Savory Cauliflower Stuffing
OK, folks, let’s talk turkey about stuffing for a minute. Specifically, let’s talk about how it messes with low-carb diets.
When you first sit down to Thanksgiving dinner, it looks like it’s going to be easy. You can pile your plate high with roast turkey, gravy, and fancy veggies (like my yummy Crockpot Brussels Sprouts) with no risk of running over your carb count. But it all falls apart when the stuffing gets passed around. Because most of the things people make stuffing from — white bread, cornbread, rice — are basically nothing but carbs.
When I started looking around for a lower-carb alternative, the obvious solution was cauliflower. If it can replace the rice in fried rice and the potatoes in potato salad, then I figured taking the place of bread in a traditional stuffing should be no problem.
And sure enough, this Cauliflower Stuffing tastes exactly like you’d expect stuffing to taste. It’s loaded with all the traditional flavors of onion and herbs, sausage and veggies, dried cranberries and nuts. The only thing missing is the carbs. (Well, okay, there are some in the cranberries, but nothing crazy.) So go ahead – stuff yourself. You have no carbs here to fear!
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Is this Cauliflower Stuffing gluten-free?
- That depends on the sausage. Most of the ingredients —veggies, cheese, cranberries, nuts — are naturally gluten-free. Most Italian sausage doesn’t contain bread or grain either, but there’s always a risk of cross-contamination at the plant. So if you have a really serious gluten intolerance, like celiac disease, look for a sausage that’s certified gluten-free.
Could I make this with frozen cauliflower?
- Yes, but you should either thaw it before roasting or give it a little extra time to cook. But that’s okay — a longer roasting won’t hurt the rest of the veggies.
This stuffing is so yummy, it seems like a shame to serve it only once a year. Could I still serve it when there’s no turkey to stuff?
- Absolutely! It’s perfect as a side dish for any special occasion, or even by itself as a weekend meal. With meat and veggies in one pan, it’s got everything you need for a low-carb main dish.
I got carried away buying cauliflower, and now I have a bunch left over. What can I do with it?
- Glad you asked! I have lots of other cauliflower recipes just as yummy as this one. Try my Roasted Buffalo Cauliflower, my Loaded Cauliflower Casserole, and my Thai Basil Cauliflower Rice. Once you discover how versatile this veggie is, you’ll be heading back to the store for more.
Savory Cauliflower Stuffing
- Preheat oven to 425° F. Spread cauliflower, mushrooms, carrots, and onions on a sheet pan. Pour 2-4 tablespoons of
olive oil over vegetables and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. - Roast in oven, stirring halfway through baking, for 25 minutes, until cauliflower begins to brown and veggies are soft.
- Meanwhile, brown sausage in 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a frying pan.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove sausage from the pan, leaving butter and pan drippings behind. Add celery and fresh herbs to the pan drippings and saute for 4-5 minutes until celery is tender.
- After the vegetables on the sheet pan have roasted for the first 25 minutes, remove pan from oven. Add browned sausage, celery, and herbs to the sheet pan. Use a rubber spatula to be sure you’ve scraped all of the butter and drippings out of the frying pan.
- Add cranberries and pecans to the sheet pan and toss everything together. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and return pan to the oven.
- Roast an additional 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are golden brown, the pecans are roasted and the cheese is melted.
Here are some more of our holiday favorite recipes:
Savory Cauliflower Stuffing
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Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 head cauliflower cut into bite-size florets
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 cup diced baby Bella mushrooms
- 2 medium carrots peeled and diced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pound mild Italian sausage
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup celery
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh sage
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F. Spread cauliflower, mushrooms, carrots, and onions on a sheet pan. Pour 2-4 tablespoons of
- olive oil over vegetables and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Roast in oven, stirring halfway through baking, for 25 minutes, until cauliflower begins to
- brown and veggies are soft.
- Meanwhile, brown sausage in 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a frying pan.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove sausage from the pan, leaving butter and pan drippings
- behind. Add celery and fresh herbs to the pan drippings and saute for 4-5 minutes until celery is
- tender.
- After the vegetables on the sheet pan have roasted for the first 25 minutes, remove pan from
- oven. Add browned sausage, celery, and herbs to the sheet pan. Use a rubber spatula to be
- sure you’ve scraped all of the butter and drippings out of the frying pan.
- Add cranberries and pecans to the sheet pan and toss everything together. Sprinkle with
- parmesan cheese and return pan to the oven.
- Roast an additional 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are golden brown, the pecans are
- roasted and the cheese is melted.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
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WOW, this sounds amazing! Never mind stuffing. To me, this could be a delicious side dish to serve on any special occasion. Thanks very much. 🙂
WOW, this sounds amazing! Never mind stuffing. To me, this could be a delicious side dish to serve on any special occasion. Thanks very much. :-). I forgot to say “minus the Italian sausage.
I hope you love it as much as we do Angelina!
This looked delicious so we decided to go all in and just make this as a main dinner dish – and it didn’t disappoint!