Delightfully Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole

Recipe From Megan Olson of Paleo Hacks

Whether you’re throwing a party or simply having friends or family over, a delicious casserole can set the mood for your gathering. Families from different corners of the world probably have their own versions of casserole, some of which have been passed down from one generation to another.

This Delightfully Cheesy Cauliflower Hash Brown Casserole Recipe courtesy of Paleo Hacks’ Megan Olson is a dish you won’t regret making. Cauliflower is used as a base, and blends free-range eggs with flavorful spices to enhance its flavor and health content. The nutritional yeast sprinkled over the casserole provides the cheesy taste, but without feeling heavy on the stomach. If you’re running out of ideas for your next casserole, this recipe is the one you should try next.

Delightfully Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole Recipe

Cook Time: 30 minutes Prep Time: 7 minutes Total Time: 37 minutes Serving Size: 6

Ingredients

  • 1 medium head organic cauliflower, cleaned and chopped
  • 3 large organic free-range eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons tapioca powder
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Procedure

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. Add the roughly chopped cauliflower to a blender. Pulse on high until the cauliflower is riced.
  3. Transfer riced cauliflower to a bowl. Add eggs, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley and turmeric. Using a fork, whisk the ingredients together until eggs are broken down and seasonings are incorporated evenly.
  4. Stir in the tapioca powder and baking powder until fully combined.
  5. Transfer the mixture to a round skillet or 8x8-inch casserole dish. Sprinkle nutritional yeast evenly over the top.
  6. Bake 30 minutes until browned.
  7. Serve immediately!

Sink Your Teeth Into This Delightfully Cheesy Cauliflower Hash Brown Casserole Recipe

This healthy casserole relies on two key components: cauliflower and free-range eggs, and both offer health benefits to help get you through your day. Plus, the different spices don’t just add heaps of flavor, but health boosts too. Apart from those who wish to take their casserole to the next level, this dish is perfect for those who are picky with their vegetables, especially young children. Let them try this and, who knows, they might be asking for a second serving right away!

Let Your Health Flourish With Cauliflower

This cruciferous vegetable is a versatile ingredient you can add to other casseroles or salads, or even eat raw. In a single serving of cauliflower, you can get vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, C and K, alongside minerals such as protein, magnesium, fiber, phosphorus, potassium and manganese.

Antioxidants such as beta-carotene, vitamin C, cinnamic acid, quercetin and rutin in cauliflower can help protect cells from reactive oxygen species (ROS), help the body combat harmful effects caused by everyday exposure to pollutants and/or chronic stress and potentially lower risk for oxidative stress that can result in accelerated tissue and organ damage.

Count on cauliflower to boost your heart health, too, since a compound called sulforaphane found in this vegetable was proven to help improve blood pressure and kidney function.1 Another vital compound in cauliflower is the anti-inflammatory indole-3-carbinol or I3C, which operates at the genetic level to assist with inhibiting inflammatory responses.2

Cauliflower also contains choline, a B vitamin heralded for its role in brain development. An animal study revealed that choline intake during a pregnancy greatly enhanced the brain activity of animals in utero.

This indicates choline’s capabilities in boosting cognitive function and improving learning and memory. Choline may also benefit people across different age groups since it was shown to help diminish age-related memory decline, reduce the brain’s vulnerability to toxins during childhood and deliver protection later in life.3

Why Adding Free-Range Eggs to Your Diet Is Perfectly Fine

Free-range eggs are a must in this casserole to ensure that the cauliflower and spice mixture is completely blended. At the same time, they add significant nutrition to the dish. In particular, the egg yolk, which is the healthiest part of the egg, has higher amounts of omega-3 healthy fats, vitamins A, D, E, K and B12 and nutrients like folate, compared to the whites. Other beneficial nutrients in egg yolks include:

  • Biotin or vitamin B7: This water-soluble vitamin assists the body’s glucose and fatty acid metabolism, and can play an important role during a pregnancy.
  • Choline: Another B vitamin, choline plays a primary role in brain development, acting as a precursor to acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that helps with muscle control and memory. Plus, choline also has anti-inflammatory properties, and may help boost the health of cell membranes.
  • Carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin:4 Apart from being responsible for egg yolks’ bright yellow color, this class of antioxidants, particularly lutein (found in the macular pigment) and zeaxanthin (found in the retina), may be able to potentially reduce inflammation, enhance eye health, help absorb excess photon energy and eradicate free radicals before they damage lipid membranes.
  • Protein:5 The egg yolks, and even the whites, are high in protein. The latter are known to fill in for meats that vegetarians don’t eat.

What Is Nutritional Yeast and How Can You Benefit From It?

Also known as nooch, nutritional yeast has gained popularity as a non-animal source of protein that can be very easily digested. A low-fat and low-carbohydrate food,6 it possesses a nutty and cheese-like flavor, making it ideal as a cheese substitute. There’s more to nutritional yeast than its flavor, though, since it’s known to contain:

  • All nine essential amino acids
  • Vitamins A, C and E
  • A whopping 14 minerals and 17 other vitamins

The compounds beta-1,3 glucan, trehalose, mannan and glutathione are also found in nutritional yeast, and these may help support healthy immune function.7 It has also shown prowess as an energy booster and post-exercise immunity enhancer, as noted in a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition.8

According to yeast expert Seymour Pomper, Ph.D., nutritional yeast has become a popular herbal monopreparation in Germany due to its potential anti-viral and antibacterial properties that can be useful for immune system stimulation and to help combat the following conditions:9

There are concerns about nutritional yeast’s high phosphorus content, since there is a possibility that it can deplete your body’s calcium levels. Although it can be confirmed that excessive phosphorus consumption may potentially cause an imbalance in the body’s pH and levels reduce the body’s calcium levels, nutritional yeast’s phosphorus content isn’t enough to make this a concern.

If you do eat a lot of nutritional yeast daily, consume it alongside calcium-rich foods like kale to compensate for the high phosphorus levels.

About the Blog

Paleohacks is one of the largest Paleo communities on the web. They offer everything Paleo, from a Q&A forum where users get their top health questions answered, to a community blog featuring daily recipes, workouts and wellness content. You can also tune in to their podcast, where they bring in the top experts in the Paleo world to share the latest, cutting-edge health information.

+ Sources and References