Caramelized Cauliflower and Mushroom Casserole

September 24, 2013

Caramelized Cauliflower and Mushroom CasseroleSo apparently today it’s the third day of Autumn. Yeah, I didn’t saw that coming either. Mostly because it doesn’t feel like Fall yet; at least in my hood.
With the turn of the season, there are a number of things that change, not only the weather.
Fall crops come into their own just as summer delicious fruits and veggies are packing it in (sigh!)
But there is no room for despair people. Spices, roots like turnips and carrots, cabbages, and of course pumpkins, apples, and mushrooms will helps us coping with the end of summer's sweet corn and sun-warmed peaches.
When temperatures dip and the leaves drop, it’s time to fire up the oven. And that’s when this casserole comes into play.
You see, I am a HUGE fan of mushrooms and an even bigger fan of cauliflower (you probably already know this, don’t you?); so combining the two to make a delicious dish has to be my ultimate food fetish (not foot, FOOD!)

Caramelized Cauliflower and Mushroom Casserole
My mum used to make this casserole using rotini pasta and top it with a thick layer of béchamel (aka white sauce). It was one of my favorite things to eat when I was a little kid.
I would request it every other week year round. And my mom would reply “Mushrooms are not in season now, you have to wait for Fall to come around”. I then learned about seasonal foods; that you can’t get peaches in the winter or oranges in the summer.Well, nowadays you can, if you’re willing to pay the extra price and are ready to settle for milder taste. But when I was a kid it was less common (or at least I like to think so).

Caramelized Cauliflower and Mushroom Casserole
Anyway, this is a healthier version of my mum’s super delicious mushroom casserole.
Caramelized cauliflower, sauteed mushrooms, garlic, onions - all made creamy with a blend of cheddar cheese and Greek yogurt and topped with a thin Parmesan crust.
The smell of baking it in the oven, brings back all sorts of childhood memories and emotions. I know, I’m feeling softy today; must be the turn of the season.
This dish is a total crowd pleaser, even cauliflower haters will embrace it. Trust.

Caramelized Cauliflower and Mushroom Casserole
Caramelized Cauliflower and Mushroom Casserole                                            Print this recipe!

A little note for my vegan friends: Swap the cheese and sour cream for dairy-free alternatives, and eggs for flax eggs; you don’t want to miss out on this dish.

Ingredients
Serves 6

1 lb / 453 gr brown mushrooms (or white button), cleaned and chopped
1 medium cauliflower head, washed, trimmed, cored and cut into florets
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
ground pepper
2 large free-range organic eggs
⅓ cup / 1.5 oz / 42 grams dubliner (or sharp cheddar cheese), shredded
½ cup / 5 oz / 140 gr Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
⅓ cup / 0.6 oz / 16 gr Parmesan cheese, grated
handful fresh parsley leaves, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) and place a rack in the middle. Rub a medium-large baking dish with a bit of olive oil and set aside.
Spread cauliflower florets in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle over 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until the cauliflower is lightly caramelized, turning once.
In the meantime, in a large skillet over medium-high heat saute’ the mushrooms in ½ tablespoon of olive oil sprinkled with a couple of pinches of salt. Stir every minute or so until the mushrooms have released their liquid and have browned a bit. Add the onions and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes until translucent. Stir in the garlic, cook for another minute and remove from the heat.
When the cauliflower is ready, add to the skillet and stir until combined.
In a large bowl combine eggs, cheese and Greek yogurt. Add cauliflower mushroom mixture, stir until well combined and turn out into your prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and cover with foil.
Lower oven temperature to 350°F (175°C).
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes, until golden around the edges.
Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley before serving.

Nutrition facts

One serving yields 165 calories, 7.85 grams of fat, 11.5 grams of carbs and 11.2 grams of protein.

52 comments:

  1. Looks fantastic Mike, can't wait to try it!

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  2. YUM, this recipe is right up my alley, I'm love mushrooms!

