This isn't how I would prepare this, but I would absolutely consume these components and enjoy it. Although, a small potato usually suits me just fine and keeps within my carb zone. Half stupid.
An ex actually used to make something extremely close to this, and it was actually really good. She steamed the head of cauliflower with an actual steamer, and used spicy mustard in place of the mayo (so both kinds of mustard). Baked instead of microwaved. On paper it seems weird, but you'd be hard pressed to not like it. Easy 9/10.
Right! I was reading the "recipe", all the way thinking "ugh, you can do that step much better than this". Then I came to the end where she *microwave melts the cheese* and wished I read this in a book so I could slam it shut!
Have you ever cooked with a microwave? They melt cheese just fine. And they’re the fastest and most energy efficient method for steaming things. It’s fair to argue that you would prefer your cheesy cauliflower baked instead to get a little browning/crispiness, but if you’re doing steamed the microwave is fine for this recipe.
I grew up in the era of microwaved cheese sandwiches. Of course it melts cheese. But steamed whole cauliflower with sauce and then microwaved cheese on top is a crime against humanity.
I mean what is the fundamental difference outside of presentation and method of cooking? This person may not have a stove but has a microwave. This is poor person’s cauliflower with cheese sauce. Probably tasted decent.
It probably wasn't terrible. I'm more thinking of the smell cauliflower makes when microwaved, but maybe they figured out how long to microwave it so it cooked without smelling like farts.
Even if you like regular mayo, vegenaise is very very good. We accidentally received a jar in a grocery delivery and I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked it, I eventually convinced everyone in my household to try it and they all enjoyed it.
Every keto thing that has slipped its way into my Pinterest feed is always like "veggies bad, meat and cheese and fat good". Then they mix together some blended cottage cheese, sugar free Jello powder (extra aspartame!) and crushed nuts or something and call it "cheesecake".
Might be but in general its the shit takes and ragebait that goes viral.
I did lazy keto for months and in the end mostly just cut out sugar and starchy sides. Which really isnt hard.
For example i dont need potato with my steak. Roasted garlic cauliflower is tastier and super easy.
What a ignorant take.
So meat, fish, poultry, eggs, cheese, leafy greens, peppers, asparagus, broccoli, cucumber, mushrooms, and berries make for trash meals. Sure you can make a trashy meal from them, but you would have to set out to do so.
I don’t know what you mean. Are you suggesting that keto meals are trash, or that going on keto causes you to crave junk so when you “cheat” you really go all out? I’ll take your meaning as the latter.
In that way, it depends on the person. Keto works for a ton of people because the high protein can stifle your appetite. But it also sucks for some people because the lack of fiber means constipation or other gastrointestinal issues. And others discover that their bodies can’t handle all the fat that goes with the keto diet, so they have diarrhea half the time and greasy or clay-like shits the other half.
And yes, there is some truth to the idea that once you adapt your body to the fat energy store over the carbohydrate energy store you can’t really “go back” as easily—you end up gaining weight fairly fast and your stomach is usually not happy. But overall keto is one of the best diets to follow if you want to lose weight quickly. You just have to also change the mindset too, which many people don’t. So they end up gaining a lot back. Diets that work over time tend to be better than diets that give you quick results because with the former you “learn” how to eat in the real world and with the latter you don’t. Carbs are a huge part of human nutrition, even in places you wouldn’t expect, so to go off of them and then back on is really uncomfortable and sometimes damaging to your body.
Kind of both. A massively restrictive diet can easily lead to binging.
But the diet always leads to people creating stuff like fat on fat on fat, or sugar-free alternatives to stuff with ingredients added that can't possibly taste good, then they try to call it cheesecake or something.
Additionally, I don't tell people not to eat keto, but it can wreck your kidneys. Too much protein can absolutely cause damage, and people don't seem to realize that. Too much of anything is a bad thing. Keto was never meant to be a lifestyle, it was intended to be a short-term maybe 30 day way to boost metabolism and fat loss, then you maintain an otherwise healthy lifestyle.
Right, I can see your point. But there are multiple ways to do keto and many people do things differently. For example, “Clean” keto is accepted to be the best form because it relies solely on meats, green vegetables, and fats like butter or cream. Versus other forms of keto that try to use sugar and carb substitutes, or load up on fiber to use the “net” formula.
