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Baked Cauliflower Parmesan is the comfort dish you NEED in your weeknight dinner routine! Simple ingredients like store bought marinara, chicken strips, cauliflower and cheese get tossed into a dish and baked to warm, flavorful, and comforting perfection. This is a one dish recipe you won’t soon forget!

A full baking dish of cauliflower parmesan is topped with basil.
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Listen, I get it… Sometimes, we can’t all make everything from scratch. Do I wish I had the time to make all homemade ingredients for every single dish every single meal? Of course! But that’s just not realistic. On those nights you don’t feel like making your own chicken strips and stirring up your own marinara sauce, grab some store bought ingredients and make Baked Cauliflower Parmesan!

Simply put, Baked Cauliflower Parmesan is an easy to make entree that’ll leave you with just one baking dish to clean. Cauliflower is mixed with marinara sauce, garlic powder, and cheeses, then baked. After about half an hour in the oven, frozen chicken strips get mixed in and baked for another 10 minutes. Then, you get to dig in! It’s really that beautifully simple.

If you feel fancy like me, you can garnish your easy dinner with some fresh strips of basil. It adds a nice little “oomph” to this super savory baked dinner. What I really love about Baked Cauliflower Parmesan is how well rounded it is. Since there are veggies and protein in the mix, I never really feel the need to pair it with a side. It’s got everything I’m looking for all in one dish!

Basil is garnishing a baking dish full of baked cauliflower parmesan.

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Cauliflower – Try to make sure all of the pieces are cut the same size.
  • Marinara Sauce – My favorite store bought brand is Rao’s.
  • Garlic Powder – You can sprinkle in a little extra if that’s what your garlic loving heart desires!
  • Oregano – Use dried oregano to really enhance that Italian inspired flavor.
  • Cheeses – You’ll need both shredded parmesan and mozzarella pearls for this cheesy baked dish.
  • Chicken – Frozen chicken breast strips are what you need. Make sure they’re defrosted prior to baking.
  • Basil – Fresh basil for garnishing adds such a nice touch of color and aroma!
Fresh basil strips are placed all across the top of baked cauliflower parmesan.

How to Make Baked Cauliflower Parmesan

For more detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post.

Preheat. Preheat your oven to 400°F.

Bake. Add cauliflower, marinara sauce, seasonings, and cheeses to the baking dish. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.

Bake again. Uncover the baking dish and stir in the chicken strips. Bake for another 10 minutes.

Enjoy! Serve this dish with fresh basil on top.

A fork is placed in a bowl filled with baked cauliflower parmesan.

Common Questions

Can I make Baked Cauliflower Parmesan spicy? Yes, you sure can! You can either swap the regular marinara sauce for a spicy one or just toss in some crushed red pepper flakes along with the other seasonings.

Can I make Baked Cauliflower Parmesan meatless? Totally! If you’re looking for a vegetarian friendly meal for your upcoming meatless Monday, simply omit the chicken or swap it for a plant based version.

Bite sized pieces of chicken and cauliflower are being lifted with a fork.

Check out more of my favorite baked dinner recipes!

Baked Chicken Spaghetti

Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Peppers

Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs

Buffalo Cauliflower Pizza Flatbread

5 from 2 votes

Baked Cauliflower Parmesan

Simple ingredients like store bought marinara, chicken strips, cauliflower and cheese get tossed into a dish and baked to warm, flavorful, and comforting perfection.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 2 cups (473 ml) Rao’s marinara sauce
  • 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 cup (100 g) shredded parmesan cheese
  • 8 ounces (227 g) mozzarella pearls
  • 8 ounces (227 g) frozen chicken breast strips, defrosted
  • Fresh basil, for garnish
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Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 400 °F (204 °C).
  • In a 9×13 inch baking dish, add cauliflower, marinara sauce, garlic powder, and cheeses. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
  • Remove from oven after 30 minutes and uncover. Stir in the chicken breast strips and bake for another 10 minutes uncovered.
  • Serve with fresh basil on top.

Notes

If you want a little spice, add in red pepper flakes or use a spicy marinara.
To make this meatless, omit the chicken.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 375kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 34g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 103mg, Sodium: 1441mg, Potassium: 692mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 5g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.

The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.

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1 Comment

  1. Mike says:

    Loved it very good