Baked Cauliflower Recipe

Facebook can be a boon for those searching for new recipes to test out. There are literally thousands of recipe groups, pages, memes and more for sharing recipes of pretty much anything and everything you can dream up. Some are good, some are not and it can be a crap shoot to figure out what recipes fall into what categories. I am hoping to help you sort through the clunkers and the keepers. This recipe, shared by my friend and fellow Recipe Reflections member Deanna S of Florida, is 100% keeper. I will admit, I was slightly skeptical of how the recipe would turn out, but I was pleasantly surprised and will be keeping this one handy for use year-round. I am posting the original meme then following up with the adjustments I have made or will be making in the future. In it's original state, I give this recipe a sold 3.75 out of 5 stars. I believe some slight tweaks will easily raise it to a 5.

When following the recipe as it is, I found that the head of cauliflower wasn't quite cooked enough after boiling for 7 minutes, especially since cauliflower floats when placed in a pot of water. After the initial 7 minutes were up, I flipped it over and cooked for an additional 7. This eliminated all of the uncooked spots and gave me a slightly tender head to work with. Also, I was out of parsley, so I substituted Italian seasoning in an equal amount. 

With these 2 slight changes, I was very impressed with this baked cauliflower recipe. It was the perfect firmness-not so soft that it fell apart as I cut into it yet soft enough to easily chew. The flavor is absolutely fantastic and may convert the cauliflower haters in your household into cauliflower fans! It has a zesty Italian zing to it, but is a touch on the salty side from the amount of parmesan cheese called for. My only other complaint about the original recipe is the amount of mayonnaise it calls for. I had quite a bit of the topping slide into the pan as it baked, making cleanup a bit of a pain.

Here is my updated version of this baked cauliflower recipe:

1 head fresh cauliflower, stem and leaves removed

1 chicken bouillon cube

large pot of water

3/4 cup mayonnaise

3/4 cup parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning, plus a sprinkle for garnish

1/2 cup shredded white cheddar cheese

black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Fill a large pot with water and add bouillon cube, bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once water is boiling, add the head of cauliflower and cook for 7 minutes; flip and cook for an additional 7 minutes. Turn off heat and place cauliflower in a bowl to drain. While cauliflower is draining, combine mayo, both cheeses, garlic and Italian seasoning. Place cauliflower head in baking pan and spread with the mayo mixture. Sprinkle with remaining Italian seasoning and pepper and bake in preheated over for 20 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve while hot.