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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
I’ve made this recipe a number of times using frozen riced cauliflower, sub farro for rice, and it turns out perfect every time. This has become one of my favourites, absolutely delicious! Thank you
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I’m so happy to hear that! You’re so welcome, Tina!♥
Delicious! So easy to make and the flavors were great! My husband, who is new to vegan dinners, even kept going back for more!
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Thank you! Glad to hear that! ♥
HI! I love this and have had it twice now! The only issue I run into is that the rice is still a little hard. I’m somewhat new to cooking, to solve that issue would I leave it in the oven for longer or take it out sooner? Should I use less rice maybe?
Hi Ryan! It sounds like maybe you need to add a little extra liquid, or less rice! I also recommend making sure the rice is fully submerged in the liquid before covering and baking, or it will stay dry on top
hello – the first time i made this, the rice was not quite done – i think i didn’t have the foil on tightly enough. Had to add more liquid and cook a little longer. but it was GREAT. Normally I’m not really much for buffalo wing flavors, but wanted to expand my horizons! I’m making it again tonight, just put it in the oven a few minutes ago. This time i used parchment AND foil and tried to make it super tight. VERY good stuff, thank you.
So glad to hear that you liked it! Every oven cooks a little differently, so you can also try adding 2-4 tablespoons of extra liquid to help cook the rice more
This is FABULOUS!!! I doubled the recipe to use up the whole cauliflower and used a little over 1 cup of buffalo sauce from Buffalo Wild Wings. I did the math on the ingredients I used and determined the 12 servings (each 6.75oz) is about 260 calories. Considering how healthy this is, it is an absolute win and WILL be an added staple to my menu! Thank you for the terrific recipe!
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I made this last night. The only changes were that I added 1/2 onion sliced and some broccoli. This is most definitely a keeper! Everyone ate it and it was a huge hit.
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This recipe has become a regular in our home—it’s one of my favorites. I’m so thankful for your simple ingredients, plant-based, gluten free, and TASTY recipes. I’m often hesitant to try new recipes…but not yours! Thanks!
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Can this be made in a Dutch oven with a lid? I’m out of tin foil but have everything else. Thanks!
As long as the dutch oven is relatively large, that should be fine!
One of my absolute favourite recipes. Grilled chicken on the side for hubby and took your suggestion and also added brocolli! Can’t believe how easy and delicious this is. Also tastes great cold the next day for lunch. Thank you!
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I’ve made this dish several times. It’s one of my go to search for an easy and hearty meal. My boyfriend frequently requests it
Could you use Hot sauce instead of the Buffalo sauce?
Maybe if it was a mild hot sauce – buffalo sauce has more flavor than heat.
My two grown sons and husband LOVED this so much! It’s going into our library of family favs. I am wondering about the nutritional info, do you have any idea how many calories are in a serving? Thanks for the great recipe!
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Hi Pam, so glad to hear everyone loved it! I don’t calculate nutritional info on the blog, but there are lots of free websites that can help calculate it for you 🙂
DELICIOUS! I will definitely make this again and again. I added a small sliced onion too because I can’t help myself when it comes to onions!
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Holy moly. Made this today. Subbed broccoli in place of cauliflower. Amazing! Wow! Thank you!
fantastic recipe! Mine took a little more time to cook but liquid ratio was spot-on and it turned out great. Also used brown basmati rice, which worked perfectly
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Thanks so much, glad you liked it!
This recipe was delicious! My husband and I enjoyed it.
I have never cooked with nutritional yeast before and was pleasantly surprised.
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It’s a really great and pretty robust ingredient! Glad you got to try it!
Took a chance and made this yesterday for Hail Seitan Day and it was delicious! Even better for lunch today! Easy peasy and healthy too! Thank you so much!
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Love it! Thank YOU for trying it!
I have made this a few times already! I don’t really cook so this is super easy for me. I use wild rice and frozen califlower rice 🙂 Problem is it’s so good, can I double the recipe? And if so do I need to cook it for 2 hours?
I think doubling the recipe should be fine! I would either use a larger casserole pan if you have one or two of the same size. If it’s all in one pan it will quite a bit longer and you don’t want it to be piled any higher. You won’t need to double the cook time. I would check on them at the hour mark and gauge it’s doneness. Possibly adding on another 20 minutes depending on how cooked the rice is.
I’ve shared your recipe with a few people and it’s ALWAYS a hit! SO yummy, and SO quick and easy for an “in a pinch” weeknight meal! Thanks for this recipe, it’s now a regular in our house!!
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Thanks for sharing it! So happy to hear its been a bit!
This has become a household staple.
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Yay! Love to hear that!