Creamy Parmesan Cauliflower with Bacon
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Creamy Parmesan Cauliflower with Bacon is an unfussy and healthy side dish recipe that’s loaded with flavor from a creamy cheese sauce and salty, crunchy bacon bits.
Tender crisp cauliflower is swimming in Mozzarella and Parmesan cream sauce with bacon bits is sure to convert any non-loving cauliflower fans!
Creamy Parmesan Cauliflower with Bacon
Along with being full of flavor, Creamy Parmesan Cauliflower with Bacon takes about 20 minutes to make. This makes it a great weeknight side dish recipe.
Bacon or pancetta are both good in this recipe.
Alternately, play with the cheese options. You may consider swapping the mozzarella for Provolone, Gruyere, or Gouda.
You can also make this side dish recipe with broccoli or potatoes.
Creamy Parmesan Cauliflower with Bacon
In addition to tasting wonderful, cauliflower is considered a ‘super food’. This is because it contains many healthy compounds that may ward off cancer and heart disease.
Cauliflower is low in calories and high in nutrients and fiber. It’s also full of antioxidants; antioxidants protect your cells from harmful free radicals and inflammation.
Cauliflower is easy to add to your diet. You can roast it, use Cauliflower to make pizza crust, use it instead of rice, and make cauliflower mashed potatoes. There are many other ways to incorporate healthy cauliflower into your diet. such as these recipes that I’ve shared below.
You’ll love these Bang Bang Baked Cauliflower Bites and Cauliflower Casserole too!
You’ll want a large skillet or braiser pan to make this recipe in. The size really depends on how large your head of cauliflower is. A good knife for chopping the cauliflower is also essential. (I love this Braiser pan with lid, but this one is good quality too and very inexpensive.)
Creamy Parmesan Cauliflower with Bacon
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Ingredients
- 5 ounces bacon
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste
- 4-5 cloves garlic clove
- 1 and 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water *optional to make the sauce thicker
Instructions
- Fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Drain most of the bacon fat from the pan, leaving about 1-2 tablespoons for added flavor. Add the cauliflower to the pan and season with salt and pepper.
- Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and cook while stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes.
- Add in the garlic and stir. Cook for 1 minute. Pour in the cream, reduce heat down to low and simmer until tender. (2 to 3 minutes).
- *If the cream is too thin for your liking, add in the cornstarch slurry and stir until combined.
- Add bacon, mozzarella, and Parmesan and stir. Cook until cheese melts and cauliflower is as tender as you like.
- Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are important to you, I recommend calculating them yourself.
Wow! This recipe is a winner. It easily beat out the mashed potatoes and gravy we also served with the ham last weekend. That’s a first in our family. Will definitely make this a permanent addition to my recipe box. Thanks you!
Wow! This was absolutely deeelish! I don’t usually like Cauliflower dishes but with the added bacon and creamy parmesan…it was amazing! Maybe I’ll get brave enough to try some other Cauliflower recipes now. LOL
Cauliflower is my kids favorite veg, top it with bacon and cheese and I’ll need two batches lol
Do you parboil the caulifflower first?
I did not.
This will be a sure hit for dinner in my house!