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  3. THIS, with hard boiled eggs, spinach and toasted hazelnuts.

    I die...

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  4. Oh My - love the look and sound of this casserole! Cauliflower and mushrooms topped with cheese yum!!!
    I am a huge mushroom lover too, but when I cook with them, only half the case makes it into the dish!

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    1. Same here, mushroom addiction, that's how I call it!

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  5. This is a creative way to eat all these .. i am drooling too.

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  6. I have never tried mushrooms and cauliflower together. it looks yummy!

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  7. I have no clue how we got into this season this quick..
    Your casserole sounds so good, oh I know I would love this, love cauliflower.

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  8. Hello Mike,

    I just came across your blog, thank you for including the nutritional information it really helps. I was wondering if this will hold well if I cook it the day before and just heat it up the following day? I don't have much time to roast during a weeknight so I thought of preparing it on Sunday to have it for dinner on Monday. Any special tips for making this recipe ahead of time?

    Thanks!
    Marta

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    1. You can make this dish ahead and then reheat it in the microwave (or oven) afterwards. It last for a couple of days in the fridge.

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    2. What is a couple of days? If I made this last night, can I safely eat it until friday??? .... ;)

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    3. To be honest, when I make this it never lasts more than 2/3 days; but I don't see why it shouldn't last until Friday, as long as you keep it in the fridge!

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  9. This seriously looks and sounds amazing!! It's on my list of MUST MAKE this week at dinner time!! :D Found it via Chowstalker!! :D

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  10. I'm not a huge fan of mushrooms but this looks so good I may have to try it. I too found you through Chowstalker. Thanks!

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    1. I'm positive that after tasting this casserole you'll join the "Mushroom lovers" party! ;-)

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  11. That looks amazing. Must try this.

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  12. I made this over the weekend and it was out of this world good! I was anxious about Thanksgiving and what I would eat since going grain free - this will easily make up for the loss of stuffing and mac and cheese, EASY!! Delicious. Can't say it enough!

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    1. I'm so happy you liked it and it's such a great idea to include it for Thanksgiving!

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  13. This looks so good!! Going to have to try, thanks for sharing!

    Gabi
    www.livehealtheasy.com

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  14. Yup - made this last night, we were a BIG fan, kept picking at the dish until we had no leftovers :-)

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    1. That's awesome Rachel, so happy you enjoyed it! :-)

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  15. Awesome dish. As soon as I started going through your recipes, I knew that I'd love your blog. I can't wait to try more...that Mexican quinoa casserole is calling my name! :-)

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  16. Just made this, it is freakin DELISH, would be great with some baked chicken, or add in some minced turkey or nuts and spinach. Def. going in my recipe binder, thank you! :)

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  17. Just curious, what size baking dish did you use? Thanks!

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  18. I've had this pinned on Pinterest for quite a while, and I made it for the first time tonight, and I must say that this was the BEST low-carb side dish I have made in a very long time, and that is saying a lot! I added 1 tsp. thyme and extra cheese, since extra cheese is always better, IMO. Thank you for posting this - I'm going to be making this a lot in the future!

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  19. Oh my... this looks absolutely incredible! I can't wait to try it!

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  20. Nice. Like the mushroom and cauliflower combination.

    http://www.sweetstoyou.com/cooking-classes.html

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  21. This looks so good. I was curious if you know the fiber grams of this dish, so I can figure out the net carbs? Thanks for sharing great recipes!
    In fact, I have blogged about your site. If you need me to remove it, or just add the link to your site without the recipe, please let me know. I am still new to this.
    http://lowcarbodyssey.blogspot.com/2014/01/30-minute-butter-chicken-with_4354.html

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  22. Hello! New to your blog but we made this for dinner tonight with some riff on chicken piccata and it was DELICIOUS!! Thanks so much, I'll be making it again!

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  23. I have made this recipe and it freezes well :)
    I also made it at a friend's house and added in quinoa and spinach. Works a treat!
    Love the recipes you have on this site and it's great to see a guy cook good clean food!