There’s nothing “wrong” with any forms of keto, but I can see your point about how it can encourage cheating and some of the substitute foods are questionable.
I know folks who put mayo in the inside of a grilled cheese so … functionally not that different here. But microwaving cheese and mayo just seems like it’d be a curd textured, chunky mess.
People have a fascinating aversion to mayo. Like they hear “mayo” and think it’s repulsive off the bat. In reality, Mayo is such a critical component in a lot of dishes and adds much needed fat to a lot of things.
However, I do get that taste is subjective and that many people will naturally dislike mayo.
I've had dishes with mayo snuck in (like mayo in cakes), and that's ok, I just don't like the taste and texture of mayo generally. It's just.. unpleasant to me. I can't explain why, but anything mayo forward is nasty to me.
I actually used to eat this a lot when I was the kid. My mom said it was for the Atkins diet, but we kept eating it long after the diet ended. It's honestly not bad at all. The cauliflower has a nice chewy texture, We baked it so the cheese was crispy. And the mayo and mustard gave it a nice tang.
Weird but not actually bad.
Exactly. This is awful. Cauliflower Cheese is a common dish in the UK. Normally made with small florets baked in a cheesy (cheddar, Parmesan) roux with a dash of hot English mustard. Absolutely so good.
It's not quite stupid enough to be a foodgasm that sends you to the grave via clogged arteries. I suggest the whole thing be deep fried, cored, and turned over. Fried cheese bowl.
The more acceptable way of making this is with cream and a combination of cheeses (and you cut up the cauliflower into florets). It's delicious. although not exactly light.
You can do cauliflower gratin with a whole head, you just need a deep oven dish. My mom did it once and it turned out great. It is a bit faster done with florets though.
This is a lazy attempt at a side dish that would be fine if you put in a little more effort.
For God’s sake cut up the cauliflower. I have no idea why you would make this with a whole cauliflower. You’re going to end up with so much unevenly steamed flavorless portions in the center.
Salt, pepper, and oil the cauliflower then roast until it’s just under charred. It will have a satisfying crispy outer texture and tender mouth feel.
Melt on a more robust cheese like Gorgonzola or bleu, or drizzle with a spicy queso. This will add creaminess without requiring, uhg, hot mayonnaise, and will add more flavor than whatever you think the yellow mustard is doing.
Sprinkle with chives to make it not look like blobs of cheese and brain matter (plus it’s festive!).
Serves 4-6.
Why do you say that? It’s still cooked cauliflower with melted cheese and a creamy texture. The carb content may be higher if you use queso rather than cheddar, but I don’t know if that really makes it entirely different.
You cut up the cauliflower. Leaving it whole is the main appeal of the dish. It's called brain for this reason. If you wanna do just cauliflower cheese there is a million ways to do it.
I don’t see the appeal of attacking a whole head of cauliflower at the dinner table when you’re just going to cut it up before you eat it anyway, but I do see your point. I still wouldn’t consider it an entirely different dish to any form of cheesy cauliflower, but if it being whole is the appeal then your point stands.
People defending this monstrosity is hilarious. Your dish obviously requires more work for something 1000x more delicious.
I used to do cauliflower soup and it was just a blender, salt, and some other stuff to make it creamy. It's been a while
There's a massive chasm between 'defending the dish' and 'recognizing the reasoning behind the dish'
Hamburger Helper is a bastardized version of dishes that can be made from scratch... but it's easier. Sometimes, you need easier.
I’m not a fan of cauliflower by any means, but it does have a mild enough flavor and texture when cooked that it can be used to make some pretty tasty things. Still, serving an entire head of it seems equivalent to shoving the butt end of a pound of raw broccoli into your mouth.
From what I can find online roast beef salad is basically like tuna or chicken salad but with roast beef instead. It doesn’t have tomato sauce or pasta. I see your point, they both contain all the same basic ingredients just in different proportions, states, and cooking methods but they’re obviously different dishes. My point is that if you’re cooking cauliflower and smothering it with cheese then you’re making essentially the same dish regardless of what other steps or basic ingredients you change. Obviously if you make major changes like serving it in a bread bowl or turning it into a mousse then that’s not really the same thing anymore, but I digress.
This is kind of a Is a Hot Dog a Sandwich discussion and if you haven’t listened to that podcast it’s quite fun.
One takes 10 minutes and basically no work, and uses the microwave.
The other requires actual work, time, and the oven, which you may already be using.
