Saturday, January 21, 2017

Loaded Cauliflower Casserole


I don't know about you, but I am always planning a party. Sometimes I'll be in recuperation from the last, and I'm already planning the next. It's not that I have a lot of them; it's just that I enjoy the planning so much. It's almost like planning for a vacation; sometimes that's a whole lot more fun than the actual vacation (particularly when visiting one's spouse's family, but I digress). I have in mind a party for early summer to celebrate my dad's birthday. My hope is that it will also be a christening of the new enclosed deck and open side area that I'm having built, and is currently scheduled for spring. I'm excited about it. It's going to give me a lot of additional living space, an entirely new spot to decorate, a wonderful place to have my morning coffee (while still in my jammies -- who's to know?), a bohemian relaxation area, and that open side deck that is going to give me a wonderful place to experiment with the grill.

I'm already thinking that brisket from my favorite barbecue place is going to be the main dish, and am currently contemplating the sides. I like to try to come up with something new and different, and I am not at all averse to trying new recipes on company. I spotted this one online, and, lover of vegetables and cauliflower that I am, I had to try it. This dish is wonderful! Not only is it relatively easy to put together and tremendously toothsome, but it can be made a couple of days ahead prior to baking, or can be frozen and saved to bake later.

I didn't steam my cauliflower florets as the recipe called for, I decided to blanch mine for about five minutes instead. After blanching them I drained them and then plunged them into cold water to stop the cooking process. I prefer blanching to steaming because it does not rob the vegetables of all of their nutrients, and often the flavor as well. I saved about 1/2 cup of the blanching water to stir into the cheese mixture.

You must try this. I'm sure your family will love it and that you will agree with me that it is a keeper.
Loaded Cauliflower Casserole
As seen on Realhousemoms.com

2 lbs. cauliflower florets
8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
8 oz. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese, divided
8 oz. block cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons heavy cream
2 bunches green onions, sliced (1 1/2 cups)
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350
°F.

Steam cauliflower florets until tender. Meanwhile, cream together 6 oz. of the shredded cheddar, 6 oz. of the Monterrey Jack, all of the cream cheese, and heavy cream. Stir in sliced green onions, chopped bacon, and garlic; set aside.

Drain any liquid from steamed cauliflower and add to cheese mixture. Stir cauliflower and cheese mixture together. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pour into a 2-3 quart casserole and sprinkle on remaining cheddar and
Monterrey Jack cheeses. Cover dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes; remove foil and continue to bake until cheese is bubbly. 


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8 comments:

GranthamLynn said...

Oh it does look so yummy. I love planning parties too. Sometimes I just plan faux on my blog. HeHe. I would love to see the new sitting area. I am attracted to the Boho look too.
I hope you'll come over and share your plans and recipe at
http://ourholidayjourney.blogspot.com/2017/01/januaryfebruary-linky-party.html
It's an ongoing party with the theme just changing each month. Add me to your list and come for every party!

martinealison said...

Bonjour chère amie,

J'adore le choux-fleur sous toutes ses formes ! D'ailleurs j'aime toute la famille de choux !... cru et cuit !
Merci pour la recette... Bon weekend... Demain midi : choux-fleur !

Gros bisous 🌺

bj said...

OMYGOSH, Patti....this sounds sooo good. i have to make it, too.
Cauliflower give me indigestion sometimes but I can take a Pepcid before eating it. thanks so much for the recipe

Linda said...

Looks like a great alternative to potatoes. I like the idea of blanching instead of steaming.
When hubby worked for oil & gas companies back in the 1980s we had big parties, and I loved planning them. I had a notebook with detailed notes on each party, then I updated what worked and what didn't after the party. I kept that notebook for a long time, then at some point prior to a move I decided I didn't need it - and now I'm so sorry I tossed it! :(

Linda said...

Oh and I'm excited about your new space being built!!

The Lazy Gastronome said...

Thanks for sharing on the What's for Dinner link up!

Vanessa said...

How delicious is this side dish. Thank you for sharing at Dishing it and Digging it link party.

Unknown said...

I think I could eat this WHOLE dish! LOL YUM! PINNED!

I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, tips, and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/

Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!