Spicy Roasted Bacon Tomato Cauliflower

The rich garlicky sun-dried tomato pesto adds a lovely flavor to the cauliflower as it roasts in a little bacon fat. A generous sprinkling of crispy bacon and Parmesan finish this dish to perfection. This one is a side dish that wouldn't mind taking center stage.

Cauliflower is one of my very favorite vegetables as you can see from the many cauliflower recipes on this site. From main dishes like savory cheesy cauliflower cake (it's a beauty!) and curried cauliflower chicken pilaf, great brunch recipes like cauliflower cheese waffles and cauliflower Roquefort tart, to my absolute favorite cauliflower cheese pie with crunchy potato crust (just to name a few!) I think I've featured cauliflower more than any other vegetable.

This particular dish is another favorite. It checks of all of my boxes.

Cheesy. It's got your Parmesan.
Spicy. Fresh chili pepper for the win.
Bacon. You betcha!
Easy. Nothing easier than roasting. Pop it on a pan. Roast!
Cauliflower.  One whole head. That said, this recipe is REALLY easy to double for a bigger crowd.

Check, check, check, check and check. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do. And if you are a fan of cauliflower too, you are going to want to scroll on down to see the link list of all the cauliflower recipes my Sunday Supper friends are sharing today.

Spicy Roasted Bacon Tomato Cauliflower

This recipe is adapted from these two recipes from Eggton and Steamy Kitchen.

Ingredients
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes (dry, not packed in oil – about 1 1/4 oz or 35g by weight)
4 slices streaky thin cut smoky bacon (about 3 1/8 oz or 90g)
1 head cauliflower (Mine weighed 1 2/3 lbs or 765g)
5 medium garlic cloves
1 hot chili pepper
3/4 oz or 20g grated Parmesan cheese, plus an equal amount for serving
Olive oil

Method
Place your sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl and pour hot water over them. Set aside to soak and plump up.

Chop your bacon into small pieces and spread them around on a large baking pan. Put the pan in the oven and turn it on to preheat to 400°F or 200°C. The bacon will bake and get crispy as the oven preheats so keep an eye on it.

Meanwhile, cut the green leaves off of your cauliflower and break or cut it into florets.

Check on your bacon!

Drain the tomatoes but keep the water. Put the tomatoes, garlic, chili pepper and  Parmesan in the blender or food processor. Add some of the tomato soaking water and process until smooth. If it is too thick, just keep adding the water, a little at a time. This needs to be thick enough to coat the cauliflower yet thin enough to make it into all the little crevices in the florets.

Check on your bacon in the oven. If it’s already crispy, take the pan from the oven and use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon pieces, leaving the bacon fat behind in the pan.

Put your cauliflower in a large bowl and pour the sauce over it.

Stir well to coat the florets.

Put your sauced cauliflower florets in the baking pan, stem side up, and separated so that they can get roasted.  If you make a big pile, they’ll just steam.

Roast for 15-20 minutes in your preheated oven, then turn the cauliflower florets over to roast the other side. Drizzle with a little olive oil or more bacon fat if you have some handy.

Put the pan back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes or until the cauliflower is done to your liking.

To serve, scrape the roasted cauliflower, and all the good, roasted sticky bits from the pan, into a serving bowl. Sprinkle on the crispy bacon pieces and another generous handful of freshly grated Parmesan.

Enjoy!

Check out all the Sunday Supper cauliflower recipes! Many thanks to our host Caroline of Caroline's Cooking and our event manager Christie of A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures for all of their behind the scenes work.

Creative Cauliflower Starters and Sides

• Bang Bang Califlower Bites by Sunday Supper Movement
• Cauliflower Bacon Gratin by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• German Cauliflower Salad by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Loaded Cauliflower Casserole by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
• Loaded Smashed Cauliflower Bites by My Life Cookbook
• Spicy Roasted Bacon Tomato Cauliflower by Food Lust People Love
• Vegetarian Nachos by Simple and Savory

Make My Cauliflower a Main Dish

• Cheesy Cauliflower Soup by Hardly A Goddess
• Low-Carb Cauliflower Rice Pilaf with Ground Beef & Cabbage by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Oven Baked Honey Soy Sesame Cauliflower by Sprinkles and Sprouts
• Roasted Cauliflower and Vegetable Soup by Palatable Pastime
• Roasted Cauliflower Steak with Salsa Verde by Caroline's Cooking
• Salmon with Creamy Cauliflower Farro by Cooking Chat
• Shrimp Stir Fry with Cauli Rice by Our Good Life
• Spicy Cauliflower Tacos by Pies and Plots

Pin it! 