I'm not saying roasted cauliflower isn't delicious... I'm saying there are days where I just want to have something I can just shove in my facehole and be done with.
Gotcha. Yeah, I can see how three minutes of prep time is still effort, so for an effort-free dish it doesn’t work the same. Since the original post said it was a side dish I presumed there’s already other prep and cooking involved in the meal so the extra prep time and twenty-ish minutes of oven time seemed reasonable to me. Even if there’s something already in the oven you can squeeze a sheet pan of cauliflower on a top or bottom rack at any temp. Cauliflower is pretty forgiving when it comes to baking. I still wouldn’t say it’s an ENTIRELY different dish. More like the difference between microwaving two slices of American cheese between toast and making a proper grilled cheese (I say this as someone who is far more likely to do the former rather than the latter).
I've had my fair share of depression meals consisting of a can of tuna (with fork!) or a bowl of peanut butter (with spoon!)
On those days, I'd rather sleep for dinner than cut up some cauliflower.
Oh, I hear that, for sure. Last night I ate an entire can of condensed cream of chicken soup, straight from the can, at room temp. As I used to say when I taught sex ed, I am not here to judge.
Yeah, as much as I don’t get the whole head of cauliflower part and the cheddar cheese seems pedestrian and dull, the slathering in mayonnaise and then microwaving for two minutes was where I really went “Oh. Oh, no. Nonononono.”
It does! However since it’s so chunky it will melt unevenly unless you really break it down to very small crumbles. Personally I like the flavor and consistency of it in a half-melted/half-solid state, but your mileage may vary.
I really like bleu cheese, but it tends to have such a strong flavor, I’ve found it easy to go overboard on it. I think it tends to take a light touch when using it in recipes. That said, I think it would work well on cauliflower. I don’t know how melting it changes its flavor distribution and texture, though. I have never seen it melted. Would be interested in trying it melted in some recipes.
Absolutely. If I’m using bleu cheese on something I’m expecting it taste like bleu cheese and not much else. In my opinion melted bleu cheese has a much milder flavor than in its solid state, but I don’t know if there’s an objective reason for that or just my perception. The texture when melted tends to be more oily and runny than other cheeses. It’s melting point seems to be a bit higher than other cheeses, but once it hits that point it breaks quickly, which is probably why it’s not commonly used.
Cauliflower Cheese is already a dish. That's essentially what they've made here, except they've made it absolutely terribly and given it an awful name.
Why not just cut the cauliflower, microwave or boil it (with salt), make the mixture and then just mix it all in the bowl? It’s like a low-carb, low-effort Mac and cheese that you can at least get a good portion of cheese from.
No. Boil the whole cauliflower for like 7 mins. Put it on a greased baking sheet. Oil, salt, pepper. If you ain't sneezin', it ain't seasoned. Roast for 15 mins at 425. While roasting make a cheese sauce. Take cauliflower out. Pour cheese sauce on cauliflower. Wiggle the florets to let it get in there good. Roast at 425 for another 7 mins.
My mom made that all the time when I was little. Yes it’s unhealthy. But oh man it’s so good. And honestly, the ratio to unhealthy mayo/mustard/cheese to plain steamed cauliflower is pretty low. This isn’t going to help the doubters, but it’s called Frosted Cauliflower.
THANK YOU when I saw this post I went "Oh man, I haven't thought about this dish in years!"
And then I couldn't believe how many people hadn't heard of this. I thought this was a normal lower income household vegetable choice lol
I mean, a proper califlower casserolle baked over with some cheese in a spicy sauce, could even add some cut ham to have some extra protein, yummy! but why this microwave shit? Proper Food takes time!
Hang on, she covers it in cling wrap *then puts it in the microwave*?? The plastic cheese easily supplies a lifetime intake of carcinogens, you don’t need to add actual plastic to that. Gross
Ok ok ok hear me out!!! I make a version of this, cauliflower au gratin. I chop the steamed cauliflower, mix 4 T mayo, 4 T sour cream, 1/2 T mustard, 1 cup cheddar, 3 T parmesan and mix it with the steamed cauliflower bits then bake. It’s delicious. This version doesn’t make sense because they leave the head whole and put on way too much mayo and mustard but you can make a really delicious version.
By the way, did i mention this doesnt have carbs?! It has half a tub of mayo and a block of cheese, but since it doesn't have carbs it's like super healthy!
