Cheesy Irish Cheddar Cauliflower
This insanely delicious Irish Cheddar Cauliflower is first tossed in spices and roasted in the oven. Then it's topped with Irish cheddar and popped back in the oven until it melts. It's like cauliflower with cheese sauce only a thousand times better.
I've made us cauliflower! Roasted until golden then drenched in cheddar cheese. And I'm calling it Irish.
I have no idea if anyone in Ireland has ever eaten such a thing. If they haven't, they should. It's life changing cauliflower. As in … if you eat this your life will be a thousand times more delicious than it ever has been before. No exaggeration.
Reasons to love this Irish Cheddar Cauliflower:
- Cheese + cauliflower = magic.
- Not just any cheese. Irish cheddar cheese. Sharp. Delicious. Best ever cheese.
- Cheese that melts all over the roasted cauliflower and drips down the sides to become little cheese puddles that harden into crispy cheesy bits when you take the pan out of the oven.
- It's like eating cauliflower with cheese sauce that mom used to make only you don't have to fuss around and make the whole cheese sauce.
- It's quite possible you will eat this entire recipe by yourself. If you do, you'll be eating 4 servings (nearly an entire days worth) of vegetables.
Honestly, you'll be lucky if any cauliflower even makes it to the table. *Maybe* just once, dinner here looked like me standing in front of the oven devouring every. last. piece. of cheese-covered cauliflower. Cause ya, I'm all about classing it up.
The Irish part of this recipe comes in the form of Irish cheddar cheese. Otherwise known as the best cheddar cheese there ever has been. It's a hard cheddar that's extra sharp and absolutely bursting with flavor. With St. Patrick's Day coming up I thought it was the perfect excuse to indulge a little in my favorite but not used often enough ingredient: cheese.
Seriously, why doesn't every recipe on this blog have cheese in it? Of the million cauliflower recipes here, this is the only one with cheese in it.
And by a million cauliflower recipes, I'm only slightly exaggerating:
- Garlic Brown Butter Mashed Cauliflower
- Golden Roasted Turmeric Cauliflower
- Creamy Cauliflower Hummus
- Blackened Cauliflower with Rosemary Garlic Panko ← please promise me you'll make this one!
- Skinny Bang Bang Cauliflower
- Najib's Special Lebanese Cauliflower
- Lemon Parmesan Cauliflower Steaks
- Cauliflower Polenta with Mushrooms and Hazelnuts
- Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Sesame and Ginger
- Baked General Tso's Cauliflower
- Curried Lime Cauliflower Bites with Curry Mayo
- Quinoa Ranch Cauliflower Burgers
- Curried Chicken Cauliflower Rice Soup
If you love this Cheesy Irish Cheddar Cauliflower as much as I do, make sure to give it a 5-star review in the comments below!
Cheesy Irish Cheddar Cauliflower Bites
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. cauliflower florets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- A big pinch of pepper
- 1 cup grated Irish cheddar cheese
- Sliced green onions, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the cauliflower florets on the baking sheet and drizzle with oil 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. Spread the cauliflower around the baking sheet and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the cauliflower is nicely browned.2 lbs. cauliflower florets, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon sea salt, A big pinch of pepper
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and push all the cauliflower to the center. Sprinkle with the cheese 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 Irish cheddar cheese
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!