This Tex-Mex Egg & Cauliflower Casserole is an easy meal prep option that is packed with nutrient-rich veggies, protein, healthy fats, and tons of flavor. Plus, it’s gluten-free, low-carb, and perfect for kids! Serve it for a breakfast, brunch, or dinner the whole family will love. Dairy-free option.
Mastering Make-Ahead Meals
If you’ve been around a while, I’m pretty sure you already know that I’m a big fan of make-ahead meals. Whether it’s a family-friendly dish like Tuna Noodle Casserole or a sheet pan meal like Sweet and Spicy Broiled Shrimp I try to always have something in the fridge or freezer for quick meals on busy weeknights. However, my favorite thing about meal prep recipes is that they can be super simple and still contain a ton of nutrients and flavor!
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a million ingredients or have to spend hours in the kitchen. Just take this cauliflower casserole for example! Tried and tested, it’s a longtime favorite of mine and comes together with just 5 ingredients (okay, 6 if you count the spices) and is ready in less than 30 minutes!
Even better, it’s super versatile to fit all your needs and is the perfect option any time of the day. It’s so good, you might want to go ahead and make two to have on hand!
What is Tex-Mex?
The term Tex-Mex first occurred in the 1940s and is used to refer to the fusion of Mexican and American cuisines. It came about as settlers moved into Mexican territory and began to blend elements of traditional Mexican food into their own dishes.
Today, the primary difference between authentic Mexican food and Tex-Mex options is the ingredients and variations of foods. For instance, in many Tex-Mex dishes, Cheddar or a yellow cheese blend is used. However, in traditional Mexican dishes, only white cheese is used. This is just one example of differences, for more information, keep reading here!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Unlike other egg and cheese casserole recipes, this cauliflower breakfast casserole is a lightened-up take on everyone’s favorite breakfast! All it took was a few simple swaps, and we reduced the calories and increased the protein content to create a healthy meal that will leave you full and energized.
- Cauliflower Rice – For a budget-friendly hack, I like to make my own cauliflower rice! It’s super easy to do, but of course, you can always find it premade in stores, too.
- Taco Seasoning – Taco seasoning is super easy to make on your own and keep on hand. Or, for a quick option, I like to use store-bought varieties that are free from added sugars.
- Zucchini – If you prefer, feel free to swap out zucchini for another veggie such as eggplant, yellow squash, or tomatoes.
- Eggs – If you need a lower fat option, feel free to use a combination of eggs and egg whites to create this cauliflower casserole recipe.
- Enchilada Sauce or Hot Sauce – Do not use chunky hot sauce! It won’t mix into the egg batter smoothly. Instead, use a taco hot sauce or enchilada sauce.
- Shredded Cheese (Real Dairy or Plant Based) – For the best flavor, I recommend opting for a Mexican blend or Cheddar cheese. Feel free to add as much or as little as you’d like. 😉
Allergy-Friendly Swap: To make this cauliflower casserole dairy free, replace the cheese with a vegan cheese (made with chickpea protein). Or, mix in some of our vegan queso. I tried both versions myself, and it turned out perfectly!
Eggcellent Meal Prep Tips
Make Your Own Cauliflower Rice! I love to make riced vegetables of all kinds from cauliflower to carrots and more! When you read the full breakdown here you won’t believe how easy it is to do. In fact, you may never buy store-bought versions again!
Create Crispy Cauli Rice. For added texture, make crispy cauliflower rice by combining the cauliflower with your taco seasoning. Then, layer it in a casserole dish, and let it bake in the oven at 400° F for 15 minutes. Let it cool completely. Then, layer the remaining ingredients on top.
Prepare Ahead of Time. For an easy meal prep option, try layering all your ingredients in the casserole dish and storing it in the fridge. Then, when you’re ready to serve, just pop it in the oven to bake! Or, prepare the entire cauliflower casserole ahead of time, let it cool completely, and store it in the fridge or freezer!
How to Make Tex Mex Cauliflower Casserole + Video
- Prepare Your Veggies. Cauliflower and zucchini are full of moisture. So, before you go crazy layering ingredients, you’ll want to make sure to squeeze out any excess moisture. Don’t forget to season your cauliflower, too!
- Layer. Spoon the prepared cauliflower into the bottom of a prepared casserole dish, making sure it coats the bottom in an even layer. You can even get a little crazy, and add a sprinkle of cheese if you’d like! Then, lay the zucchini strips on top.
- Whisk Away. In a bowl, combine the eggs, egg whites, and enchilada or hot sauce by whisking them together until they are smooth and golden in color.
- Put It All Together. Drizzle the egg mixture on top of the layered veggies in the casserole dish, and spread a layer of cheese on top.
