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This dump-and-bake Buffalo Cauliflower & Chickpea Casserole is cozy and hearty, plus you only need 10 ingredients to make it! Naturally Vegan & Gluten-Free.
Cauliflower wings, step aside! Our favorite cruciferous veggie combines with protein and fiber-packed chickpeas, hearty brown rice, hot sauce and a few simple spices to make this tastes-so-good-but-its-actually-good-for-you showstopper of a dish.
The best part? It tastes so. dang. good. Oh yeah, and you only need 10 simple ingredients to make it…
Making a Dump-and-Bake Casserole couldn’t be any easier…
- Preheat the oven to 400F
- Whisk the vegetable broth, hot sauce, and spices in a pot and bring to a boil
- Arrange the remaining ingredients in a casserole dish, pour the liquid on top, cover, & bake!
The secret to this one-pan wonder of a dish is to add just the right amount of liquid to the casserole so the rice will absorb it and get nice and fluffy. Pre-boiling the liquid also helps speed things along in the oven, too.
After the casserole comes out of the oven, I’d highly recommend topping it with some sliced green onions and a hearty drizzle of Nut Free Vegan Ranch. But you do you, boo 😉
This Buffalo Cauliflower & Chickpea Casserole is great for meal-prep, a hands-off weeknight dinner, or to share with friends! It’s bursting with spicy “buffalo” flavor and serves as a heartier, wholesome alternative to a few deep fried wings. It’d be perfect for a game day potluck, too – would serving it alongside my Healthy Buffalo “Chicken” Dip be too much? Asking for a friend…
A Few Final Thoughts:
- Substitutions: you can swap out the chickpeas for another bean, or add in up to 1 cup of additional veggies – broccoli or green beans would be great here.
- Unfortunately I have not tested this recipe with any other rice or grain, so you need to stick with brown rice here. Subbing it out would require altering the liquid amount and cooking time.
- If you’re looking for more casserole recipes, you’ll also love this “Cheesy” Broccoli Rice Casserole and this Fall Roasted Vegetable Casserole!
Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂
Buffalo Cauliflower & Chickpea Casserole
This dump-and-bake Buffalo Cauliflower & Chickpea Casserole is cozy and hearty, plus you only need 10 ingredients to make it!
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 60 Minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4 to 6 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 cups (470 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup (118 ml) buffalo hot sauce
- 1/4 cup (22 g) nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 rib of celery, finely sliced
- 2 cups (374 g) chickpeas, cooked*
- 1/2 medium head of cauliflower, chopped into bite-sized florets (about 2 cups; 200 g)
- 1 cup (182 g) uncooked brown rice
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- Nut Free Vegan Ranch and chopped green onions, for garnish (Optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Mix the vegetable broth, hot sauce, nutritional yeast, and onion powder together medium pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
- While the liquid is heating up, pour the chickpeas a 9×13″ pan or casserole dish. Sprinkle the cauliflower and celery evenly over the chickpeas, then add the uncooked brown rice over the top of the dish.
- Remove the vegetable broth from the heat once it comes to a boil and stir in the minced garlic. Pour the liquid evenly over the casserole dish; if any spices stick together you can gently separate them with a spatula. Cover the casserole with aluminum foil (or parchment paper, followed by aluminum foil) and bake in the middle rack of the oven for 60 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and top with green onions and/or vegan ranch, or serve as desired. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to one week, or in the freezer for up to one month.
Notes
- If you are using canned chickpeas, be sure to drain and rinse them well. You can also replace them with any other bean of your choosing!
Keywords: dump and bake casserole, buffalo cauliflower casserole, buffalo caulof
This was a surprising hit with my family. We had no leftovers! Rice was slightly underdone, so the next time I made it, I doubled the recipe, added a bit more liquid and added 10 minutes to the cooking time, and it came out great. And we have leftovers this time.😉 I also add a few spices, like garlic salt, onion powder, smoked paprika, and pepper.
So happy everyone loved it, Madison! Thank you ♥
I’ve made this recipe multiple times!! I love how Caitlin’s dump & bake recipes all have a carb, protein, and veggies, which makes them perfect for meal prep for the week. I like to top this casserole with the Trader Joe’s vegan creamy dill dressing if I don’t have time to make the homemade ranch. It is soo delicious! 😋
★★★★★
It’s great to hear you’ve been enjoying these recipes and finding them helpful for your meal prep routine, Erin!
So good and easy to make!
★★★★★
Glad you enjoyed it!
amazing! Tonight will be third time I have made this recipe. I am add for a change some mushrooms and red peppers to use up! Thanks for the awesome recipe! I always add a little less hot sauce as the kids do not like things too spicy!