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Cauliflower Cheese Pie with Grated Potato Crust

A crispy potato crust is filled with all the comfort food goodness of cauliflower and cheese, making this the perfect pie for a still chilly February evening. Or anytime really.

When I was growing up, one of my favorite ways to eat cooked cauliflower was with a side of mayonnaise in which to dip it. I got some funny looks outside my home, where mayo and cauliflower was normal, a given. I thought everyone ate it that way. That winning combo was rivaled on my plate only by cauliflower with cheese sauce. I remember one special family occasion – not sure if it was Christmas or Thanksgiving or possibly even Easter – but there was a platter of cauliflower and broccoli arranged most artistically by my youngest aunt, all smothered in thick cheese sauce. I could have eaten the whole thing by myself but had to share. More’s the pity.

I discovered as I began to travel and learn about other cultures and traditional recipes that the British make a dish called cauliflower cheese for special occasions as well. The cauliflower is steamed or boiled whole then drained. A cheese sauce is created by making a béchamel or white sauce to which sharp cheddar is added, perhaps with a little dried mustard powder. This is poured over the whole cauliflower, some breadcrumbs are often sprinkled on top and then the whole thing is baked until golden brown and bubbling. Heaven, I tell you! It's one of my husband's favorite dishes so it's on regular rotation at our house.

Which brings me to today’s cauliflower cheese pie. It combines my love of cauliflower and cheese, with his baked British favorite and bonus, puts it all in a crunchy potato crust. Hope you love it as much as we do.

Make sure to scroll down to the bottom where my Sunday Supper friends are sharing All The Pies, sweet and savory, with many thanks to our host today, Erica of The Crumby Cupcake.

This recipe is adapted from "Moosewood Cookbook" by Mollie Katzen.

Ingredients
For the crust:
Drizzle olive oil for greasing 9in or 23cm pie plate and brushing crust during baking
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1lb 10oz or 740g potatoes
1 small onion (2 1/3 oz or 65g)
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the filling:
1 medium-sized cauliflower (Mine weighed about 2lbs 3oz or 980g.)
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion (about 3 oz or 85g)
3 cloves garlic
1 hot chili pepper - optional but recommended
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Several sprigs fresh thyme
1 1/4 cup (packed) or 100g cheddar cheese
2 large eggs
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Paprika or cayenne for the top

Method
Preheat the oven to 400°F 200°C. Grease a 9in or 23cm pie plate with a drizzle of olive oil.

Grate the cheese and set it aside. (I used my food processor but you can do it by hand, of course.)

Whisk your egg white with the salt and a good few grinds of fresh black pepper. Peel and grate your potatoes. (Once again, I used the food processor.) Squeeze the liquid out and stir the grated potatoes into the egg white immediately to stop them from discoloring.

Grate your onion and add it to the potato mixture, stirring well to combine.

Pour the grated potato mixture into the prepared pie plate and use your fingers to pat it down evenly to make a crust. It's going to seem quite wet, despite your squeezing the liquid out of the potatoes but don't worry. The moisture bakes away and the crust does get crunchy in the hot oven.

Bake the crust for 30 minutes in your preheated oven, then brush just up to the brown edge with a little olive oil (about 1 teaspoon) and bake for 10 more minutes.

Remove the crust from the oven and turn the temperature down to 375°F or 190°C.

While the crust is in the oven, you can get on with the filling. Remove the leaves and hard stem from the head of cauliflower and cut the florets into bite-sized pieces.

Chop your onion, mince the garlic and pepper and strip the leaves off of the fresh thyme sprigs. Save one sprig for garnish, if desired.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the onion, garlic, chili pepper, salt and thyme with a few good grinds of fresh black pepper, and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

Add the cauliflower, stir, and cover. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally - about 8 to 10 minutes.

When the baked crust is ready, sprinkle half the grated cheese onto it.

Spoon the sautéed vegetables on top, then top with the remaining cheese.

Beat the eggs, egg yolk, milk and cornstarch together making sure the cornstarch has dissolved and pour this over the top.

Dust lightly with paprika or cayenne.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until set. If you feel the edges are getting too brown before the pie is cooked through, cover them with some foil.