- Finish What You Started. Pop the casserole dish in the oven at 400° F for 25-35 minutes or until the top of the cheese is golden brown. Just be sure to check on it after 20 minutes.
If the edges are cooking faster than the center, cover your cauliflower casserole with tin foil to finish baking.
Bonus! For extra crispy edges, turn on the broiler for the last minute!
Why We Love Eggs!
As you probably already know, eggs are extremely versatile and one of the most budget-friendly items you’ll find in the grocery store. However, they’re also full of protein, healthy fats, and nutrients! In fact, just one egg provides 6 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat, vitamins A, B5, B12, D, E, K, and B6! (Source)
Nutrition Note: Omega-3 enriched eggs can be especially beneficial to implement on a vegetarian diet! They provide all essential amino acids needed by the body to maintain proper functioning and contain roughly 12 times more omega-3 fatty acids than regular eggs which helps meet EPA and DHA requirements for those who don’t consume meat. (Source)
Common Questions
The easiest way to tell if your casserole is done cooking is to insert a toothpick into the center of the dish. If it comes out clean, it’s ready to eat!
Sure! Just follow the instructions, replacing the cauliflower rice with regular rice.
Store in an airtight container, this cauliflower casserole will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or, store it in the freezer for up to 3 months!
Tex-Mex Egg & Cauliflower Casserole
- Total Time: 40-45 minutes
- Yield: 6-7 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Full of veggies and flavor, this Tex-Mex Egg & Cauliflower Casserole is ready in minutes and perfect for meal prep! Dairy Free Option.
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 cups (1 large head) cauliflower, riced (For instructions on how to rice cauliflower see see this post.)
- 2 Tablespoons taco seasoning, divided
- 1 medium zucchini (about 8 inches) sliced in half lengthwise then into thin strips (See notes for alternatives)
- 7 large eggs + ½ cup egg whites (or 9 large eggs total), whisked
- ⅔ to ¾ cup enchilada sauce or hot sauce (NOTE – Do not use salsa or chunky salsa, it will result in a soggy casserole)
- 3 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend or shredded cheddar cheese, divided (vegan cheese may be substituted)
- Kosher salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- Optional garnish: ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F. Grease a 12×8 casserole dish or meal prep container. Skip preheating if meal prepping without baking.
- Rice the cauliflower or use ready to use cauliflower rice. Use a paper towel to squeeze out any extra moisture, and place the cauliflower in a large mixing bowl.
- Toss the cauliflower rice with 2 Tablespoons of taco seasoning. Then, spoon it into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared casserole dish or meal prep container. Feel free to add a handful of cheese. Or, save it all for the topping.
- Use the paper towel to press out any extra water from the zucchini strips. Layer them on top of the cauliflower.
- In a separate bowl, wish the eggs, egg whites, and enchilada or hot sauce together until smooth. Pour the mixture on top of the zucchini in the baking dish. Note -> If more egg mixture is needed to completely coat the zucchini, whisk 1 or 2 more eggs with 1 Tablespoon of sauce, and pour it over the casserole.
- Evenly spread the cheese on top.
- Bake at 400° F for 25-35 minutes or until the top of the cheese is golden brown. Check for doneness after 20 minutes. If the edges brown quicker than the center is cooking, cover the casserole with foil, and place it in the oven until it is evenly cooked. For extra crispy cheese, turn the broiler on for the last minute!
- Season with salt, pepper, and cilantro before serving. Top with additional cheese, if desired.
- Storage – Store covered in casserole dish the fridge for up to 5 days, or freezer for up to 3 months. We used this oven-safe meal prep casserole dish.
Notes
Meal Prep/Make Ahead Tips!
For meal prep, allow the casserole to cool completely before freezing. (Keeps well in the freezer for up to 3 months.) Alternatively, SKIP BAKING, and store the prepared casserole covered in the fridge for up to 5 days until you are ready to bake.
Alternatives – Feel free to use yellow squash, sliced tomatoes, or sliced mushrooms instead of zucchini. To reduce cholesterol, replace half of the eggs with egg whites. Note: 3 large eggs equals ½ c egg whites. Baking time and texture will vary.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30-35 minutes
- Category: Breakfast/Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Mexican American
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 242
- Sugar: 3.4 g
- Sodium: 750 mg
- Fat: 14.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 7.5 g
- Fiber: 1.8 g
- Protein: 21.6 g
- Cholesterol: 215.8 mg
Wow this was amazing. The garden is producing cauliflower and zucchini right now so I was searching for a way to use them. I mixed up some homemade taco seasoning and used sriracha sauce in the eggs and used cheddar cheese. The egg and cauliflower rice baked into a delicious crust with the tinder zucchini sandwiched between the crust and the melted cheese on top. It was so good!
