Cheesy Cheddar Cauliflower
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Cheddar Cauliflower is the ultimate veggie dish: start by tossing your cauliflower in aromatic spices, then roast in the oven until golden brown. Top it off with sharp Irish cheddar and pop it back in the oven until it becomes partly melted and gooey and partly crispy. It's like cauliflower with cheese sauce—only a thousand times better!
Once you get on the roasted cauliflower train, there is no getting off! Enjoy this Italian cauliflower next.
This cheddar cauliflower recipe combines two things we love: roasted cauliflower that's tender inside with crispy florets and melted oozy, gooey cheese. The cheese comes in and melts all over the golden cauliflower, dripping down the sides to become little cheese puddles that harden into crispy cheesy bits. Do your best not to eat it all straight out of the oven!
Ingredients needed
Cheddar cauliflower calls for a few staple spices, cheese, and cauliflower! It's simple and wholesome. Gather these ingredients:
- Cheddar cheese: Sharp cheddar cheese will give the best flavor. We especially love using Irish cheddar as it's extra sharp and bursting with flavor!
- Cauliflower florets: Cauliflower is low in calories but high in vitamins and nutrients, like potassium, magnesium, antioxidants, and fiber.
- Other ingredients: Olive oil, sweet paprika, onion powder, oregano, black pepper, and sea salt.
- To serve: Sliced green onions.
How to make cheddar cauliflower
This dish is super easy to make! The melty cheese reminds us of the cheesy sauce mom used to make, but this recipe skips the fuss of making cheese sauce – you don't even need to get out the saucepan! This is how it's done:
- Bake: Start heating the oven while you prepare the cauliflower. Drizzle some oil over your florets and sprinkle them with the blend of spices. Toss to coat and pop them in the oven until the cauliflower is nicely browned.
- Cheese: Remove the roasted cauliflower from the oven and sprinkle your grated cheese over top of the cauliflower. Return it to the oven, letting the cheese melt for around five minutes, then take it out again. Garnish with green onion slices and enjoy!
What to serve with cheddar cauliflower
Cheesy cauliflower is the ultimate comforting side dish – it's a balance of nutritious cauliflower and indulgent bubbly cheese!
Honor your Irish cheddar and stay with the Irish theme and make Guinness spiked Irish chili, sticky Guinness chicken, slow cooker Guinness beef stew, or pulled pork shepherd's pie.
Cheddar cauliflower has been known to be eaten straight from the oven, standing over the stove top at our household! You can also make it the star of the show, serving it beside a kale salad, sauteed asparagus, or miso mushrooms.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use another cheese?
Sharp Irish cheddar cheese works so very well with this recipe, but in a pinch you can certainly use other cheeses. Any sharp cheddar would be great, even if it's not specifically an Irish cheddar. A white cheddar cheese, parmesan, or gouda would work well, too.
How do I store leftover cheddar cauliflower?
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in your fridge for 3-4 days. This recipe reheats well by being put back in the oven until it warms through. We don't recommend freezing this recipe, as it can change the texture of the cauliflower.
Do kids like cheddar cauliflower?
Yes – this cheesy recipe is usually a hit with kids. We've had success with little ones enjoying this recipe and it's a great way to get their vegetable intake in – covering things in melty cheese always seems to do the trick!
Cheddar Cauliflower Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lb cauliflower florets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon EACH: sweet paprika, onion powder, and oregano
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (see notes)
- Sliced green onions (to serve)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the cauliflower florets on the baking sheet, drizzle with the oil, and then sprinkle with the paprika, onion powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to toss the cauliflower until all the pieces are coated with the oil and spices.2 lb cauliflower florets, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon EACH: sweet paprika, onion powder, and oregano, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Spread the cauliflower around the baking sheet and then bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the cauliflower is nicely browned.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and push all the cauliflower to the center. Sprinkle with the cheese and then return the baking sheet to the oven. Let the cheese melt for about 5 minutes then remove the cauliflower from the oven and sprinkle some sliced green onions over the top.1 cup grated cheddar cheese, Sliced green onions
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
For more inspiration, check out all of our cauliflower recipes!
I made this tonight with half of a leftover cauliflower. My husband who is not thrilled with most cauliflower recipes stated this was fabulous. We did not have onion powder, so used leftover chopped caramelized onions added with the cheese.
That makes me so happy to hear! Hooray!
This cauliflower is insane!!
I think so too!!
Delicious. Will make again.
So happy to hear you like the recipe!