I was browsing through the produce section at the grocery store the other day when I spotted beautifully vibrant purple and orange cauliflower. I practically swooned. I know, it’s a little weird that I get so excited about oddly coloured produce, but hey, that’s me. After staring at them for a while, like the crazy food-obsessed blogger that I am, treating the decision of selecting cauliflower as some major life-altering choice, I finally settled on the orange cauliflower. In hindsight, I should have grabbed a purple one, too, because the next time I went to the store, they had vanished (damn it!!). In any case, I had an orange cauliflower, and I found myself facing another painstaking decision — what should I do with such a special head of cauliflower?
It’s orange, and that made me think of cheese. Cauliflower and cheese are practically made for each other, so that was an obvious choice. I added some ground beef, and voila! Cauliflower. Cheeseburger. Casserole. It’s so simple, but often the simplest of meals are the best ones. I’d say that’s definitely true with this recipe.
It’s also low in carbs, if you care about that sort of thing. I pretend to sometimes.
Bennett and Ayla agreed with me — it was yummy! And I love how Ayla is peeking out from underneath the table in this photo; she never stays still.
Cole was undecided. He liked the cheese and cauliflower, but wasn’t sold on the ground beef. He thought it was a little too “beefy.” Fair enough!
All in all, it was a successful meal. I loved the orange cauliflower, but next time I see a purple cauliflower, I’m grabbing it! I’d like to see what this dish looks like with a violet hue. Whatever colour your cauliflower is, it’s going to be delicious in this casserole.
Yield: 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 large head of cauliflower (orange, if you can find it)
- 2 tbsp. flour
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 1/2 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
- seasoning salt, to taste
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef until browned. Drain any excess fat.
- Cut the cauliflower into florets, and steam them for about 5 minutes, until tender on the outside but still crisp in the middle.
- In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk together.
- Slowly whisk in the milk, and continue to whisk until the mixture comes to a boil and begins to thicken.
- Once thickened, remove sauce from heat and stir in 1 cup of cheddar cheese.
- Add seasoning salt, to taste.
- Combine beef, cauliflower, and cheese sauce. Taste and add another pinch of seasoning salt, if desired.
- Poto a casserole dish, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.
- Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes.
https://foodwhine.com/2015/05/cauliflower-cheeseburger-casserole.html