Love to hear that! I’ll have to try it with taco seasoning next time! Thanks for your feedback, Daniel. 🙂
If you wanted to add sausage or ground beef to this— how would you add that step in?
Hi Cassie, good idea! We would add the ground meat to the cauliflower rice layer. Keep us posted!
Thank you!!
Can you use frozen riced cauliflower?
Hi Kae! We have not tried this particular recipe with frozen riced cauliflower but we have with other similar recipes. We suggest thawing the frozen cauliflower and squeezing out as much liquid as possible before adding it to the casserole. If needed, after squeezing out the liquid you can also bake the thawed cauliflower on a sheet pan in the oven at 400F for 10-15 minutes to help dry it out. The cauliflower needs to be as dry as possible before adding it to the casserole. Hope this helps! Keep us posted. 🙂
Oh man, this was so good! The perfect comfort food breakfast and a satisfying way to start the day!
This was completely and utterly amazing. The whole family gobbled it up.
So glad! Thanks for feedback CP!
This is so good! Seriously comforting and amazingly delicious!
YUM! I just made this for breakfast for the week. It is DELICIOUS! I made it dairy free so thank you for that option.
I’m so glad! Thanks for sharing with us!
how many calories?
Around 250 per serving. Should be in the recipe card. 🙂
Just made these are they are AMAZING!! I ate a few. Will be making again!!
Thanks 🙂
So glad you loved them! Thanks, Jessy!
Delishhh! I really wanna try at this weekend. Highly recommend!
Thanks 🙂
Thanks, Jessy!
My mouth is watering and I want to taste this yummy recipe.
Thanks, Nancy! I’d love to know if you make this!
Taught my g-daughter this recipe to teach her how to read a recipe and cook it. Came out delicious.
Oh I love that!
This looks divine!
If I bake and freeze, would I need to thaw overnight and put back into the oven or in the microwave? Or heat straight from frozen?
If you’re going to use an oven you can reheat from frozen, but I wouldn’t add cheese. I would wait to add cheese last, maybe half way through baking when it’s almost thawed out in oven. Baking times will vary. If you want to microwave it, you would need to thaw overnight. Does that make sense?
Great! Hope you enjoy!
I like egg and cheese combination very much. Involving cauliflower taste is a nice taste. Thank you very much for this recipe. Now it is in my priority list to try it.
You’re welcome! Hope you enjoy it!
oh thanks,
am trying this out tonight.
will share my experience later.
Thanks 🙂
I have recently began my new healthy Anti-Inflammatory diet. Looking forward in trying your recipes.
SO glad! KEep me posted on what you try Doreen
The problem that I’ve consciently had with Eggland eggs this entire decade in CA, is that there is typically one egg that sticks to the bottom of the package, and it breaks apart when getting it out of the carton. Their solution has always been to send a coupon to replace them. But why not fix the problem once and for all? There isn’t another egg product I’ve ever bought that does this so frequently. It’s either a problem at the plant or in transportation, and they obviously don’t care enough to try and resolve it, so I stopped buying them.
Oh that’s a good point! Maybe they will switch to cardboard containers. I’ll have to mention this to them.
Easy, delicious, but … beware of the seasonings. I cut the taco seasoning & hot sauce in half. That was about right.
Doing it again, I’d put some more cheese on the cauliflower as a middle layer. I’d also make sure to get rid of even more moisture.
great tips! i’ll put that in notes. Thank you!
I also cannot see the Tex-Mex Egg and Cheese Cauliflower Casserole and I am dying to try it. It looks GREAT! Would you kindly send it to me, please? Thanks, Liz
can you see it now? If not, I will email it to you. 🙂
I cannot locate the exact recipe for the Tex-Mex egg and cheese cauliflower casserole.
can you help?
What browser are you using? I can see it in the post. Happy to email it if needed.
Yummy Recipe with full of nutrition. I will try it and share my experience. Cheers
Hi,
This looks great and would be a good alternative for daughter’s friends who are gluten free but….where’s the actual recipe? Unlike other recipes, it’s not showing up?
Thanks!
I’m having the same problem and on the freezer meals meal plan page where I found it mentioned it just has the link back to this page, so I haven’t found the actually ingredients list etc anywhere.
I love gluten free delisious recipes. like yours really tnx
Thank you!
Oh my gosh I made this today and it is WonDerful!!!!! Thank you.
You are so welcome! Glad you loved it!
This looks crazy good! Love the flavors! My hubby would go crazy for it!
My husband devoured. 😉 It’s a keeper, haha so is he!
I want to grab a slice right through my screen Lindsay! This is one casserole that we would enjoy for any meal of the day! Delicious!
Go for it!
Looks crazy delicious! Love this!!!
Thanks, Alice!
I love everything about this casserole. It’s the perfect weekend breakfast/brunch!
Thank you, Matt!