Cauliflower in Cheddar Mustard Cream Sauce

Raise your hand if you love cauliflower. 

Good for you! Cauliflower is a good source of vitamin C and manganese, both antioxidants. It also has anti-inflammatories, fiber, and a number of B vitamins. 

What's that? 

You noticed that my hand wasn't raised earlier? 

It's true. Although I love most veggies, I generally skip right over cauliflower in favor of broccoli. Or carrots. Or green beans. Or pretty much anything else. 

I decided that needed to change, so I tried out a bunch of recipes that use cauliflower. And tried them. And tried a couple more. And finally found a cauliflower recipe that I not only like, I love. As in, I ate it for a meal. Several days in a row. And thought about it at work all morning leading up to lunch time. (And no, that's not just because I'm pregnant.) 

It's just that good. It's also fast, and easy, which makes it even more of a win. Cauliflower is steamed until it is just soft, not mushy. Then it is tossed with a cheddar mustard sauce so good that you will want some bread to mop up every last drop. It's not light by any means, but I take comfort in the fact that it's probably better for me than mac and cheese. And I'd much rather have a bowl of this than of mac and cheese. True story. 

If you've been looking for a reason to love cauliflower, or if you just want an amazingly impressive side dish that is easy to prepare (perhaps for V-day?) give this a try. You won't regret it, and you just might dream about it. 

Cauliflower with Cheddar Mustard Cream Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 large head cauliflower, cut into 1 inch florets
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 1/3 cups)
• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 Salt and ground black pepper

Directions

1. Fit a large saucepan with a steamer basket. Fill the pan with enough water to reach just below the bottom of the basket. Cover and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the florets to the basket, reduce heat to medium, cover, and allow the cauliflower to steam until tender but firm, about 7 minutes. Remove the cauliflower from the basket.
2. While cauliflower is cooking, place the cream in a small saucepan and bring to a bare simmer over medium heat. When the cream is steaming and just starting to bubble around the edges of the pan, turn off the heat and add the cheese, mustard and cayenne. Whisk together until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
3. Toss the cauliflower gently with the sauce in a serving bowl. Adjust the seasonings and serve immediately. (Note: Since the sauce isn't thickened with flour or any other thickening agent, a lot of it will run off the cauliflower even after tossing. Don't worry - it's rich enough that it will still flavor the cauliflower. You could probably increase the amount of cauliflower if the wasted sauce bothers you. I always like to make sure there is excess so I know each floret is coated.) 

Prep Time: 5 min Cook Time: 7 min Serves: 4-6

Recipe Source: America's Best Side Dishes from America's Test Kitchen

Posted in: Side Dish