Cajun Roasted Whole Cauliflower is a whole head of cauliflower frosted with mayonnaise,, cheddar cheese and Cajun seasoning and roasted.
Sometime during the mid 1980s, someone tipped me off to a great new way to cook a head of cauliflower. My husband and I love fresh cauliflower but the process of cleaning and prepping a whole head seemed like way too much trouble. As I look back now, many heads of cauliflower later, I find it somewhat amusing that I was so put off by it. It was a different time in my life. We were raising a young family with busy lives and I was working two, sometimes three, jobs to keep the lights turned on. This new cooking method appealed to my poor tired self because the only prepping required was cutting off the leaves and the stem before smearing the head with a bunch of butter, wrapping in waxed paper and throwing it in the microwave. The process was doable and my family ate it.
Fast forward to my life today. The kids are all grown and I’m retired. This retirement thing is great, but I’m busier now than I ever was when I worked outside my home. Even busier than when I ran my company. I’m not complaining, just stating a fact. My husband and I eat cauliflower a great deal. We buy the cauliflower whole, cut it up and steam it. I made myself laugh as I demonstrated how my perception of cauliflower changed along with my lifestyle. Who knew such a correlation existed? If you feel you’re too tired to cut up cauliflower, your life is probably too stressful.
Roasted vegetables are as common as old shoes around here. I roast any vegetable that doesn’t run away. However, roasted cauliflower doesn’t appeal to me. The flavor is too strong for my liking. So, I used inspiration from the old way of cooking a head of cauliflower and came up with a new plan for roasting it. I mixed up a frosting of mayonnaise, cheddar cheese and Cajun seasoning.
*time for a commercial break* I just whipped up this batch of Cajun seasoning a couple of weeks ago and the stuff is almost gone. We’ve had Cajun crispy fried onions a couple of times plus I made something else with it. I can’t tell you what it was because I don’t remember. I’m sure it was delicious. Anyway, you need some of this stuff.
Normally, I roast vegetables at 400 to 450 degrees. For the Cajun Whole Roasted Cauliflower, I cooked it at 350 degrees to give the innards enough cooking time without burning up the cheese and mayo frosting.
I hope you can find time in your life to try this version of cauliflower. For another roasted cauliflower version, try Roasted Cauliflower Steak . Cauliflower makes delicious soup, too, like this Cauliflower Leek Soup .
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Cajun Roasted Whole Cauliflower
yield: one head of cauliflower. 4 to 6 side servings
A spicy frosting of mayo, cheese and Cajun seasoning brings this vegetable to life. Your favorite seasoning can be substituted for Cajun seasoning. To serve, slice into wedges and remove core.
1 medium cauliflower
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
Wash cauliflower. Remove leaves and excess stem. Cut the stem level so the cauliflower sits up pretty.
Place cauliflower on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil.
Mix remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Spread over cauliflower head using a spatula.
Roast at 350 degrees for one hour.
You might also enjoy:
Grilled Rosemary and Garlic Skewered Potatoes
Cajun Roasted Whole Cauliflower
Ingredients
- yield: one head of cauliflower. 4 to 6 side servings
- A spicy frosting of mayo cheese and Cajun seasoning brings this vegetable to life. Your favorite seasoning may be substituted for Cajun seasoning. To serve, slice into wedges and remove core.
- 1 medium cauliflower
- 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
Instructions
- Wash cauliflower. Remove leaves and excess stem. Cut the stem level so the cauliflower sits up pretty.
- Place cauliflower on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil.
- Mix remaining ingredients in medium bowl. Spread over cauliflower head using a spatula.
- Roast at 350 degrees for one hour.
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
I love your writing style. I roast it at a lower temperature to ensure the innards are cooked too. It IS interesting how our lives ebb and flow. I wish I was retired. 🙂
Jackie Garvin says
Retirement will be yours one day, Maureen. You need to start resting up for it!
lindygsherrod says
Well how bout that, never thought about roasting it. Thank you Jackie, will give it a try, sounds yummy.
Jackie Garvin says
Lindy,
I hope you give it a try. It really is good and this is a favorite way to cook it.
Linda Morgan says
Will Greek Yogurt work ?? Mayonnaise is not edible !!!
Jackie Garvin says
Linda,
I haven’t tested the recipe with Greek yogurt so I’m unable to give you advise. Yogurt holds up in baked goods. It’s worth a try on the cauliflower.