Recipe of the Week: Cheezy Cauliflower Bake



Good old cauliflower. It's one of my favorite vegetables, and it's very versatile. I've used it to make a variety of things, and I'm always trying to figure out new ways to make it into the main event at a meal. This was my conundrum last week, as I stared blankly at a head of cauliflower, trying to decide what to do with it. So, I did what I've done so many times in the past, and that's to wing it.

What I came up with turned out fantastic! I made a cheezy cauliflower casserole, and served it with miso-roasted brussel sprouts. Here's the recipe.





Cheezy Cauliflower Bake with Miso-Roasted Brussel Sprouts




Ingredients:

For the brussel sprouts:

3 c. cleaned and halved brussel sprouts
2 T. oil (I used canola)
2 T. miso paste
2 t. soy sauce

For the cauliflower:

1 head of cauliflower, cleaned and broken up into florets
2 T. coconut oil (any oil will do)
1/3 c. flour, I used whole wheat, but any will do. You can use chickpea flour for gluten-free.
1 1/2 c. almond milk, unsweetened & unflavored, or any vegan milk
3/4 c. of vegan cheese sauce, you can substitute using an extra 1/2 c. of vegan milk and 1/4 c. nooch
1 t. each: granulated garlic, granulated onion, smoked paprika, Old Bay, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper
1 T. each: parsley flakes and chives
1/3 c. vegan bacon bits (I used Louisville Vegan Jerky's Bacon Bits)


Instructions:

1. Warm oven to 375 degrees.

2. Mix together the brussel sprout ingredients until well incorporated. Pour out into a baking pan or cookie sheet.

3. Warm coconut oil on the stove in a sauce pan until melted on medium-high heat.

4. Add flour and whisk until incorporated.

5. Add the milk, in thirds, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. If it's too thick for your liking still, add more milk.

6. When all the liquid is whisked in, add the cheeze sauce (or extra milk and nooch) and seasonings. Turn off the heat and mix well.

7. Add the cauliflower and bacon bits to the sauce, mix well, and turn out into a greased casserole dish. Cover with tinfoil.

8. Put the brussel sprouts on the bottom part of the oven, and the cauliflower on the top part of the oven.

9. The brussel sprouts will cook fastest, so check them after 30 minutes. Take out when they're tender, then cover with tinfoil to keep warm.

10. Bake cauliflower for about an hour, then take off the tinfoil and broil for 5 minutes until the top is lightly browned.

11. Serve and enjoy!



This is a great recipe for a meatless Monday, and pretty simple to put together really. I really loved this dish, and will make it often!








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