If you’re looking for an incredible vegetarian side dish, look no further than this 5 ingredient cheesy cauliflower bake. This dish is cheesy and has the best buttery crumb topping, soooo good!
Move aside boring vegetable side dishes and make room for this rock star of a dish, it’s goingto make its way onto dinner and party menus from here on out!
Cauliflower is probably one of my favorite vegetables. Saying that is an understatement. Cauliflower IS my favorite vegetable, and I don’t share it here on the blog nearly enough. I’ve shared these creamy roasted seasonable vegetables and the best shrimp cauliflower fried rice, but I haven’t shared a dish highlighting cauliflower in all its glory. That changes this Five Ingredient Friday!
Whenever I see cauliflower on a menu when eating out, I always order it. In fact, this cheesy cauliflower bake with a buttery breadcrumb topping is based on a dish I had at a restaurant -side note, it was the same supper club where I had this green goddess dip called ‘cauliflower & breadcrumbs.’ I love cauliflower dishes so much that once when the server told me the dish was hot, I didn’t listen and took a bit bite. Of course I burned my mouth. Is it bad that it didn’t bother me because it was SO good? That’s love of a dish right there.
I love how easy this dish is to make. You cut cauliflower, put it in a baking dish and sprinkle it with mozzarella cheese and then make a buttery-garlicy-breadcrumby mixture that you top it with and bake it to perfection. That’s it! Easy, right? And you know I’m all about the easy recipes. I can see this being the perfect vegetarian side dish at, say, Thanksgiving? I know I’ll be bringing this (we’ll see if it makes it to Thanksgiving because I might eat the whole thing first lol).
Other recipes you might enjoy:

5 Ingredient Cheesy Cauliflower Bake
Ingredients
- 1 small head of cauliflower stem removed and cut into pieces
- 1 1/4 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1/2 stick 1/4 cup of butter
- 2 garlic cloves pressed
- 1/3 cup Italian seasoned panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Place cut cauliflower florets in a baking dish (I used a square baking dish) and sprinkle shredded cheese over the cauliflower and set aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium-high heat melt the butter (about 2 minutes) then add in the garlic and stir. Remove from heat and stir in bread crumbs. It should be a crumbly mixture.
- Spoon the crumb mixture over the cheese.
- Place aluminum foil over the dish and bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes, or until some browning and cauliflower is tender when poked with a fork.
- Remove from oven, allow to cool for 5 minutes, then serve and enjoy
Nutrition
Jessica Lane says
This is the dish dreams are made of! Ooey Gooey Cheesy Goodness! Thanks for sharing my friend!
Sweetphi says
Why thank you! I think you’d love this dish, it truly is what dreams are made of 😉
Amanda @ Cookie Named Desire says
I love this! I don’t eat cauliflower nearly enough. The only thing I do is make cauliflower sauce and crispy spicy bbq bites. This HAS to happen in my house this weekend!
Sweetphi says
I totally don’t make cauliflower enough either, and every time I do I’m like omg love love love! I think you’d love this dish 🙂
Cheri says
I love cauliflower too and this dish is perfect…..another five ingredient wonder. Thanks Phi!
Sweetphi says
Aw, thank you SO MUCH Cheri, I really appreciate your continued support of my five-ingredient Friday series, means so much to me. And this dish, omg, so good, I think you’d love it.
Denise E. says
I have been “all about” roasted vegetables lately. My favorites are broccoli or tomatoes. I was never a huge cauliflower fan, but this recipe sounds just sooooo delicious that I am going to put cauliflower on my shopping list for tomorrow. I guess the next thing I am going to have to learn to love is Brussels sprouts….but you may have a harder time convincing me about them!
Sweetphi says
I’m so glad to hear you’re going to give this a try, it’s seriously so delicious! And I’m totally with you, some vegetables just aren’t enjoyed by all lol.
Karen @ Seasonal Cravings says
So simple and tasty looking. This would make a great Thanksgiving side and I wouldn’t have to tell anyone how easy it is, would I?
Sweetphi says
Haha, you totally can keep how easy it is a secret, it’s such a perfect Thanksgiving side…is it bad I’m already thinking of making this?
Shawnna Griffin says
hey girl this looks so tasty! Yummy! Have a great weekend!
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much, this is one of my fave veggie sides 🙂
Marina @ A Dancer's Live-It says
This sounds like the perfect comforting dish right now! Always enjoy your 5-Ingredient Friday series Phi 🙂
Sweetphi says
So glad you like my 5-ingredient Fridays! I truly appreciate all your wonderful comments. Thank you!