Serve hot or warm.

Enjoy!

I've got a bunch of pies I'm sure you'll love here:
Elle's Fresh Blueberry Pie
Sausage Apple Onion Tart
Brown Sugar Nectarine Tart
and these special Portuguese custard tarts, baked in honor of our Sunday Supper leader, Isabel, just to name a few.

But make sure you don't miss this fabulous link list to the #SundaySupper Pies: Sweet & Savory!

Sweet As Pie

• Apple Browned Butter Tart by The Chef Next Door
• Banana Cream Pie from Recipes Food and Cooking
• Blood Orange Pie from The TipToe Fairy
• Brown Sugar Pie from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Cherry Chocolate Brownie Pie from Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Chocolate Macadamia Nut Tart from Desserts Required
• Chocolate Pudding Pie from The Bitter Side of Sweet
• Coconut Cream Pie from Family Foodie
• Easy Lemon Pie from Basic N Delicious
• Fresh Lemon Hand Pies from From Gate to Plate
• German Sweet Chocolate Cream Pie from Meal Planning Magic
• Gluten-Free Chocolate Cherry Pie from NinjaBaker
• Gluten Free Mini Irish Cream Chocolate Mousse Pies from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Grapefruit Pie from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Homemade Oatmeal Creme Pies from Pies and Plots
• Irish Cream Coffee Mud Pie from The Crumby Cupcake
• Leaf Topped Apple Pie from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Magic Cookie Bar Pie from Moore or Less Cooking
• Mixed Berry Hand Pies from My Imperfect Kitchen
• No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake Pie from Feeding Big and More
• No Bake Blueberry Mini Filo-Pies from Hardly A Goddess
• No-Bake Mixed Berry Cream Cheese Tart from Magnolia Days
• Orange Meringue Pie from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Paifala (Samoan Pineapple Half Moon Pies) from Tara’s Multicultural Table
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pie from Sweet Mornings
• Perfect Manhattan Pie from The Texan New Yorker
• Pineapple Meringue Pie from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Quick Swiss Apple Pie from Confessions of a Cooking Diva
• Raspberry Cheesecake Pudding Pie from Flour On My Face
• Strawberry Mascarpone Tart from Taste And See

Mealtime Pie

• Beef & Red Wine Pie from Wholistic Woman
• Cauliflower Cheese Pie with Grated Potato Crust from Food Lust People Love
• Chard and Parsnip Galette from Caroline’s Cooking
• Chicken Tamale Pie from Rants from my Crazy Kitchen
• Cornish Pasties from Palatable Pastime
• Homity Pie (British Potato Leek Pie) from Curious Cuisiniere
• Italian Cheesy Artichoke and Asparagus Phyllo Pie from La Bella Vita Cucina
• Italian Hand Pies from Brunch-n-Bites
• Irish Shepherd's Pie from The Freshman Cook
• Jamaican “No-Beef” Patties from What Smells So Good?
• Mini Swiss Quiches from Family Around The Table
• Mushroom Swiss Quiche from Renee’s Kitchen Adventures
• Pizza Rustica from Monica’s Table
• Salmon Pot Pie from Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
• Savory and Spicy Mincemeat Pie from eating in instead
• Shepherd’s Pie Hand Pies from Our Good Life
• Skillet Shepherd’s Pie from Life Tastes Good
• Spaghetti Pie from Grumpy’s Honeybunch
• Spicy Korean Cottage Pie from kimchi MOM
• Taco Hand Pies from Kitchen Gidget
• Weeknight Chicken Pot Pie from Books n' Cooks

• Plus: Baked Puerto Rican Meat Pies and More Pie Recipes from Sunday Supper Movement

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Cauliflower Leek Roquefort Tart #FridayPieDay

Cauliflower and leeks, gently sautéed in butter, are the perfect accompaniment to the tangy, sharp Roquefort and the fragrant green onions in this savory Cauliflower Leek Roquefort Tart.

 

When it a quiche a tart? Ah, good question. I’ve decided that it must be when the chef is English instead of French. I’m joking but perhaps there is a little truth to it. A couple of months ago I shared a recipe for a cheese, shallot and potato pie that I had adapted from the wonderful cookbook, The Good Cook* by Simon Hopkinson.

