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!
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Easy Loaded Cauliflower Bowl Recipe
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!
Loaded Cauliflower Bowls
Servings 4 servingsIngredients
- 6 strips of bacon ($1.74)
- 1 head cauliflower (mine was about 1.5 lbs) ($3.42)
- 1 Tbsp salted butter, melted ($0.13)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.21)
- ½ tsp salt ($0.01)
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.04)
- 4 oz. cheddar cheese ($1.12)
- 4 green onions (half a bunch) ($0.47)
- ½ cup sour cream* ($0.62)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Place a wire rack over a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cook 6 strips of bacon on the wire rack for 15-20 minutes or until crispy. (I threw some extra strips of bacon on there just in case! I ended up using 6 pieces split between the 4 bowls.)
- While the bacon is cooking in the oven, wash the large head of cauliflower and remove the outer leaves. Break up the cauliflower into florets. (I chop up the stem and use it as well so nothing goes to waste.) Pour melted butter and olive oil over the florets, tossing them to coat.**
- Spread the florets on a parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Remove bacon from baking sheet to drip dry and crisp up on paper towels. Then, bump the oven temp up to 425°F. Roast the cauliflower for 25 minutes, stirring the cauliflower about halfway through, so each side crisps up evenly.
- Chop the bacon, shred the cheddar cheese, dice the green onions, and portion out the sour cream.
- When your cauliflower comes out of the oven, immediately portion it into bowls and add the shredded cheese on top, so the cheese melts. Divvy up the green onions, bacon bits, and sour cream. Enjoy!
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Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
Notes
Nutrition
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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!
What Else Can I Add?
- Use smokey tempeh bacon or roasted mushrooms for a vegan twist (and swap in dairy-free cheese and sour cream!)
- Hot sauce (a must, in my opinion)
- Caramelized onions
- Cooked ground beef or shredded chicken
- Salsa
- Diced tomatoes
- Black beans or chickpeas
- More roasted veggies, like broccoli or bell peppers
Storage & Reheating
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.
