I’m guessing that if your kids are back to school and you’ve been as busy as I have these past couple of weeks, then you probably need something easy to make for dinner! Since I also needed something easy to post today, hopefully this low carb recipe will benefit both of us!
Honestly, this isn’t even something I was planning to share! I was starving and super busy, so I threw the cauliflower into the microwave, intending to make the jalapeno popper cauliflower casserole. The thing is, when the cauliflower was cooked I didn’t even want to bother pureeing it.
I also didn’t feel like making the cream cheese mixture and slicing the jalapenos!
So I simply attacked the cooked cauliflower (which already had the butter and cream in it) with a fork, and laid some pre-sliced pepper jack cheese over the top. Back in the microwave for 2 more minutes and it was done!
I took a hurried bite because we were on our way out, and instantly was like “holy moly this is DELICIOUS!” and stopped to take a few quick photos so I could share it with you!
[pinterest text=”Easy Cheesy Cauliflower Gratin (low carb and gluten free) from ibreatheimhungry.com” layout=”horizontal” image=”https://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/cauligratin2small-700×879.jpg”]
This is some no frills food photography if I ever saw it though! It was getting dark, and I had no time to set up to make it pretty either!
I promise, it tastes waaaayyyyyy better than it looks, and was so easy to make that it’s almost embarrassing!
[pinterest text=”Easy Cheesy Cauliflower Gratin (low carb and gluten free) from ibreatheimhungry.com” layout=”horizontal” image=”https://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/cauligratin3small-700×420.jpg”]
Sometimes when life gets ridiculously busy though, you just need a simple, yet delicious low carb recipe that you can get on the table STAT! This is that recipe! Pair it with the protein of your choice and a side salad, and you’ve got dinner on the table in half an hour or less! Enjoy!
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Easy Cheesy Cauliflower Gratin Recipe (Low Carb and Gluten Free)
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
A simple, yet delicious, low carb side dish recipe.
Ingredients
- 4 cups raw cauliflower florets
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- salt and pepper to taste
- 6 deli slices pepper jack cheese
Instructions
- In a microwave safe dish, combine the cauliflower, butter, cream, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Microwave on high for about 25 minutes, or until tender. (Edit: There seems to be some confusion about this amount of time. Cook it til it’s soft. It takes me 25 minutes for this much cauliflower in my microwave, yours might be less. You can always start with 10 minutes, then 10 more, then 5 more if necessary. The key is to get it soft enough to mash with a fork. This amount of time also sweetens the cauliflower and reduces the cream and butter, making it like a thick sauce.) Remove from the microwave and mash with a fork or potato masher. Taste and season with more salt or pepper if necessary. Lay the slices of cheese across the top of the cauliflower. Microwave for another 2- 3 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Serve hot!
Notes
Approximate nutrition info per serving: 215 calories, 19g fat, 2g net carbs, 6g protein
Nutrition
- Serving Size: approximately 3/4 cup
[pinterest text=”Easy Cheesy Cauliflower Gratin (low carb and gluten free) from ibreatheimhungry.com” layout=”horizontal” image=”https://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/cauligratinsmall-700×827.jpg”]
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Alisha says
Thanks for this easy, delicious looking recipe! I try everything I can to get my family to eat veggies. This looks like a sure fire way to do it! Thank you for sharing it.
Melanie says
This was so good and easy. I used frozen cauli and it worked perfectly. Love that I didn’t need to dirty the food processor for this.
Danielle says
I would prefer to use frozen cauliflower for this recipe as well. How long did it take you in the microwave with the frozen?
julie says
I made this tonight…i think i died and went to heaven!! I did, in fact, microwave it for 20 minutes on high. That is NOT a typo. I ended up with 5C. cauli, so i used 5T. butter and 1/2C. cream. I microwaved in 10-minute increments, stirring between, in an 1100-watt microwave. I still used the 6 slices odd cheese and microwaved for 3 minutes, i think. This is heavenly!!
julie says
*of cheese
Dana says
I am eating my second helping as I am typing this note (off the charts good!!). I saw your recipe, knew I had all of the ingredients, didn’t know what I was having for dinner, and boom….it’s what is for dinner. It is SO YUMMY!!! I added some garlic to it (because I LOVE garlic), but that was my only change. It was so easy, and it is SOooo good!! Thank you for the easy dinner idea. I’m probably eating more that I should. It is probably supposed to be a side dish…but who cares. I can splurge every now and then…and now is that time. Thanks :) BTW…I cooked it for 15 minutes (powerful microwave), and it was perfect! :)
Carolyn says
Have you ever roasted cauliflower? The flavor is SOOO much better.
Laurie says
This looks SO GOOD! Potatoes and melted cheese = my faves!
SJ says
Umm, there are no potatoes in this recipe.
Sonia! The Healthy Foodie says
This makes me wish I still did cheese…
Whoa,wait a minute. I still do from time to time, don’t I?
I am so making this! :)
KimBoo York says
Well, not all of us have a microwave! :( Could this work just baking the cauliflower mix instead?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Of course, or you could steam the cauliflower first, drain it and then add the rest of the ingredients and bake it at 375 degrees (F) for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the cream has reduced and become thick. Enjoy!
Rae says
I just steamed an entire head of cauliflower last night for this dish and (after coarsely chopping) I only had to steam for 5 minutes until the florets were fork-soft. I transferred them to a baking dish coated with butter and laid the pepper-jack cheese over the top and popped into a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. melty- bubbly goodness!
Genevieve says
This sounds like a better plan for me. I would much rather bake it, then microwave it.
Ditamac says
Please respond to Matt’s question. It seems like 25 minutes would be too much. Your other cauliflower recipes don’t microwave for so long a time. Thanks again for a great sounding recipe for cauliflower.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Sorry this took so long, I’ve been busy and just got home. Most of my other cauliflower recipes start with 1 head of cauliflower, or around 2 cups of florets. This recipe uses much more cauliflower and therefore takes much longer to cook. Cook it until it’s tender, however long it takes. Everyone’s microwave is different so feel free to do 10 minutes at a time until it’s where you want it.
Matt says
Microwave on high for 25 min? Is that correct? Seems a bit high.
Mike says
I’m thinking it’s a typo, and 2 – 5 minutes is what the author intended.
Mellissa Sevigny says
2 – 5 minutes wouldn’t even begin to make the cauliflower tender enough to mash with a fork – although that would be AWESOME since it would get me eating it SO MUCH FASTER! ha ha! I really did mean 25 minutes, but if you have a particularly strong microwave you may want to start with less time and just keep adding cooking time until it’s tender enough for your liking. Hope you like it!
sharpins128 says
Can you use frozen cauliflower?
Alison says
I would also love to know if anyone has suggestions for cooking times with frozen cauliflower.
Also, what size dish is recommended for this recipe?
Thanks in advance!
Kissy says
What kind of cream do you use?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Everyone’s microwave is different, but with four cups of florets in this recipe, it takes much longer to cook them to fork tender than my other recipes. I wanted it really soft so that it would easily mash with a fork – it also gets a certain sweetness to it from cooking it for so long. As always, it’s really up to you and your own preference. You may prefer to cook it less and have more of a al dente bite to it. Or start with 15 minutes and keep adding time if necessary. If you are halving the recipe, you would want to cook it for less time. Enjoy!
Tara Leighton says
For RAW cauliflower, it will take more than 2-3 minutes. If you use frozen cauliflower, for when you’re in a hurry, it takes less time.