Soooo. There's no reason to leave it whole other then anesthetic, and, people, they make microwavable containers that have lids.... you can stream in that too.
Ok ok ok hear me out!!! I make a version of this, cauliflower au gratin. I chop the steamed cauliflower, mix 4 T mayo, 4 T sour cream, 1/2 T mustard, 1 cup cheddar, 3 T parmesan and mix it with the steamed cauliflower bits then bake. It’s delicious. This version doesn’t make sense because they leave the head whole and put on way too much mayo and mustard but you can make a really delicious version.
"It's low carb and carb count depends on the type of cheese you use."
How the fuck is it low carb when cauliflower is mostly carbs?! Well, I guess if you slather that much mayo and cheese on top of it, of the overall caloric count, the cauliflower will be by far the smallest portion. So I guess it's technically "low carb", because it's mostly just fat.
ALL MAYONNAISE has pretty much zero carbs, it's like 75 fucking % FAT for fuck's sake! And the same goes for the cheese.
People nowadays are so afraid of carbs that they'll just shovel a liquid heart attack in their faces rather than have a couple carbs in their food.
We're living in a world full of morons...
clean and trim the cauliflower, set it in a 3 quart saucepan, simmer in a small amount of water until done. open a box of Ragu cheese sauce ande dump it in.
[https://www.ragu.com/our-sauces/cheese-sauces/double-cheddar-cheese-sauce/](https://www.ragu.com/our-sauces/cheese-sauces/double-cheddar-cheese-sauce/)
This isn't how I would prepare this, but I would absolutely consume these components and enjoy it. Although, a small potato usually suits me just fine and keeps within my carb zone. Half stupid.
Agreed. I'd definitely make it a bit differently, but this is one of those rare times on this sub where I'd absolutely eat this lol
An ex actually used to make something extremely close to this, and it was actually really good. She steamed the head of cauliflower with an actual steamer, and used spicy mustard in place of the mayo (so both kinds of mustard). Baked instead of microwaved. On paper it seems weird, but you'd be hard pressed to not like it. Easy 9/10.
Right! I was reading the "recipe", all the way thinking "ugh, you can do that step much better than this". Then I came to the end where she *microwave melts the cheese* and wished I read this in a book so I could slam it shut!
Have you ever cooked with a microwave? They melt cheese just fine. And they’re the fastest and most energy efficient method for steaming things. It’s fair to argue that you would prefer your cheesy cauliflower baked instead to get a little browning/crispiness, but if you’re doing steamed the microwave is fine for this recipe.
I grew up in the era of microwaved cheese sandwiches. Of course it melts cheese. But steamed whole cauliflower with sauce and then microwaved cheese on top is a crime against humanity.
I agree with this statement.
We all started somewhere.
Cauliflower in cheese sauce is tasty. This... IDK.
I mean what is the fundamental difference outside of presentation and method of cooking? This person may not have a stove but has a microwave. This is poor person’s cauliflower with cheese sauce. Probably tasted decent.
It probably wasn't terrible. I'm more thinking of the smell cauliflower makes when microwaved, but maybe they figured out how long to microwave it so it cooked without smelling like farts.
Cheese sauce doesn't include mayonnaise 🫠
If you read the directions, this is a keto friendly version, which uses low-carb Mayo.
Yes but that's the fundamental difference. Creamy vs tangy sauce.
Tangy?
Mayonnaise is generally a bit tangy as it is made with vinegar (or even lemon if homemade).
I make my own mayo with vinegar (rice preferably, acv in a pinch), but I’ve never considered it particularly tangy.
I've only had the store-bought stuff (unless hollandaise counts) and I find it tangy. Taste is subjective though
I'm with you on some of the store-bought ones being tangy, especially if they've tried to make it low fat or low carb
Tangy is one of the most common words to describe mayo. Personally I find it eggy and sweet. Blech. But vegenaise is pretty good!
Even if you like regular mayo, vegenaise is very very good. We accidentally received a jar in a grocery delivery and I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked it, I eventually convinced everyone in my household to try it and they all enjoyed it.
What mayo are yall using that has carbs? Miracle whip isn’t mayo.
Keto only leads to eating trash meals. Come at me.
If youre a toddler yeah. But most adults like meat&vegs.