★★★★★
You are so welcome, Laura! Happy the kids liked it, too.
I made my own buffalo sauce, and added some extra celery because I had it, and a ton of dill stirred through at the end. I served it with a cashew vegan ranch (from loveandlemons) and minced red onion. It would be great with traditional chili toppings (avocado, Greek yogurt, pickled red onion etc) or even pickled and stir through chopped spinach at the end. It would be great as a freezer meal to keep on hand, but equally delicious as a hands off weeknight dinner.
★★★★★
That’s awesome, Summer!
My favorite dump and bake. I absolutely love this and make it at least once a month. If you want to skip using ranch dressing, I add ranch seasoning powder into the casserole, and it is chef’s kiss. Thank you for sharing!!
★★★★★
That’s a great idea! Thanks Mel!
This is another one of my go to recipes. Dump everything together & go on with your day. Super easy to clean up too. Super flavorful.
★★★★★
Absolutely love this recipe! I’ve made it twice now, just as written; it’s fast easy, and delicious! Since I’m not vegan, I added crumbled blue cheese to the top before serving which gives it an authentic buffalo wing flavor. This is a go-to weeknight recipe with leftovers lasting a few days.
★★★★★
Thanks Christine!
Again! Recipe is very good. Lots of flavor, easy to make. Nicely done.
★★★★★
Thank you, Hallie!
I don’t like things too hot, but I like the buffalo flavor. Instead of adding it to the mix, could I just add it once plated?
Yes, you can certainly modify the recipe to suit your preference for milder heat. Instead of adding the buffalo hot sauce to the entire casserole before baking, you can reserve it and add it individually to your plated serving. This way, you have more control over the level of spiciness in each portion, allowing you to enjoy the buffalo flavor without making the entire casserole too hot.
I love love love this recipe! I used white jasmine rice as I had nothing else. i had to add 1/3 cup of broth more but kept the baking time the same and it came out perfect!! Thank you!
★★★★★
Happy it turned out perfect, Ingrid!
I want to make this for a potluck. Has anyone tried this in a crockpot? How long did you cook it for?
Hi Petra, I have not tested this recipe in a crockpot…but I think it would probably cook in 4 or so hours on high. Let me know how it works for you if you test it out!
I made this dish tonight and it was just amazing! Thank you so much for this great recipe!
You’re so welcome, Laura!
Love the dump & bakes! The Chickpea and Rice and Mushroom Stroganoff are big favorites in our house. I wanted to try this one but am out of brown rice. Being a good follower 😉 I first checked your notes but I see that you have not tested this yet with white jasmine rice. I thought I would post here for your followers to see if anyone else has tried the recipe with white jasmine and what modifications they made? Thanks Caitlin & “From My Bowl” followers!
Glad you love them, Rebecca! Our readers do make their modifications from time to time so posting your comment here for everyone to give ideas. ♥
I splurged on a Le Creuset covered baking dish just so I could start making some of your Dump & Bakes and this recipe alone has made it worth it! So delicious, so easy and turned out perfect! Thank you for this and all your delicious recipes Caitlin!
★★★★★
You are so welcome, Jeannie! And Le Creuset is worth investing in.
This recipe is delicious. We have made it at least three times. Each time it takes twice the amount of liquid suggested and an extra hour to cook.
I can’t express how delicious, nourishing and satisfying this is!! It is SO easy, which makes it great for meal prep or a weeknight meal. I added about a cup of low fat cottage cheese to the hot broth mixture at the same time as adding the garlic, which I really recommend for those looking to make it a bit higher protein (and it also makes it nice and cheesy hahaha).
★★★★★
So happy you enjoyed it, Madi!
Okay yes to this! I’m wondering if this could be a make ahead and freeze. Also, if I do try I never know is it better to cook first then freeze or assemble ingredients, freeze, then cook? Thanks looks so good! Thanks!
Yes, you can make the Buffalo Cauliflower & Chickpea Casserole ahead of time and freeze it. To do this, prepare the casserole, let it cool, portion it, and freeze it. When you want to eat it, thaw it in the fridge and reheat in the oven.
This is so yummy and easy to make! I do have a question though – how do you get the rice to cook all the way through. I’ve made a couple of your dumb and bake recipes and all of the rice isn’t always cooked. Is there a specific kind of brown rice you use? Precooked?
Thanks!
Hi Angie! If your rice is not cooking and the casserole is not soupy I’d suggest adding 1/2 cup or so of extra water and cooking for a little longer. I haven’t had this issue, but your oven temp may not be displaying as accurate.