Easy Roasted Parmesan Cauliflower Dish
If you like cauliflower even a little, you will LOVE this simple roasted Parmesan cauliflower side dish – it melts in your mouth! Plus cauliflower is a great source of vitamin C and the ‘super-vitamin': vitamin K.
See below for tips on varying this recipe, as far as pan-frying instead, or you can also use different vegetables like broccoli, green beans, or asparagus!
Easy Roasted Parmesan Cauliflower Recipe
Ingredients
- Cauliflower (or other veggie of choice), cleaned and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/4 cup pastured butter or ghee (Remember not to be afraid of butter! Read more here about healthy fats!)
- 1/4 cup quality olive oil
- 8 ounces or so of fresh Parmesan cheese (if you're feeding a bigger group and using more than one head of cauliflower OR if you just like a lot of cheese, feel free to use more!)
- Sea salt and pepper to your taste preference
- If you're using the veggie variations mentioned below, you'll also want some fresh garlic or garlic powder, and fresh onion (chopped) or onion powder — just sprinkle some on and taste-test to see if you want more, this isn't an exact recipe!
Instructions
Melt butter in a small saucepan, then add in the olive oil.
Now cut your Parmesan cheese into hunks. Next, use a mixer to shred the cheese. I use my Bosch to quickly shred the Parmesan cheese (where to buy a Bosch, and here's more about my beloved Bosch).
Lay the cauliflower out on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet, brush on the butter/olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt. Bake until it's golden brown at 375*, for about 10-15 minutes – don't overcook or it'll get mushy. Then sprinkle with however much Parmesan cheese that you'd like (a cup or so?), and broil just 'til it's melted.
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- Note: Do you wonder about heated olive oil this high? Read more about the myths about cooking with olive oil. Personally, I've never had a problem with it smoking, but you have to watch it to be sure. You could also use ghee, bacon grease, tallow, lard or coconut oil.
- Use other veggies in this recipe, too! You can actually use this same method to make almost any vegetable dreamy. We've tried it with asparagus and green beans and both are really good!!!
- Also, make this recipe on your stove-top! You could also use this recipe to pan-fry/stir-fry veggies in stead of roasting in the oven. We like cast-iron pans, but when we're feeding a bigger group, we use my favorite pan! (Read more about why I love it here and all the things I can do with it.) Here's how: Just sprinkle with seasonings, fry in oil on medium heat until they're crisp-tender, and a couple minutes before they're done, sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on to melt before serving.
Now wait until you see even your kids going nuts over this vegetable side dish! 🙂
Stephanie Warner Gullette says
Nice! Thanks
%kelly the kitchen kop% via Facebook says
We love doing this with brussels sprouts too!
%kelly the kitchen kop% via Facebook says
Will try!
%kelly the kitchen kop% via Facebook says
https://gourmandeinthekitchen.com/2012/garlic-thyme-oven-braised-artichoke-recipe/ I make this minus the herbs (didn’t have them on hand the first time) and I used red wine, and my kids were fighting over the last one. So much excitement in the house on artichoke days!
%kelly the kitchen kop% via Facebook says
Green beans- blanched for a minute then sautéed in olive oil with garlic and almond slivers and, of course butter…so yummy!
%kelly the kitchen kop% via Facebook says
I do the same thing with broccoli added. My daughter also LOVES roasted brussel sprouts, with butter, olive oil, garlic and a touch of salt :).
%kelly the kitchen kop% via Facebook says
Roasted carrots with butter. Steamed green beans with soy sauce.
%kelly the kitchen kop% via Facebook says
Lyn Gorski – I know, see my post – I talk there about how you can make that with any veggie. 🙂
%kelly the kitchen kop% via Facebook says
Jen Schroeder Zordan – I know! At the post I talk about how you can make the same recipe with *any* veggie. 🙂
%kelly the kitchen kop% via Facebook says
https://www.food.com/recipe/mushrooms-and-green-beans-221448
%kelly the kitchen kop% via Facebook says
My kids, and everyone else, love these: https://www.food.com/recipe/brussels-sprouts-in-garlic-butter-21761
%kelly the kitchen kop% via Facebook says
https://www.realfoodwholehealth.com/2012/04/crispy-kale-chips-a-delicious-real-food-snack/
%kelly the kitchen kop% via Facebook says
https://www.realfoodwholehealth.com/2011/01/carmelized-broccolini-with-garlic-butter/
%kelly the kitchen kop% via Facebook says
https://www.realfoodwholehealth.com/2011/01/swiss-chard-with-bacon-and-garlic/
%kelly the kitchen kop% via Facebook says
https://www.realfoodwholehealth.com/2011/05/easy-creamed-spinach/
%kelly the kitchen kop% via Facebook says
That’s a picture of Asperagus. 😀
%kelly the kitchen kop% via Facebook says
I just tonight made a moo shu with veggies (I used cabbage, broccoli, carrots this time) and eggs that my 2 year old loved, and she usually avoids veggies like the plague.
