This Loaded Cauliflower Bowls recipe is one of my family’s weekly go-to meals. We all love cauliflower and enjoy customizing this to fit everyone’s preferences. The cauliflower is perfectly tender and delightfully simple. I love mine with lots of hot sauce over the top while my husband loads his up with extra bacon. Our toddler prefers extra cheese and sour cream. I promise this one’s a winner no matter who you’re cooking for!
This easy recipe has all the flavor you love about loaded potatoes, but swaps in roasted cauliflower for a lighter, low-carb option. I keep it classic with crispy bacon, melted cheddar, tangy sour cream, and fresh green onions, but the beauty of this dish is how customizable it is! Need a vegetarian or vegan version? No problem! Just use plant-based cheese and dairy-free sour cream, and swap the bacon for your favorite veggie alternative (or omit it altogether, these bowls are still great without it!). However you top it, this is one of those easy, weeknight meals that never gets old. And if you’re looking for more ways to mix it up, I’ve shared some fun add-in ideas at the end!
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Preheat your oven to 400°F and set a wire rack over a parchment-lined baking sheet. Lay 6 strips of bacon on the wire rack and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crispy. I actually baked extra strips of bacon here, just in case! But I only ended up using 6 strips between the four bowls in the end.
While you’re waiting for your bacon to cook in the oven, you can wash 1 head of cauliflower and remove the outer leaves. Break up the cauliflower into florets. I also chop up the stem and use that, too! No need to waste perfectly good cauliflower here! Pour over 1 Tbsp melted salted butter and 1 Tbsp olive oil and toss to coat.
Spread the florets on a parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper.
Or, if like me, and you love a little extra spice, you can also toss half the cauliflower florets with 1 tsp of your favorite hot sauce. This is optional, but it’s absolutely delicious!
Remove the bacon from the oven and let it drip dry to get even crispier. Increase your oven to 425°F and roast the cauliflower florets for 25 minutes. Give them a stir halfway through to allow each side to crisp up.
As the cauliflower roasts, chop up the cooked bacon, shred 4 oz. cheddar cheese, finely dice 4 green onions, and gather ½ cup of sour cream. I also recommend having your bowls out, ready to go.
When the cauliflower is done, immediately portion it into four bowls and top it with the shredded cheddar cheese. You want to do this fairly quickly so the residual heat from the cauliflower melts the cheese. Then, top each bowl with green onions, bacon pieces, and sour cream. Serve, and enjoy!
If I ever have leftovers, I always store everything separately to keep it fresh. The roasted cauliflower and bacon go in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Toppings like cheese and sour cream are best to stay in their own containers, and the sliced green onions can be stored in a small bag or container. When I’m ready to eat, I just reheat the cauliflower and bacon in the oven or air fryer to keep it crispy, then pile on the toppings! You can also enjoy these loaded cauliflower bowls cold.
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