Yeah, yeah.  Another cauliflower recipe.  In my defense, cauliflower was on sale at the store AND it’s delicious.  So deal with it. 

I’m calling this a three cheese dish even though there isn’t any actual cheese in it.  I can’t do dairy, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still want creamy, gooey goodness.  Luckily, I’ve found a few ways to recreate the taste and feel of cheese so I don’t have to miss out.  My cheese sauces also happen to be vegan, paleo, and gluten free so that’s just an added bonus.

I also like the way the cauliflower replaces pasta in this dish.  Before you jump on me and say cauliflower is nothing like pasta, I’ll agree with you.  Which is why I didn’t say it was.  I said it replaces the pasta.  You gotta listen friends!  When baked in the cheesy/saucy goodness, the cauliflower softens up but doesn’t turn to mush so you get a satisfying casserole.  And while it’s not pasta, it’s pretty darn good. 

ANOTHER awesome thing about this recipe?  You can make the cheese sauces a few days in advance, store them in the fridge and then pull them out when you’re ready to make dinner.  Which means, this meal comes together in about 30 minutes.  30-minute dinners are kind of my jam.

And so is this casserole.

Three Cheese Cauliflower Casserole 

• 1 large head of cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 batch of my quesadilla cheese sauce
• 1/2 batch of my Fusilli N’ Cheeze sauce (just cut all measurements in half & you’re good)
• 1/4 cup “Parmesan” topping (I like to make a big batch of this and then store it in the fridge)
• 2-3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 425 and lightly oil a 9 x 13 casserole dish.
2. If you haven’t made the cheese sauces yet, do this and set aside.  Remember you can make these ahead of time and store them in the fridge until you’re ready to use them.
3. Place the cut cauliflower in a large bowl.  Pour the quesadilla cheese sauce (the white one) over the cauliflower.  Stir with a spatula to make sure all the pieces are coated.  Add 1 tablespoon parsley and stir again.  Pour the cauliflower into the casserole dish and spread it evenly along the bottom.
4. Pour the Fusilli N’ Cheeze sauce (the orange one) over the cauliflower.  The casserole will look really soupy at this point but don’t worry it will thicken up.  Add half the parmesan topping and cover the dish with aluminum foil.  Bake for 30 minutes.
5. During the last five minutes, remove the aluminum foil and let the top get nice and brown.  The cheese should be bubbly when you remove the dish.  Let it sit for five minutes then sprinkle with the remaining parsley and parmesan topping.