Cauliflower Alla Parmigiana

The cauliflower that I grew up on was boiled for a very long time and served with some nutmeg and butter, so I was pleasantly surprised about the firmer texture of this dish, and the crispy parmesan crust was delicious. Next time I am planning to incorporate a little more cheese throughout, not just on top. Also I had forgotten the s&p so that went right on top, and obviously next time that needs to go on before the cheese. This is a very good side dish, even my kids liked it :)

I have to second the previous comment about the firm texture and the crisp of the parm crust. My only complaint is that I didn't make more. I also didn't have nutmeg, so I'll pick some up so I can try this dish again with it. Can't wait.

When I mentioned nutmeg, I was thinking it was in the recipe but I was confusing it with the creamed spinach which is equally delicious.

This was very easy to prepare. Next time I will put under the broiler to crisp up the cheese a bit more. We really enjoyed it and will definitely make again.

This was easy to prepare, and while others liked it, I thought it was just OK. I made cauliflower soup with the leftovers, adding nutmeg to stock, and topped the pureed soup with melted Fontina cheese. The roasting added a depth of flavor. Perfect.

I just want to make a little because I live alone. Must I boil or can I just bake? thank you .

Hi Blanca. Blanching or even quickly steaming the cauliflower gives it more tenderness but I bet you could add a 1/4 cup of veggie stock to the baking dish and cover for the first half of the cook time to skip that step. Lauren

I loved this. I rarely use cauliflower (unless I'm grilling it or making a crudite), but this was eye-opening delicious and will absolutely go into my regular rotation of side dishes! It even reminded a bit of a baked mac n' cheese. I let the dish stay in the oven for an extra 5 minutes (just to get the cheese/butter to brown up a bit) and it was perfect!

As written, the recipe is pretty bland. The second time I made it, I blanched the cauliflower in chicken stock and seasoned with white pepper, Italian seasoning, and a bit of garlic. Now it’s one of my favorites.

can i use the cauliflower cheese sauce on the website and if so how much should i use?thank u

Hi Raiz: sounds like a great idea. You do not want to make am au gratin dish--I would use about a cup (240 cc), to cover the top, and then bake. I would add the sauce first, then the cheese. Let us know how your dish turns out. Thanks. Char

thank u char im not going to use any cheese for the recipe as im gonna cook this on days i want to go vegan.thank you everyone for the helpful advice.cheers!

I use broccoli instead as it's flavour profile is both umami and bitter which cauliflower doesn't contain. I steam the broccoli to prevent water logging by placing garlic peppercorns in the steaming liquid.once done I drain on kitchen towel then chop as instructed by rouxbe. Then I prepare baking tray with butter.them I lay down the broccoli cut side down in a metal tray for maximum browning. Then I add the salt for seasoning plus sugar for browning over the top of the broccoli. Then I add white pepper and garlic powder to replicate the steaming liquid flavour.now I add a ratio of half aged cheese then half mild cheese on top of that for maximum flavour and meltability. Then I bake them once done I finish with freshly squeezed lemon juice for acidity for freshness. Best broccoli bake ever.

For cauliflower cheese I find the best way to retain and enhance flavour is to steam the cauliflower, create a compound butter instead of plain butter.

Plus use a ratio of 1 part sharp aged cheese to 3 part mild cheese on top of the sharp aged cheese.

Char would a good idea to increase the cheese flavour be adding nutritional yeast flakes to the cheese? What are your thoughts on this.