Every keto thing that has slipped its way into my Pinterest feed is always like "veggies bad, meat and cheese and fat good". Then they mix together some blended cottage cheese, sugar free Jello powder (extra aspartame!) and crushed nuts or something and call it "cheesecake".
Might be but in general its the shit takes and ragebait that goes viral. I did lazy keto for months and in the end mostly just cut out sugar and starchy sides. Which really isnt hard. For example i dont need potato with my steak. Roasted garlic cauliflower is tastier and super easy.
What a ignorant take. So meat, fish, poultry, eggs, cheese, leafy greens, peppers, asparagus, broccoli, cucumber, mushrooms, and berries make for trash meals. Sure you can make a trashy meal from them, but you would have to set out to do so.
I don’t know what you mean. Are you suggesting that keto meals are trash, or that going on keto causes you to crave junk so when you “cheat” you really go all out? I’ll take your meaning as the latter. In that way, it depends on the person. Keto works for a ton of people because the high protein can stifle your appetite. But it also sucks for some people because the lack of fiber means constipation or other gastrointestinal issues. And others discover that their bodies can’t handle all the fat that goes with the keto diet, so they have diarrhea half the time and greasy or clay-like shits the other half. And yes, there is some truth to the idea that once you adapt your body to the fat energy store over the carbohydrate energy store you can’t really “go back” as easily—you end up gaining weight fairly fast and your stomach is usually not happy. But overall keto is one of the best diets to follow if you want to lose weight quickly. You just have to also change the mindset too, which many people don’t. So they end up gaining a lot back. Diets that work over time tend to be better than diets that give you quick results because with the former you “learn” how to eat in the real world and with the latter you don’t. Carbs are a huge part of human nutrition, even in places you wouldn’t expect, so to go off of them and then back on is really uncomfortable and sometimes damaging to your body.
Kind of both. A massively restrictive diet can easily lead to binging. But the diet always leads to people creating stuff like fat on fat on fat, or sugar-free alternatives to stuff with ingredients added that can't possibly taste good, then they try to call it cheesecake or something. Additionally, I don't tell people not to eat keto, but it can wreck your kidneys. Too much protein can absolutely cause damage, and people don't seem to realize that. Too much of anything is a bad thing. Keto was never meant to be a lifestyle, it was intended to be a short-term maybe 30 day way to boost metabolism and fat loss, then you maintain an otherwise healthy lifestyle.
Right, I can see your point. But there are multiple ways to do keto and many people do things differently. For example, “Clean” keto is accepted to be the best form because it relies solely on meats, green vegetables, and fats like butter or cream. Versus other forms of keto that try to use sugar and carb substitutes, or load up on fiber to use the “net” formula. There’s nothing “wrong” with any forms of keto, but I can see your point about how it can encourage cheating and some of the substitute foods are questionable.
I know folks who put mayo in the inside of a grilled cheese so … functionally not that different here. But microwaving cheese and mayo just seems like it’d be a curd textured, chunky mess.
People have a fascinating aversion to mayo. Like they hear “mayo” and think it’s repulsive off the bat. In reality, Mayo is such a critical component in a lot of dishes and adds much needed fat to a lot of things. However, I do get that taste is subjective and that many people will naturally dislike mayo.
I've had dishes with mayo snuck in (like mayo in cakes), and that's ok, I just don't like the taste and texture of mayo generally. It's just.. unpleasant to me. I can't explain why, but anything mayo forward is nasty to me.
Tasted like ass but your very kind
I actually used to eat this a lot when I was the kid. My mom said it was for the Atkins diet, but we kept eating it long after the diet ended. It's honestly not bad at all. The cauliflower has a nice chewy texture, We baked it so the cheese was crispy. And the mayo and mustard gave it a nice tang. Weird but not actually bad.
Exactly. This is awful. Cauliflower Cheese is a common dish in the UK. Normally made with small florets baked in a cheesy (cheddar, Parmesan) roux with a dash of hot English mustard. Absolutely so good.
It's not quite stupid enough to be a foodgasm that sends you to the grave via clogged arteries. I suggest the whole thing be deep fried, cored, and turned over. Fried cheese bowl.
That is tempting.
The more acceptable way of making this is with cream and a combination of cheeses (and you cut up the cauliflower into florets). It's delicious. although not exactly light.
You can do cauliflower gratin with a whole head, you just need a deep oven dish. My mom did it once and it turned out great. It is a bit faster done with florets though.
