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This cauliflower stuffing is a great way to switch things up. It serves as a Thanksgiving side or a delicious, veggie-full side to any dish. You will love this savory dish with salty bacon bits.
Table of contents
Why Make This Recipe
This recipe is a great gluten free, lighter alternative to traditional stuffing, or you can have it in addition to Thanksgiving stuffing. It’s wonderful with roasted chicken, salmon and several other entree’s. This cauliflower stuffing comes together quickly and it’s a great dish to make ahead, so when the big day comes you have one less dish to worry about. Meal prep with this one, it’s a great side to a turkey sandwich and it keeps well.
Don’t get me wrong, I love traditional stuffing but Thanksgiving sides can often make the meal much heavier than i’d like so this is a great switch up. The salty bacon bits in every bite are a huge hit with my husband, he loves this dish.
Ingredients Needed To Make Cauliflower Stuffing
Cauliflower. Fresh cauliflower or frozen florets will work. I prefer frozen florets, they cook faster and they end up the perfect texture for this, not too crunchy!
Olive Oil. Avocado will also work.
Seasonings. Thyme, salt, pepper
Bacon. You can also use ground sausage.
Onion.
Celery.
Garlic. Minced.
Fresh Herbs. Sage and rosemary, minced
Pecans.
Cranberries. Dried works best. I like to use no sugar added or less sugar added cranberries
Parsley. Fresh chopped parsley.
Steps To Make This Recipe
Step One. Cook bacon however you prefer. Save some of the bacon grease for sautéing the veggies! Chop bacon into small bits. If you are using frozen florets, cook them according to the package while the oven is preheating to 450º. If using fresh cauliflower, chop into bite sized pieces.
Step Two. Add cauliflower to a parchment lined cooking sheet. Drizzle with oil and seasoning, toss with hands to mix evenly. Pop into the oven for 15-20 minutes
Step Three. Chop onion and celery into small pieces, mince garlic. Chop pecans and set aside. Heat oil in a skillet on medium/high sauté celery and onion for about 3 minutes, add the garlic, pecans, cranberries, fresh chopped sage, rosemary and sauté for another 4 minutes until everything is softened and fragrant. Add 1/4 tsp salt and pepper to the mix.
Step Four. Once cauliflower is browned and charred a bit, add it to a large serving bowl. Add the celery mix and chopped bacon, toss well. Garnish with parsley and serve.
FAQ’s & Recipe Tips
Yes, just skip the bacon
italian sausage would be delicious instead of bacon if you would like
This will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze in a ziplock or airtight container for up to 2 months.
Other Recipes To Try
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Delicious Cauliflower Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 large head of cauliflower, chopped, *see notes for frozen option
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1½ tbsp olive or avocado oil
- ½ lb cooked bacon
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves
- 5 stalks of celery, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
- 2½ tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- ½ cup pecans, *see notes
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, *for garnish
Instructions
- Add cauliflower to a parchment lined cooking sheet. Drizzle with oil and seasoning, toss with hands to mix evenly. Pop into the oven for 15-20 minutes or until cauliflower is tender.
- Chop onion and celery into small pieces, mince garlic. Chop pecans and set aside. Heat oil in a skillet on medium/high sauté celery and onion for about 3 minutes, add the garlic, pecans, cranberries, fresh chopped sage, rosemary and sauté for another 4 minutes until everything is softened and fragrant. Add 1/4 tsp salt and pepper to the mix.
- Once cauliflower is browned, softened and charred a bit, add it to a large serving bowl. Add the celery mix and chopped bacon, toss well. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this last year for our Thanksgiving dinner and it was a hit. We have it on our menu to make again this year. Thanks for the great recipe!
I am so excited to make this again. We first tried it last year and everyone LOVED it! Super delicious and not too heavy.