%kelly the kitchen kop% via Facebook says
having a food neophobe (10 today) veg have been a long battle, but best recipe was to tell him that picking snowpeas and broadbeans out of the garden was naughty … I try not to catch him stealing and eating as often as possible …
%kelly the kitchen kop% via Facebook says
Steamed cabbage with salt and plenty of butter. The cabbage gets really soft and sweet if you cook it long enough. Put a little water in the pan so it doesn’t burn. Cook with lid on about 15-20 min. My kids love it.
%kelly the kitchen kop% via Facebook says
Pic looks like asparagus??
Jeanmarie says
This did not turn out well for me, but it sure looked pretty, with the purple cauliflower I used. The Parmesan didn’t shred, it turned into mini-dices in my food processor, and so it wouldn’t really stay on the cauliflower. I like Victory Lynette’s idea of mixing the cheese with butter/olive oil blend. Maybe I’ll try it again.
Or, I’ll probably just roast the cauliflower! I love roasted veggies.
KitchenKop says
Bummer! But yeah, I didn’t use a food processor on my cheese, but a *shredder* – maybe try that next time?
Kel
Victory Lynette says
Excellent. Mixed together the butter/olive oil in a bowl and stirred in the cauliflower to coat. Added a couple cloves of minced garlic, too. The Parmesan really gives it a nice touch. Really enjoyed it. Thank you!
Amanda Y says
This looks yummy! Quick question tho–Thats a lot of (expensive here) Parmesean cheese slices, how much of it did you use to go with one head of cauliflower?
KitchenKop says
Yeah, most of that went into the freezer after I shredded it. 🙂
I don’t know how much I used, I just sprinkled it all over… Maybe 1 cup or so?
Janny says
I neglected to mention that chard is delicious baked this way, too. We hadn’t tasted it until I fixed it this way. Yum!
Cut the thick, center veins out and throw them away. Take the leaves that remain and cut them into two-inch strips with your knife. Toss with oil. Lay them on a baking stone and add sea salt. Bake at 400 just until the leaves turn crispy (start watching after 15 minutes). These first turn “mushy” as they bake but will suddenly go crispy and hold their shape when you pick a piece up with your fingers. At that point, they will melt in your mouth, literally!
KitchenKop says
Yes, I love doing that with Kale, too. Here’s my Kale Chips recipe: https://kellythekitchenkop.com/2010/11/kale-chips-a-great-low-carb-crunchy-salty-snack.html
Kel
Jeanmarie says
Oh, don’t throw away the centers! They work great in a gratin. Or give them to your goats. Ours love stuff like that.
Janny says
Roasting veggies in this fashion is what turned the tide with our veggie-avoiding daughter. Asparagus is one of her favorites now; she likes it baked ’til brown and somewhat crispy on the edges. Sweet potatoes slices baked this way carmelize so even I have learned to enjoy them.
I find it easiest to throw the pieces or slices of veggies into a bowl and toss with oil. Then I spread them out on my baking stone and add sea salt.
Teri Gelseth says
Genius! I love picking up great new ideas for for vegetables especially ones the kids will eat. I am just kinda eat it raw whatever person. My creative juices really get going when we have family or friends around and i LOVED to cook for my husband but that creativity seems to wane when its just me and the kids…
YUMM! Cauliflower is going back on my list 🙂
Teri
terigelseth.com
Liz says
This is my favorite way to do cauliflower. Except I add a lot of fresh minced garlic and I usually have the oven hotter — 425 and it gets kind of “tender crisp” and full of garlicky yummy goodness!
Elizabeth says
This sounds yummy! Can’t wait to try it!
Previously, I never knew what to do with cauliflower. Then, I discovered this easy and delicious recipe:
Prepare cauliflower, cut into small pieces. Wash and slice mushrooms. Melt butter/olive oil mixture in wok or skillet; add cauli and mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Saute until done. It gets done faster if you let it cook some with a lid on. Very similar to your recipe — without the cheese and still very tasty! 🙂
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
Good idea to just do the same thing with stir-frying. I like parmesan melted or not, so just sprinkling it on after frying while it’s still hot would work, too. I don’t like mushrooms, but the rest of the family does.
Thanks!
Kelly
Jeanmarie says
I was just wondering what to do with the cauliflower in the fridge!
Jeanmarie says
I’m starting to make it now… I just noticed it doesn’t say how much Parmesan cheese. Estimate?
Thanks!
KitchenKop says
Hi Jeanmarie, I answered that in a comment below but thanks for the reminder, I should add it to the post. About a cup or so? 🙂
Kelly
Mary Beth says
Yumm!! I have PCOS and can’t eat many starches (think potatoes…) I’m always looking for new and tasty ways to make cauliflower. This one looks like a keeper!