Garlicky and Cheesy Cauliflower Broccoli Bake – A lighter version of everyone’s favorite rich and cheesy cauliflower broccoli bake! Or is it casserole? Gratin? Whatevs, it’s still so darn good!

Savory, garlicky, cheesy cauliflower and broccoli bake with just a handful of ingredients required! The perfect healthy, comforting side dish for holidays and every day!
It’s creamy, it’s golden, and it’s extra delicious!
HI YA, friends! Happiest TGIF! Can’t wait to sleep in tomorrow, but more importantly, I can’t wait to stay up later tonight and read all those BuzzFeed articles I have saved on my phone and laugh out loud at all the comments. I’m SO fun!
As if you don’t do the same thing! … come awn now, this is our happy place and we can be 100% truthful around here.
Other truths that will set you free? Your undying love for stinky broccoli and its stinky cousin, cauliflower. Mmmhhhm.
This post is sponsored by STAR FINE FOODS. Thank YOU, friends, for supporting the brands that make Diethood possible!
CAULIFLOWER AND BROCCOLI
Don’t know about you, but I really do love love love broccoli SO MUCH! I have a 4 year old who is also obsessed with it. And she eats it straight up fresh, without cheese and buttah.
Speaking of… we got cheese up in this cauliflower broccoli bake, buuuut no butter.
Who needs butter when you’ve got STAR’s Signature Series Garlic Flavored Olive Oil?
This bottle combines the best varieties of extra virgin olive oils with the robust flavor of roasted garlic. It’s perfect for adding a punch of garlic to favorite dishes, such as this Garlicky and Cheesy Cauliflower Broccoli Bake.
GARLICKY CHEESY CAULIFLOWER BAKE
Can I just come clean about this recipe?
THIS, my wonderful readers, is what happens when a food blogger finally finds her lost SD card – you get side dish recipes intended to be shared during Thanksgiving, only 3 months later. UGH!
I can’t tell you how big of a mess I made in this house while trying to find that card. When I finally gave up, it turned UP! Like, right in front of my face, on top of a cake stand that sits inside a cupboard. SO random.
HOW TO MAKE CAULIFLOWER BROCCOLI BAKE
But, while this savory, comforting, veggie bake would be a lovely addition to any Holiday table, it makes just as good of a side dish on a Monday night, too.
- Here, we’re going to steam the veggies real quick and then give them a couple of minutes to sautee together with STAR’s Garlic Flavored Olive Oil, onions and more garlic.
- In the meantime, we will also prepare a simple cheese sauce that involves evaporated milk + shredded cheddar + corn starch. It’s a simple cheese sauce that I found in a Weight Watchers cookbook so many years ago and have been using it since then, in all sorts of recipes.
- One thing to remember when making the sauce is to cook it over low heat. If you turn up the heat, the sauce will taste grainy, especially when using reduced fat cheeses.
- Once the cheese and veggies come together, we’ll pop this in the oven for 20-ish minutes, or until sauce is hot and bubbly.
Warm, rich, and cheesy cauliflower broccoli bake is this healthy? I do know one thing for sure – it IS supremely satisfying.
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STAR Garlic Flavored Olive Oil by Ferran Adria is available exclusively at select Safeway and Vons stores.
ENJOY!
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TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS USED IN THIS RECIPE
WATCH HOW TO MAKE GARLICKY CHEESY CAULIFLOWER BROCCOLI BAKE
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Preheat oven to 400F. Drizzle a little olive oil on the bottom of a square baking dish; spread it around and set aside.
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In a large skillet, bring 1/2 inch of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cauliflower; cover and cook over high heat until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain the vegetables in a colander and set aside.
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Wipe out the skillet, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook for 3 minutes, or until softened.
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Stir in minced garlic and continue to stir and cook for 1 minute. Add broccoli and cauliflower to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook for about 2 minutes, or until lightly golden.
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Remove from heat and transfer the vegetables to previously prepared baking dish; set aside.
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Wipe the skillet and add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, corn starch, evaporated milk, mustard, salt, pepper, and paprika.
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Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk until melted and thickened; about 2 minutes.
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Pour cheese sauce over broccoli and cauliflower; stir to combine. Sprinkle remaining cheeses over the top.
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Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned and bubbly. Remove from oven and serve immediately.
Calories: 211 kcal | Carbohydrates: 19 g | Protein: 13 g | Fat: 9 g | Saturated Fat: 2 g | Cholesterol: 8 mg | Sodium: 264 mg | Potassium: 692 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 10 g | Vitamin A: 805 IU | Vitamin C: 106.3 mg | Calcium: 335 mg | Iron: 1.2 mg | Net Carbs: 16 g
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
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