If you’re in the market for a stunning (and simple!) vegetarian main or crave-worthy holiday side dish, this Whole Baked Cauliflower Cheese is for you. Made with just 8 ingredients and only about 15 minutes of active kitchen time, this nutty, creamy, and cozy cheesy baked cauliflower recipe is one of our favorites.
Table of contents
Why We Love This Recipe
If you’re a fan of crunchy brassicas (think: broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts), this whole roasted cauliflower slathered in a mayonnaise and cheese mixture is about to rock your world.
With the signature sweet and nutty flavors you expect from cooked cauliflower and a creamy, garlicky sauce baked to golden perfection, this delightful dish is equally at home as a vegetarian entrée as it is next to your holiday ham.
Aside from being rich, cheesy, and packed with veggie goodness, this baked cauliflower head is also:
- Quick & Easy. Aside from grating some cheese and mincing some garlic, there’s almost no prep work to speak of. Your total time in the kitchen shouldn’t exceed about 15 minutes, which makes this roasted whole cauliflower a perfect option for busy nights.
- Made With Just 8 Ingredients. Aside from the cauliflower and cheese, everything else is a kitchen staple! Don’t you just love a short ingredient list? Us too. 💛
- Versatile. Whether you make this whole roasted cauliflower your centerpiece or your supporting actor, it’s sure to get devoured with real gusto.
- Crowd-Pleasing. Even kiddos and picky eaters have a hard time saying no to this platter of melty, cheesy deliciousness.
Ingredients & Substitutions
As promised, this simple whole-roasted cauliflower recipe requires just a handful of ingredients. Here’s your list:
- Head of Cauliflower – Get a big one; you’re gonna want this to last.
- Mayonnaise – Choose a high-quality store-bought mayonnaise, like Hellman’s, or Southern favorites like Duke’s or Blue Plate.
- Parmesan Cheese & White Cheddar Cheese – This salty, savory, melty combo is hard to beat. We like using medium or sharp cheddar, but you’re welcome to use mild. If you can only find orange or yellow cheddar, that will also work, but it won’t be quite as pretty.
- Garlic & Garlic Powder – A double whammy of allium goodness takes this gorgeous baked cauliflower to new flavor heights.
- Dried Parsley – This spice cabinet staple introduces some color and a light, lemony, herbaceous tone that is simply divine. If you have some fresh parsley on hand, it’ll make for a pretty garnish!
- Pepper – Freshly cracked pepper is far more flavorful than the kind that comes in a tin, so now’s the time to treat yourself to a pepper grinder if you don’t have one yet.
How To Make Baked Whole Cauliflower With Cheese
This cheesy baked cauliflower recipe comes together with just a few minutes of work. Here’s what to do:
Step 1: Prep. Preheat the oven. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and trim cauliflower — cut off the hard leaf pieces and stem, but leave the head intact.
Step 2: Poach. Boil cauliflower head for 7 minutes, then drain and pat dry.
Step 3: Mix mayonnaise, both kinds of cheese, fresh garlic, and parsley together.
Step 4: Slather the mayo mixture on the head of cauliflower, making sure to get it all over.
Step 5: Sprinkle with garlic powder, pepper, and more parsley.
Step 6: Bake whole cauliflower head for about 20 minutes, until lightly golden. Serve & enjoy!
Optional Variations
While we love this baked whole cauliflower mayonnaise cheese flavor explosion just the way it is, there’s always room for you to customize just about any recipe to fit your needs and preferences. Here are a few variations to consider:
- Use florets instead of a head. If you can’t find a whole head of cauliflower (or you’re just trying to use what you already have), feel free to swap in florets! If you do, we suggest steaming them instead of boiling them, then tossing everything in your mayo mixture before baking.
- Steamed cauliflower makes for a quick weeknight side.
- Substitute a head of broccoli if you don’t have any cauliflower on hand.
Expert Tips
- Drain and dry the boiled cauliflower thoroughly. This will help the mayo-cheese mixture to adhere to the cauliflower head AND will prevent your final dish from being watery.
- Line your baking sheet with parchment for easy cleanup. When you’re done, chuck the parchment and just give the pan a quick once over in the sink!
- Grate your own cheese. While it’s tempting to reach for those convenient packages of pre-shredded cheese, resist the urge. Each shred is coated in a starchy substance that prevents it from melting into a blob in the bag, which means it’ll also have a harder time melting on your whole roasted cauliflower cheese.
FAQs
Ooops! Sounds like you might’ve undercooked it. Make sure to boil it for the full 7 minutes before slathering it in the cheesy goodness and baking it. Also, before you switch the oven off, give it a poke with a fork — it should slide in easily with no hesitation.
It sounds like you might not have drained and dried the cauliflower head after boiling it. Make sure to let it drain in a colander and then use a clean kitchen towel to sponge off any excess moisture before baking. Another possible cause is over-cooking the cauliflower, so make sure to pay attention to the oven temp and your timer.
More Cheesy/Vegetarian Recipes
- Roasted Tomatoes & Burrata Appetizer
- Southern-Style Old-Fashioned Mac and Cheese Casserole
- Deliciously Addictive: How to Make Cheesy Potato Sticks at Home
- Apricot Puff Pastry Baked Brie
If y’all tried this sumptuous recipe for our Whole Oven-Baked Cauliflower Cheese, holler and let us know how it turned out for you by giving us a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and commenting below. You can also always feel free to tag us (@creamcheeseandlemonsqueeze) in your social media posts so we can cheer you on.
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XO,
Anna & Ashley
Whole Baked Cauliflower Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup white cheddar cheese
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Rinse a head of cauliflower with water and cut off the hard pieces and stem; leave the head intact.
- Boil the cauliflower for 7 minutes, drain and pat dry.
- Mix mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, white cheddar cheese, minced garlic, and parsley
- Mix together and coat the top of the cauliflower with the mixture
- Sprinkle garlic powder, black pepper, and more parsley
- Bake on 375 degrees for 20 minutes
Notes
- Use florets instead of a head. If you can’t find a whole head of cauliflower (or you’re just trying to use what you already have), feel free to swap in florets! If you do, we suggest steaming them instead of boiling them, then tossing everything in your mayo mixture before baking.
- Steamed cauliflower makes for a quick weeknight side.
- Substitute a head of broccoli if you don’t have any cauliflower on hand.
- Drain and dry the boiled cauliflower thoroughly. This will help the mayo-cheese mixture to adhere to the cauliflower head AND will prevent your final dish from being watery.
- Line your baking sheet with parchment for easy cleanup. When you’re done, chuck the parchment and just give the pan a quick once over in the sink!
- Grate your own cheese. While it’s tempting to reach for those convenient packages of pre-shredded cheese, resist the urge. Each shred is coated in a starchy substance that prevents it from melting into a blob in the bag, which means it’ll also have a harder time melting on your whole roasted cauliflower cheese.