Summary:
This easy roasted cauliflower is a super comforting low carb side dish, loaded with bacon and cheese.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium head cauliflower chopped into florets
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan or asiago cheese
- 5 slices bacon
- 1 scallion thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon
paprika - 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Prepare a wide pan about 10 inches in diameter, safe for stovetop and oven use.
- Add bacon slices to the pan in a single layer. Cook over medium heat until crispy, 5 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally. Transfer bacon to a paper towel to drain. When cool, crumble into small pieces.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Add cauliflower florets to a gallon resealable bag. Scoop 2 tablespoons of bacon grease from the pan into the bag. Toss to coat. If you used a large head of cauliflower and the florets don’t look coated, add another tablespoon of bacon grease and toss.
- Add paprika, salt, and pepper to the resealable bag. Toss until well mixed.
- Transfer cauliflower florets onto the same pan, spreading them out until evenly distributed on the pan. They should be sitting snugly against each other, mostly in a single layer.
- Place the pan in the oven and bake at 400 F until the tops of the cauliflower are just starting to brown, about 30 minutes.
- Take the pan out of the oven. Evenly distribute cheddar and parmesan/asiago cheese on top. Lastly, add crumbled bacon over the cheese.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and the cauliflower is tender, about 5 minutes.
- Garnish the top with sliced scallions and serve.
NUTRITION
| Makes 2 Servings |
| Amount Per Serving: |
| Calories 420 (50% from fat) | |
| Total Fat 23g | 36% |
| Saturated Fat 15g | 77% |
| Cholesterol 88mg | 29% |
| Sodium 1460mg | 61% |
| Net Carb 8.5g | |
| Total Carb 14g | 5% |
| Dietary Fiber 5.5g | 23% |
| Sugars 5.5g | |
| Protein 33g |
PHOTOS
NOTES & TIPS
Ingredient Substitutions. If you don’t like cauliflower, you could substitute it with broccoli if you prefer. Just watch the cooking time. For the cheese, you can use any kind you want. I used a mix of shredded cheddar cheese, grated parmesan, and grated asiago cheese. I loved the blend of flavors and the cheese really stands out. The rest of the recipe’s ingredients are pretty simple, and if you want to add some spices and herbs, you can toss them with the cauliflower florets prior to baking.
This is a perfect dish for a cast iron pan. Rather than transferring bacon fat to a plastic bag, I just removed the bacon from the pan, tossed in the cauliflower, and mixed it around with a bit of salt, pepper chili flakes, some za’tar seasoning (which is primarily thyme and sesame seeds) and a sprinkling of ground sumac — then into the oven to bake.
While it was baking I cleared hard cheese remnants from the fridge, ran them through the food processor grater blade and mixed the bacon crumbles and thin sliced scallion together.
When cauliflower was mostly done slipped it out of the oven and topped it with the bacon-scallion mixture and then grated cheese cheese.
To up the acid a bit, topped this off with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a dusting of freshly grated lemon zest. Then back in the oven until cheese had melted nicely.
’twas yummy!
I’ve just made this meal for my family and it was so delicious and yummy !
This is a delicious way to serve cauliflower,the family loved it, and request it often.
This came out amazing!!! TY!!!
You’re welcome Kim! Glad it turned out well for you 🙂
This looks delicious ! It’s definitely is going on my to-try list !
Love the colors of this dish as much as the aroma when making it!
Not going to lie, this may be the most appetizing veggie I’ve ever seen. Cannot believe how good this looks!
I will be trying this for sure. I have seen versions before but I like the way you guys do it! I will let you know. Thanks for sharing!