Since 2014 is the year of the cauliflower (see the recent What’s Hot/What’s Not post), I’ve been looking for some good recipes that highlight the vegetable. I couldn’t find the cheesy roasted cauliflower recipe I grew up with, but found one that was very close (sans crispy bread topping). This one comes from thebeetingheart.com which has a bunch of healthy recipes, although this one has quite a bit of cheese in it, so I’m not sure how entirely healthy it is….
I don’t prefer cauliflower crunchy, so I appreciated the baked tenderness of this cheesy side dish. We had it alongside a grilled rib-eye steak and fresh green salad and it was really good – we emptied the bowl in record time. You could leave some of the cheese out without a problem and it would still be a great vegetable dish.
- 1 head of cauliflower cut into pieces
- 1/2 C water
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2/3 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 C shredded Mozzarella
- 3 tbsp milk
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Preheat oven broiler.
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Cut cauliflower into bite-sized pieces and put into a microwave-safe container with 1/2 C. water. Microwave on HIGH for 8 minutes covered. This will steam the cauliflower. You may need to add more time if cauliflower is not tender enough after 8 minutes. Once cauliflower is tender, drain off the water very well. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add milk and stir.
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Take a fork, two knives, or a masher and mash the cauliflower with the milk. Add the cheddar cheese and stir. Microwave on high for another 2 minutes. Lightly spray a small casserole dish with cooking spray. Spoon the cauliflower mix into the dish and top with the Mozzarella cheese. Place casserole dish under the broiler (uncovered) for 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese is brown and bubbling on top. Serve warm.
Tips and Stuff: Drain the water off of the cauliflower very well or it will be watery. This could be easily doubled for a pot luck dinner. I left the cauliflower a little lumpy instead of thoroughly mashing it because we liked the texture and you could taste the cauliflower better.