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  24. Hi Mike, Thanks for this recipe! I found it via a Google search and tried it last night. I used only 1 egg and substituted a glug of skimmed milk for the other egg, I put dried parsley in the yoghurt mixture (because I didn't have fresh parsley), and I didn't use parmesan. It worked fine - delicious as a veggie main, or as a side dish to fish, and a great alternative to cauli cheese made with a roux sauce, which I find claggy and heavy. The dish is low-fat but high-taste and importantly, it's low cost too. Next time I'll put mustard into the yog mix (1 tsp dijon & 1 tsp wholegrain). I'll now have a look around the rest of your site and looking forward to trying more of your low-fat veggie-friendly recipes! Sooze x

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  25. Hi Mike,

    I'm inspired!! I just had this casserole for lunch and it was so very delicious.I'm from India,and parmesan and greek yoghurt are difficult to get as well as super expensive.I just used normal yoghurt(dahi as we call it :) ) and used a sprinkling of mozarella cheese in the yoghurt mix and grated on top and it was still really delicious and felt light on the stomach.
    Been going through your blog and can't wait to try out the other recipes (will have to substitute with local produce) but they look so delicious and healthy!

    Thank you so much!

    Lynn

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  26. Hi Mike,

    This sounds amazing!

    As it has 6 servings (and I am only 1 person) are you able to freeze half for another time?

    Thanks!
    Allie

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    1. Hey Allie,

      Yes, it freezes well, really well. It's one of my fave fall recipes, I make it all the time. If you make it, please report back!
      I

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  27. I know this is an older recipe but it looks delicious. Just shared on my Facebook page!

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  28. Can you add fiber to the nutritional info? Thank you! It looks great!

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  29. WOW! This was VERY GOOD- I followed the recipe exactly and it was awesome. I ate it for breakfast with a half slice of whole grain toasted bread and it kept me from getting hungry all morning. Great recipe!

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  30. This was excellent! I too made it exactly as written (I meant to buy sour cream but forgot!) and it was absolutely delicious. I ate a quarter of the whole recipe for dinner last night and have another quarter in my lunch box, cannot wait for noon :) Thank you!

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  31. I usually make Cauliflower Marranca from the Moosewood cookbook, but I wanted something different that would still include mushrooms, cauliflower and cheese. This recipe fit the bill. So delicious!

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  32. Wow this casserole was delicious! I made it for dinner tonight and my fiance and I demolished our plates.

    As I am allergic to dairy I made a few tweaks to the recipe.

    Instead of using cheddar cheese, yogurt and Parmesan I whisked together the following mix:

    1/3 cup daiya "cream cheese"
    1/3 cup nutritional yeast
    1/3 cup cubed daiya smoked gouda style block
    2 tsp tamari (can use soy sauce instead)
    2 tbsp water
    1 chicken-flavored bouillon cube
    1 tsp onion powder
    1 tsp garlic powder

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  33. This is such a delicious recipe! Perfect casserole. <3

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  34. I made it tonight, half the recipe and it is wonderful! Thanks for the recipe.

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  35. I made this twice in the same week. Once just for me, the second time for the family during the weekend. I used cottage cheese for the cheese / greek yogurt. Excellent. Everyone enjoyed it. Easy to make and delicious....so a win win situation.

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  36. Was super yummy and a huge hit with my 20 month old fuss out! Was also a great alternative to packet pasta side with steak so many less calories and preservatives! Will definitely make again!

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  37. I'd like to try this for Thanksgiving, but I'm afraid 6 servings isn't large enough. I'd like to double the recipe, but not sure if I should just double all the ingredients. Any advice would be great! Thank you and can't wait to try it.

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  38. I made this last fall for the first time and it was the first recipe of yours I tried. My adult son thought this was the best thing I had ever made! We have made it at least a dozen times since, but I thought you should know you are awesome! I'm making my way through your recipe list, and it will take the rest of my life to try them all. Thank you for being you, Mike!

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