Smothered Cauliflower: crazy, but it tastes like cauliflower
It’s a real shocker: we are admitting that this Smothered Cauliflower tastes like cauliflower.
How come all the uses of cauliflower say it doesn’t taste like exactly what it is? I LOVE mashed cauliflower, but it tastes like, well, cauliflower. Ditto for cauli-rice. Cauli-pizza dough? Yep. Cauliflower.
Cauli potato salad? Yeah, I’ve never tried that. I’m a little too loyal to spuds.
I actually love cauliflower, so none of this phases me until someone says you can feed it to your kids and they’ll never know it’s cauliflower. I call BS on that. Have they ever met kids? It’s almost as bad as those monsters that put pureed veggies in macaroni and cheese. My boys would know it was there and never eat mac and cheese again. And rightly so.
Ahem. Sorry. Rant over.
This is another of my Mom’s concoctions. Growing up, she called this Cauliflower with Mock Hollandaise Sauce. It doesn’t taste anything like Hollandaise Sauce, but it is yellow. Calling a dish “Mock Anything” seems like a problem, so I’ve taken the liberty of re-naming.
Smothered Cauliflower is born!
Prep the cauliflower by removing the stems and a little bit of the core, but leave the head intact. Put it in a large microwave safe bowl (affiliate links follow – see disclaimer page for details) and cook, covered, for 10 minutes or so, until the cauliflower is completely cooked through. Meanwhile, make the sauce.
I used regular prepared yellow mustard here, but this is really good with whatever your favorite mustard is. I’ve made it with whole grain, Dijon and Regular Brown, and all have turned out great. The mustard lends some flavor, but it’s not overpowering, so you can try a variety.
I’ve mixed up the cheese before too – Parmesan is easy, usually in the fridge and melts well, but cheddar works great too. Extra cheesy.
Cheesy anything is good~
Slather the topping on the cooked cauliflower, and sprinkle generous with paprika. (If you want a Mexican flare, use chili powder.)
Broil for 2 to 3 minutes, but keep an eye on it – it browns quickly.
Serve whole – it makes a great presentation. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for several days, and warm up easily in the microwave. This goes great with grilled meats or with your favorite crock pot meals like Shredded Chicken Joes or Tempting CrockPot Fire Chicken.
Smothered Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 head Cauliflower
- 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Prepared Mustard (yellow)
- 1/4 cup Finely Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Paprika
Instructions
- Remove all stems from cauliflower head and place in microwave safe bowl. Do not break up cauliflower. Add a few tablespoons of water to bottom of bowl. Cover with plate or plastic wrap, and cook on high for 10 minutes, until cauliflower is tender and cooked through.
- Meanwhile, combine mayo, a generous tablespoon of mustard and Parmesan cheese in small bowl. Mix well.
- Preheat oven to broil.
- Remove cauliflower from bowl and place on baking sheet. Spread mayonnaise mixture over top and sides of cauliflower and sprinkle generously with paprika.
- Broil until brown and bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.
4 thoughts on “Smothered Cauliflower: crazy, but it tastes like cauliflower”