mixture with the remaining shredded cheese and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the casserole is hot and bubbly.
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