That same week, while I was enjoying the company and hospitality of generous friends in France, I made this tart as well, adapted from that same cookbook. As I read the recipe, I exclaimed, “but this sounds just like quiche!” And I felt the same way when it came out of the oven. Whatever you want to call it, it’s delicious.

The creamy filling and the mild vegetables are perked up considerably by the sharp and tangy Roquefort. And you can’t beat a flaky crust! I used my normal shortcrust recipe, found here, with all butter since Crisco isn’t to be found in France, but this olive oil pastry recipe would work just as nicely.

Ingredients
Pastry dough for one bottom pie crust (homemade - see links above - or store-bought)
2 tablespoons butter
2 large leeks (about 1 lb or 450g, whole or 7 1/2 oz or 240g, trimmed)
1/2 medium cauliflower (about 9 1/2 oz or 270g, trimmed)
Sea salt
2 egg yolks
2 eggs
2/3 cup or 150ml heavy whipping or double cream
1/2 cup or 115ml crème fraîche (or substitute sour cream or plain thick Greek yogurt)
Black pepper
Small bunch green onion tops
8 3/4 oz or 250g Roquefort

Method
Make your pie crust dough (see choice of recipe links in last paragraph above or use your own) and set in the refrigerator to rest, covered well in cling film.

Trim the hard green parts off the leeks – these can be used in making vegetable stock, if you are so inclined – and rinse the white/pale green parts with ample running water, making sure to get all the dirt out from between the layers.

Slice the leeks thinly.

Trim off the leaves and the hardest part of the cauliflower stem. Slice the cauliflower thinly.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and sauté the leeks and cauliflower with a sprinkle of sea salt, until they are soft and any liquid that comes out has evaporated again. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C. Place a flat baking pan in the oven. Line your tart pan (approximately 11 in x 2 in deep or 28cm x 4cm deep) with baking parchment.

Roll out your pastry as thinly as possible and fit it into the lined tart pan. Fill it with baking beads or dried beans or chickpeas and blind bake it for 15-20 minutes on top the preheated flat baking pan.

Remove the parchment and beads/beans then return the tart shell to the oven to bake for another 10 minutes.

Chop your green onions finely.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk the yolks and eggs with the cream, crème fraîche with a few good grinds of fresh black pepper. Add in the chopped green onions and mix well.

Pile the leeks and cauliflower into the baked tart shell and spread them around evenly.

Cut your Roquefort into cubes and scatter them all over the vegetables.

Pour the cream/egg mixture over the cheese. (If you are concerned about getting the full tart into the oven without spilling, pour 2/3 of the mixture in to the tart shell and slide it into the oven. Then pour the rest in.)

Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until puffy and golden.

Allow the tart to cool for at least 15- 20 minutes before trying to slice it. This savory tart is just as delicious at room temperature as it is warm. I daresay I'd have eaten it cold as well, but by the next day, there wasn't any left.

Enjoy!

This is my contribution to FridayPieDay!

FridayPieDay is the brilliant invention of Heather from girlichef and I am pleased to join her on the last Friday of each month for pie and crust recipes, techniques, tools of the trade, and other inspiration.

This month Heather baked something that is a favorite at our house, beef and beer pie! In fact, almost every time we go out for a pub lunch, my husband orders some version of beef and beer pie. Heather's looks wonderful!

For more information and recipes, please check out her #FridayPieDay page!


*Amazon affiliate link. If you purchase the book after following my link, I earn some pennies, at no extra cost to you.

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Cauliflower Cheese Waffles #WaffleWeek2015

Lots of strong and bitey cheddar and tender cauliflower florets make a savory waffle that is delicious for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

I am a sucker for an enthusiastic invitation and folks who are organized. Way back in July, I read a Facebook post from Kim of Feed Me, Seymour proclaiming her love of waffles and inviting bloggers to join her for a celebration of those fluffy squares in far away September. That's what I call planning ahead! (Thanks, Kim!) I had been ruminating already about the possibility of cauliflower cheese waffles ever since I created the loaded baked potato waffles for National Waffle Week last year so Kim’s invitation was just the push I needed. If you love waffles like we love waffles, make sure to scroll down after my recipe to see all the creative variations we are sharing today!