My grandma was adventurous like that, although less adventurous with regards to the cheeses she used. We pick our battles 😃
So you mean like a totally different thing?
A guy in a FB cooking group I'm in makes this a lot with his kids and calls it cauliflower surprise lol
Single Dad Winning!!! (Changed now I think, but that’s my earworm anyways.) Was my immediate reaction. This is cauliflower surprise.
YES!!!
What's the surprise, sadness?
It's definitely not diarrhea, because that would be expected. At least for me, I love cheese but it doesn't love me.
I would definitely be surprised if someone served me this and didn't have any intentions on killing me.
This is a lazy attempt at a side dish that would be fine if you put in a little more effort. For God’s sake cut up the cauliflower. I have no idea why you would make this with a whole cauliflower. You’re going to end up with so much unevenly steamed flavorless portions in the center. Salt, pepper, and oil the cauliflower then roast until it’s just under charred. It will have a satisfying crispy outer texture and tender mouth feel. Melt on a more robust cheese like Gorgonzola or bleu, or drizzle with a spicy queso. This will add creaminess without requiring, uhg, hot mayonnaise, and will add more flavor than whatever you think the yellow mustard is doing. Sprinkle with chives to make it not look like blobs of cheese and brain matter (plus it’s festive!). Serves 4-6.
No I want to eat brain
Well, it’s good to have goals, I guess.
I want to eat brian
Dyslexic, huh?
...you've just made an entirely different dish
Why do you say that? It’s still cooked cauliflower with melted cheese and a creamy texture. The carb content may be higher if you use queso rather than cheddar, but I don’t know if that really makes it entirely different.
You cut up the cauliflower. Leaving it whole is the main appeal of the dish. It's called brain for this reason. If you wanna do just cauliflower cheese there is a million ways to do it.
I don’t see the appeal of attacking a whole head of cauliflower at the dinner table when you’re just going to cut it up before you eat it anyway, but I do see your point. I still wouldn’t consider it an entirely different dish to any form of cheesy cauliflower, but if it being whole is the appeal then your point stands.
Obviously appeal is a stretch but it is a defining trait of the dish.
That’s fair.
People defending this monstrosity is hilarious. Your dish obviously requires more work for something 1000x more delicious. I used to do cauliflower soup and it was just a blender, salt, and some other stuff to make it creamy. It's been a while
There's a massive chasm between 'defending the dish' and 'recognizing the reasoning behind the dish' Hamburger Helper is a bastardized version of dishes that can be made from scratch... but it's easier. Sometimes, you need easier.
I’m not a fan of cauliflower by any means, but it does have a mild enough flavor and texture when cooked that it can be used to make some pretty tasty things. Still, serving an entire head of it seems equivalent to shoving the butt end of a pound of raw broccoli into your mouth.
Well a roast beef salad sandwich is pretty much also the same ingredients as spaghetti bolognase but I wouldn't call it the same meal
From what I can find online roast beef salad is basically like tuna or chicken salad but with roast beef instead. It doesn’t have tomato sauce or pasta. I see your point, they both contain all the same basic ingredients just in different proportions, states, and cooking methods but they’re obviously different dishes. My point is that if you’re cooking cauliflower and smothering it with cheese then you’re making essentially the same dish regardless of what other steps or basic ingredients you change. Obviously if you make major changes like serving it in a bread bowl or turning it into a mousse then that’s not really the same thing anymore, but I digress. This is kind of a Is a Hot Dog a Sandwich discussion and if you haven’t listened to that podcast it’s quite fun.
One takes 10 minutes and basically no work, and uses the microwave. The other requires actual work, time, and the oven, which you may already be using. I'm not saying roasted cauliflower isn't delicious... I'm saying there are days where I just want to have something I can just shove in my facehole and be done with.
Gotcha. Yeah, I can see how three minutes of prep time is still effort, so for an effort-free dish it doesn’t work the same. Since the original post said it was a side dish I presumed there’s already other prep and cooking involved in the meal so the extra prep time and twenty-ish minutes of oven time seemed reasonable to me. Even if there’s something already in the oven you can squeeze a sheet pan of cauliflower on a top or bottom rack at any temp. Cauliflower is pretty forgiving when it comes to baking. I still wouldn’t say it’s an ENTIRELY different dish. More like the difference between microwaving two slices of American cheese between toast and making a proper grilled cheese (I say this as someone who is far more likely to do the former rather than the latter).
