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Low Carb Baked Cauliflower and Cheese – Easy Keto Side Dish!

October 7, 2019 by Denise 15 Comments

baked low carb cauliflower and cheese in baking dish with text overlay
baked low cbaked low carb cauliflower and cheese on white place and baking dish with text overlayarb cauliflower and cheese in baking dish with with text overlay

This low carb baked cauliflower and cheese is a great substitute for mac & cheese or just as a keto side dish.  The tender cauliflower is baked with 3 different cheeses for a rich and gooey cheesy casserole! Once serving has only 3.9g net carbs!

You might also like this low carb cheesy cauliflower casserole!

low carb cauliflower and cheese on a a white plate
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Growing up my mother never made that delicious baked macaroni and cheese dishes. So I don’t know why I want to dive face first into them when I’m at a party. Necessity being the mother of invention, I came up with this rich and decadent low carb cauliflower and cheese dish instead. 

I used 3 different cheeses to make a thick and gooey sauce to make this baked cauliflower dish and it only has 3.9g net carbs! While my son won’t eat cauliflower, my husband thought it was a great side dish and I ate it for my dinner.

 

How Many Carbs In Cauliflower?

Cauliflower is so versatile, you can use it as a substitute for rice, pasta and potatoes. It doesn’t have much taste on it’s own but when you can add butter, bacon and cheese, look out! 
 
So the amount of carbs in 1 cup of raw cauliflower is only 5g and it has 3g of fiber so the net carbs are only 2g! It’s also high in Vitamin C and Vitamin K. Check out this article for more low carb vegetables.

 

 

low carb cauliflower and cheese on a a white plate and baking dish and small bowls with different cheeses

 

Low Carb Cheese Sauce Ingredients

I used three different cheeses for this cheese sauce along with heavy whipping cream and they were sharp cheddar cheese, shredded gouda cheese and cheddar cheese powder. I only used 2 tablespoons of the cheese powder but it gives lots of color and taste. 

Speaking of cheddar cheese powder, I used this to make my nacho zucchini chips and I’m sure I’ll find many more uses for it. However if you don’t have it or want to buy it you can use grate Asiago or Parmesan cheese . 

 

bags of gouda shredded cheese, powdered cheese and block of sharp cheddar

 

Making Keto Cheese Sauce

This is super easy to do. Just add half of the gouda and cheddar cheeses, powedered cheese, cream, onion powder and garlic powder in a small saucepan. Whisk until the cheese has melted and everything is incorporated. This should only take a few minutes. 

pan of melted cheese sauce and spatula

 

Low Carb Cauliflower And Cheese Recipe

First place your cauliflower florets in a microwave safe dish and cook in the microwave for 5 minutes. I like this microwave steamer for dishes like this.

While the cauliflower is cooking, make your cheese sauce by combining the ½ of the gouda and cheddar cheese, all of the powdered cheese, cream and spices in a small sauces pan. Whisk until the cheeses are melted.

 

 

baking dish with unbaked cauliflower and cheese

 

Take the cauliflower out of the microwave and place in a baking dish. Cover with the cheese sauce and mix well to coat. Top with remain cheddar and gouda cheeses and bake for 40 minutes in a 400°F oven.

 

closeup of baked low carb cauliflower and cheese with a spoon

 

How To Make Cauliflower And Cheese A Main Dish

You can make this cauliflower and cheese into a meal by adding protein in right before baking. Some good items to try are cooked rotisserie chicken, leftover turkey, raw shrimp, cooked taco meat, chopped up sausage, etc.  I had leftover taco meat and ate some with the leftovers. It was awesome!

 

low carb cauliflower and cheese on a a white plate with purple tea towel and baking dish in background

 

Other Low Carb Vegetables To Try Instead Of Cauliflower

While I really like this as a substitute for macaroni and cheese, you can also use different vegetables  for a side dish. Just do everything the small but sub in cooked broccoli or Brussel sprouts. Green beans should work too but you don’t want to use a vegetable that contains lots of water such as zucchini. It would just make the whole dish watery.

 

closeup of a spoonful of low carb cauliflower and cheese

If you miss your macaroni and cheese on a low carb diet, I hope you give this one a try. The nutritional information for 1 serving is:

211 cals / 16.2g fat / 6.8g carbs / 2.9g fiber / 9.6g protein = 3.9g net carbs

 

Other Keto Cauliflower Side Dishes

Enjoy all the comforts of a cheesy scalloped potato dish using cauliflower instead! This low carb scalloped cheesy cauliflower is only 4.5g net carbs and super easy to make.
Cheesy Scalloped Cauliflower Casserole
This loaded mashed cauliflower casserole is a delicious low carb side dish for the holidays. Only 3.6g net carbs per serving.
Loaded Mashed Cauliflower (low carb)
This cheesy broccoli cauliflower rice is a delicious side dish that you can make in minutes. It's low carb and grain free too with only 4.6g net carbs per serving!
Cheesy Broccoli Cauliflower Rice
A blue bowl with Brussels sprouts and bacon and cauliflower.
Brussels sprouts with Bacon & Cauliflower
Try this roasted Mexican cauliflower and you will want to eat it all the time. The queso sauce makes this low carb recipe one to remember!
Mexican Whole Roasted Cauliflower
These loaded smashed cauliflower bites are a nice low carb alternative to smashed potatoes. Add all your favorite toppings for a fun snack or side dish. (3.2g net carbs per serving)
Loaded Smashed Cauliflower Bites

My friend Angela has a great cauliflower cheese recipe I think you will like too!