My friend, Jane, has kindly invited me to share a Thanksgiving feast with her dear family twice in the last few years. First when I was all alone and lonely, just before we moved from Kuala Lumpur to Cairo and then again last year when my visit in KL happened to overlap with the holiday. I was delighted to accept because 1. I love her and her family and 2. She makes the best cauliflower cheese. It’s an essential dish in her Thanksgiving line up with its thick, cheesy sauce poured over cauliflower then baked to golden perfection. I could eat just that and be happy forever. I was channeling Jane’s dish when I created these savory waffles.

Ingredients for six or seven square Belgian waffles
Florets from 1/2 small cauliflower (Approximate weight 7 1/2 oz or 220g)
1 cup or 125g flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon mustard powder – I use Coleman’s.
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fresh black pepper
3/4 cup or 90g grated extra sharp cheddar cheese, plus more to serve, if desired
1/2 cup plain thick Greek-style yogurt
3/4 cup or 180ml milk
1 egg
Canola or other light oil for greasing waffle iron

To garnish: a sprinkle of chopped green onion tops

Method
Steam the cauliflower florets for about 5-7 minutes or until fork tender. Remove from the pot and allow to cool in the steamer or in a colander so any excess moisture will drain off. Transfer to some paper towels to dry further.

Once the florets are completely cool and dry, chop them up roughly. You want them in pieces that will show up in the waffles without being so big that they stop the waffle iron from closing.

Combine the flour, sugar, mustard powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and a few generous grinds of fresh black pepper in a large mixing bowl.

Pretend the pepper is there, okay? I did add it after the photo.

Tip the cauliflower pieces into the flour mixture and stir well so they are coated with flour.

Now add in the grated cheese and stir well.

Whisk the egg, yogurt and milk together in a smaller mixing bowl.

Preheat your waffle maker as per manufacturer’s instructions.

Now fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Do not overmix!

Using a pastry brush, grease your waffle maker with a little canola oil.

Spoon the manufacturer’s recommended amount of batter into the center of the lower half of the waffle maker, being careful to leave room for when the batter spreads out as you lower the lid and also for when the waffle starts to rise when baking.

Close the lid and watch for the signal that your waffle is cooking. On my waffle maker, the light goes green when it is ready for batter, red when it is cooking and then green again when the waffle is ready. I leave the waffle in just a little bit longer after the light turns green the second time so the waffles are nice and crispy. But if you like them less crunchy, by all means take them out earlier.

Serve topped with a little extra grated cheese and some green onions, if desired.

If you have any batter left over, go ahead and baked the waffles and store them, wrapped in cling film, in the refrigerator or freezer. These reheat beautifully in the toaster.

Enjoy!

Special thanks to Christie of A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures for our lovely graphic!

Are you ready for Waffle Week 2015? Whether you like ‘em sweet or savory, we’ve got you covered!

Appet-affles

• Cheese & Pear Waffle Appetizer by The Freshman Cook
• Waffled Polenta Crisps with Caponata by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Breakf-affles

• Buckwheat Waffles Benedict by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Churro Waffles by A Nerd Cooks
• Coconut Flour Waffles with Spiced Pineapple Syrup by Aloha Flavor
• Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Chocolate Pecan Waffles by Rhubarb and Honey
• Orange and Dark Chocolate Waffles by Cookie Monster Cooking
• Peanut Butter & Jelly Stuffed French Toast Waffles by The Spiffy Cookie
• Potato Waffle Eggs Florentine by Eats Well With Others
• Pumpkin Waffle Sandwiches with Apple Butter and Melted Brie by Go Go Go Gourmet

Waffl-ides

• Brown Sugar Chicken and Waffles by GirlCarnivore
• Cauliflower Cheese Waffles by Food Lust People Love
• Chicken and Spiced Sweet Potato Waffles by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Hummus Waffles with Sausage and Sun-Dried Tomatoes by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Mac and Cheese Waffles with Honey Bunches Chicken by Baking In A Tornado
• Sweet & Savoury Sausage & Apple Waffles by Fuchsia Freezer
• Sweet Potato Waffles with Horseradish Sauce by Our Good Life

Dessert Dish-affles

• Apple Pie Waffles by Spiced
• Banana Split Waffles by Cravings of a Lunatic
• Homemade Waffle Cones by Eva Bakes
• Neapolitan Waffles by Dinner at the Zoo
• Pumpkin Pecan Waffles by Feed Me, Seymour
• Pumpkin Pie Waffle Cake by Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt
• Red Velvet Waffles with Bourbon Cherry Syrup & Cream Cheese Drizzle by Cooking In Stilettos

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