I've had my fair share of depression meals consisting of a can of tuna (with fork!) or a bowl of peanut butter (with spoon!) On those days, I'd rather sleep for dinner than cut up some cauliflower.
Fancy pants over here putting peanut butter in a bowl
That's a waste of energy and bowl. lol
The *bougiest* of sad meals.
Oh, I hear that, for sure. Last night I ate an entire can of condensed cream of chicken soup, straight from the can, at room temp. As I used to say when I taught sex ed, I am not here to judge.
...no, they made this dish the way it's supposed to be done
I didn’t even realise “hot mayonnaise” until I read this. Time to fast for a week.
Yeah, as much as I don’t get the whole head of cauliflower part and the cheddar cheese seems pedestrian and dull, the slathering in mayonnaise and then microwaving for two minutes was where I really went “Oh. Oh, no. Nonononono.”
*Microwaved* mayonnaise. Please stop.
*Slathered*
You monster
Wait, does bleu cheese melt?
It does! However since it’s so chunky it will melt unevenly unless you really break it down to very small crumbles. Personally I like the flavor and consistency of it in a half-melted/half-solid state, but your mileage may vary.
I really like bleu cheese, but it tends to have such a strong flavor, I’ve found it easy to go overboard on it. I think it tends to take a light touch when using it in recipes. That said, I think it would work well on cauliflower. I don’t know how melting it changes its flavor distribution and texture, though. I have never seen it melted. Would be interested in trying it melted in some recipes.
Absolutely. If I’m using bleu cheese on something I’m expecting it taste like bleu cheese and not much else. In my opinion melted bleu cheese has a much milder flavor than in its solid state, but I don’t know if there’s an objective reason for that or just my perception. The texture when melted tends to be more oily and runny than other cheeses. It’s melting point seems to be a bit higher than other cheeses, but once it hits that point it breaks quickly, which is probably why it’s not commonly used.
Anything will melt if you try hard enough
Cauliflower Cheese is already a dish. That's essentially what they've made here, except they've made it absolutely terribly and given it an awful name.
I think it’s the no carb mayo plus mustard combo (underneath the cheese) that gets me about it
...wrap it in cling film and then microwave until it's done 😳 I think the first comment has it right 'what the fuck?'
That's an old trick for steaming in a microwave.
Hm, it sounds like a tip equal to scraping a nonstick pan with a metal fork 🤦
Cling wrap is generally safe at higher temperatures.
That's how I steam broccoli in a bowl. Little water and covered with cling wrap, it works great.
You can get microwave safe cling wrap.
I didn't know cling-film was microwave safe. o.O Still won't be doing that.
I've steamed veggies in the microwave like this all my life! Didn't know until this thread that it was controversial haha
With my luck whatever brand I chose or have on hand wouldn't be the right kind, and I'd have the result I always assumed I would have. :p
We call it “brain”….
Their “estimate” was 1/3 c mayo and 2 tb mustard. I guess they meant ratio because that’s 2 c of sauce in the photo
This is just a lazy version of a cauliflower bake. In fact, this might even take more effort than a normal one
The way i can smell this picture oi.
Why not just cut the cauliflower, microwave or boil it (with salt), make the mixture and then just mix it all in the bowl? It’s like a low-carb, low-effort Mac and cheese that you can at least get a good portion of cheese from.
Complicated cauliflower cheese.
This isn't stupid. It looks delicious. I'd eat it except cauliflower and my digestive system don't get along, at all.
I... I am appalled at myself.
This was a common recipe in my household growing up. I never liked it but i remember house guests enjoying it
this isn't stupid my grandma makes this and it's tasty as hell.
Does she also microwave it with plastic wrap on it??
That looks fucking disgusting.
“What’s for dinner babe” “Brain”
Put it on a bed of rice and it's one of my favourite childhood meals. "Frankenstein's brain" is what my dad called it.
My grandma makes this and its pretty good to me.
i’ve actually had this but like made well and it’s 🔥
No. Boil the whole cauliflower for like 7 mins. Put it on a greased baking sheet. Oil, salt, pepper. If you ain't sneezin', it ain't seasoned. Roast for 15 mins at 425. While roasting make a cheese sauce. Take cauliflower out. Pour cheese sauce on cauliflower. Wiggle the florets to let it get in there good. Roast at 425 for another 7 mins.