 

4.91 from 11 votes
Print

Baked Low Carb Cauliflower and Cheese

This low carb baked cauliflower and cheese is a great substitute for mac & cheese or just as a keto side dish.  The tender cauliflower is baked with 3 different cheeses for a rich and gooey cheesy casserole! Once serving has only 3.9g net carbs!

Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword cauliflower, cheese sauce
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 211 kcal
Author Denise

Ingredients

  • 6 cups cauliflower florets
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup gouda cheese, shredded
  • 2 oz cheddar cheese
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 tablespoons Anthony's cheddar cheese powder

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

  2. Place cauliflower florets in a microwave safe dish and cook in the microwave for 5 minutes.

  3. While the cauliflower is cooking, make your cheese sauce by combining the ½ of the gouda and cheddar cheese, all of the powdered cheese, cream and spices in a small sauces pan. Whisk until the cheeses are melted.

  4. Take the cauliflower out of the microwave and place in a baking dish. Cover with the cheese sauce and mix well to coat. Top with remain cheddar and gouda cheeses and bake for 40 minutes in a 400°F oven.

  5. Note you can substitute parmesan cheese for the powdered cheddar cheese.

 

 

baked low carb cauliflower and cheese on white place and baking dish with text overlay

« Low Carb Peanut Butter Cups – Easy Keto Candy With 4 Ingredients!
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Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. You should always do your own calculations if you are concerned about the accuracy of this or any recipe. I use the Lose It app for all of my nutritional information because I have for years.

Comments

  1. Tony

    May 01, 2020 at 5:59 pm

    I did not have Cheddar so used Asiago as suggested as a substitute,,, BIG Mistake. Asiago does not melt but turns into a very thick mess that will not combine with the Cauliflower. So stick with Cheddar/Parmesan only.

    Reply
    • Denise

      May 02, 2020 at 4:06 pm

      Hi Tony, sorry to hear that but thank you for coming back and offering your advice/tip!

      Reply
  2. Sarah

    January 21, 2020 at 7:11 pm

    This is amazing… And I usually won’t touch cauliflower with a 10 foot pole! I added a little more cream and salt/pepper and used parm instead of cheese powder. Delicious!

    Reply
    • Denise

      January 22, 2020 at 7:21 am

      Hi Sarah, so glad you liked it! You would be surprised what cheese can do for a vegetable. 😉

      Reply
  3. Jo

    October 22, 2019 at 5:23 am

    There is nothing more comforting than cauliflower and cheese bake. This is perfect winter casserole recipe and it looks absolutely tempting. Absolutely love how easy it is to make. Saving it to try later.

    Reply
  4. SHANIKA

    October 21, 2019 at 7:23 pm

    OMG! This looks so much like Mac + Cheese! I love that you’ve used cauliflower and that this has low-carbs! It looks super creamy!

    Reply
  5. Sophie

    October 21, 2019 at 10:45 am

    Thanks for this recipe. I love everything with cauliflower and cheese, and looks like you have both. Thank you!

    Reply
  6. Nicole

    October 20, 2019 at 11:42 pm

    You had me at “three cheese”. I’m a huge lover of cauliflower, and mixed with cheese?! Pure heaven. And it’s a bonus that its low carb! I could probably eat the whole pan myself .

    Reply
  7. Charity

    October 20, 2019 at 10:20 pm

    All the cheese please! I’ve always loved broccoli and cheese. Love the idea of cauliflower being a pasta replacement.

    Reply
  8. Linda

    October 18, 2019 at 5:26 pm

    This is a creative and delicious idea to enjoy mac-n-cheese….I mean cauliflower and cheese. I love every scoop of this dish and that cheese sounds so cheesy good!

    Reply
  9. Heather

    October 18, 2019 at 2:50 pm

    Ooh we love mac and cheese in this house, but I rarely make it because I always feel so guilty (especially when you’re eating for a few days) – so I can’t wait to try this low carb version!!

    Reply
  10. Lizzy

    October 18, 2019 at 10:21 am

    This looks so comforting – perfect for winter eating without all the heavy carbs.

    Reply
  11. Jamie

    October 17, 2019 at 10:24 pm

    I love how this can be a low carb replacement for mac and cheese. This is the perfect low carb side dish to make for the upcoming holidays and I’m adding it to my menu!

    Reply
  12. Eva

    October 16, 2019 at 4:16 pm

    What a great vegetarian casserole dish! With winter approaching, this looks like a perfect meal to have in your lunchbox!

    Reply
  13. Ben

    October 14, 2019 at 11:36 am

    Cauliflower and cheese is one of my favorite sides. It’s a classic, and it’s so easy to make.

    Reply

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