Buffalo Cauliflower & Chickpea Casserole (Dump-and-Bake)

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…

1. Preheat the oven to 400F
2. Whisk the vegetable broth, hot sauce, and spices in a pot and bring to a boil
3. 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

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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!

• Author: Caitlin Shoemaker
• 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

Scale 1x2x3x

• 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

1. 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. 
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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!