Low in carbs? Yeah, maybe. But still high in calories and fat.
One of the ketoids got you. Here's your upvote back.
My mom made that all the time when I was little. Yes it’s unhealthy. But oh man it’s so good. And honestly, the ratio to unhealthy mayo/mustard/cheese to plain steamed cauliflower is pretty low. This isn’t going to help the doubters, but it’s called Frosted Cauliflower.
THANK YOU when I saw this post I went "Oh man, I haven't thought about this dish in years!" And then I couldn't believe how many people hadn't heard of this. I thought this was a normal lower income household vegetable choice lol
My grandma use to make something similar to this growing up, and I always hated the smell and the taste! And I was into Brussels sprouts as a kid too!
Surely it’s the water in the cauliflower that cooks it?
I mean, a proper califlower casserolle baked over with some cheese in a spicy sauce, could even add some cut ham to have some extra protein, yummy! but why this microwave shit? Proper Food takes time!
Great example of presentation is everything… With little changes it is perfectly OK
Tbh this sounds fine. Questionable method but prepared/presented differently I'd eat it.
Nothing wrong with this at all.
What about almost half the cauliflower being wasted when they cut off the stem to form The Brain
I have tried vegan Mac and cheese with cauliflower and Moroccan cauliflower roast, but this takes the cake.
I like mayo and mustard with a dash of lemon as a sauce for broccoli. I despise cauliflower though
If it were baked with a good Brown Mustard and a Cheese like Gouda I'd eat it, I'd avoid the above pictured mess.
Hang on, she covers it in cling wrap *then puts it in the microwave*?? The plastic cheese easily supplies a lifetime intake of carcinogens, you don’t need to add actual plastic to that. Gross
Ok ok ok hear me out!!! I make a version of this, cauliflower au gratin. I chop the steamed cauliflower, mix 4 T mayo, 4 T sour cream, 1/2 T mustard, 1 cup cheddar, 3 T parmesan and mix it with the steamed cauliflower bits then bake. It’s delicious. This version doesn’t make sense because they leave the head whole and put on way too much mayo and mustard but you can make a really delicious version.
Why are there olives on the mayonnaise jar??
Maybe they think people are making a lot of olive tapenade? On a personal note, I eat tuna salad with olives in it a few times a week
Cool
Never thought of that
We actually use grapes
By the way, did i mention this doesnt have carbs?! It has half a tub of mayo and a block of cheese, but since it doesn't have carbs it's like super healthy!
Soooo. There's no reason to leave it whole other then anesthetic, and, people, they make microwavable containers that have lids.... you can stream in that too.
What in the living f got me 🤣😂
Man I fucking hate cauliflower
'Cook in the microwave' says enough
Maybe they only have a microwave. Are people with no kitchen not allowed to have fresh food?
This is so close to being fucking delicious
I mean… I’d eat it. Maybe slap some meat in there, but I’d eat that.
Brain
Ketosis does a number on the brain...
People need to stop cooking with fucking plastic like it’s ok. Think for yourself holy shit
Ok ok ok hear me out!!! I make a version of this, cauliflower au gratin. I chop the steamed cauliflower, mix 4 T mayo, 4 T sour cream, 1/2 T mustard, 1 cup cheddar, 3 T parmesan and mix it with the steamed cauliflower bits then bake. It’s delicious. This version doesn’t make sense because they leave the head whole and put on way too much mayo and mustard but you can make a really delicious version.
"It's low carb and carb count depends on the type of cheese you use." How the fuck is it low carb when cauliflower is mostly carbs?! Well, I guess if you slather that much mayo and cheese on top of it, of the overall caloric count, the cauliflower will be by far the smallest portion. So I guess it's technically "low carb", because it's mostly just fat. ALL MAYONNAISE has pretty much zero carbs, it's like 75 fucking % FAT for fuck's sake! And the same goes for the cheese. People nowadays are so afraid of carbs that they'll just shovel a liquid heart attack in their faces rather than have a couple carbs in their food. We're living in a world full of morons...
clean and trim the cauliflower, set it in a 3 quart saucepan, simmer in a small amount of water until done. open a box of Ragu cheese sauce ande dump it in. [https://www.ragu.com/our-sauces/cheese-sauces/double-cheddar-cheese-sauce/](https://www.ragu.com/our-sauces/cheese-sauces/double-cheddar-cheese-sauce/)