12 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Make with Cauliflower

I’ll admit, I’m a little late to the game when it comes to cauliflower.

When we were growing up, cauliflower was basically like broccoli’s white cousin.  You either boiled it, steamed it, or baked it…maybe added a little seasoning…and that was it.

Today, it seems like every other recipe includes some new and innovative way to use cauliflower.  It’s a great low carb substitute for rice and bread when prepared the right way.

So, now I’m on a mission to figure out all the different things you can do with cauliflower, and I’ve compiled the recipes in this post.

Enjoy…

12 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Make with Cauliflower

Here’s what I was able to track down.  I’ve tried a handful of these already, and they are great.

(And I definitely plan to try the rest of them soon!)

Also, these are not in any particular order…so that just means you need to try them all.

#1 Honey Garlic Baked Cauliflower

So, upon seeing this, my eyes just about popped out of my head.  This looks like high quality, restaurant-grade Chinese food.

But alas, it’s just a healthy vegetable.  (To be fair, it’s a healthy vegetable made less healthy because of the stuff that’s added…but still!)

When you combine sweet, savory, and a crunchy texture, you really can’t go wrong.

Source: Kirbie’s Cravings (click the link to go to the recipe)

#2 Cauliflower Grilled Cheese

This one is actually a lot easier than it looks.  Basically, you throw some cauliflower into a food processor until it’s rice-like in texture, then you mix it with eggs and a few spices, and you fry them on a pan into bread-shaped pieces.

Add the cheese, let it melt, and you’ve got yourself some bread-less grilled cheese.

(For all the details though, please see the actual recipe.)

Source: Delish (click the link to go to the recipe)

#3 Cauliflower Crust BBQ Chicken Pizza

BBQ chicken pizza is one of my favorites, and now you’re telling me there’s a healthier version that still tastes good?

Sign me up.

I’m amazed at how well the crust holds up – it doesn’t fall apart when you pick it up and eat it, like you think it might.

Source: Closet Cooking (click the link to go to the recipe)

#4 Cheesy Cauliflower Breadsticks

A close cousin to the pizza – the breadstick!

These make a great appetizer…perhaps served along side of your cauliflower pizza. 🙂

Source: Jo Cooks (click the link to go to the recipe)

#5 Cauliflower Fried “Rice”

I love Chinese food, especially fried rice.

The problem is, it’s terrible for you. All that grease and carbs…

I think we’ve found a solution here with the cauliflower substitute.  I was pretty skeptical of this one, but I must say, it does satisfy the fried rice craving.

Source: Eat Yourself Skinny (click the link to go to the recipe)

#6 Twice-Baked Cauliflower

We’ve covered substitutes for bread and rice…but what about potato?

Yes, cauliflower can do that too.

This recipe is an awesome substitute for cheesy mashed potatoes and makes an excellent side dish.

Source: Kalyn’s Kitchen (click the link to go to the recipe)

#7 Cauliflower Waffles

I honestly didn’t believe these were a real thing when I first saw the recipe.

The key thing to keep in mind with these is that they are really just waffles in texture and appearance.  As far as flavor goes, they’re more than waffles in that you can just eat them as is and they taste great (you wouldn’t necessarily want to put syrup on them).

These are a great complement to a bacon and egg breakfast.

Source: Kirbie’s Cravings (click the link to go to the recipe)

#8 Cauliflower Pot Pies

When I think about comfort food, chicken pot pie is one of the first things that pops into my head for some reason.

These of course aren’t your grandmother’s chicken pot pies.

They’re tasty little cauliflower pot pies, with all the same fixings as a regular chicken pot pie.

The great thing is…each one is only 205 calories.  So, no guilt in eating a few of these.

Source: It’s Cheat Day Everyday (click the link to go to the recipe)

#9 General Tso’s Cauliflower

Yep, we’re back to Chinese food.  This time, a substitute for General Tso’s chicken.

I’m not a vegetarian, but isn’t it such a great time to be a vegetarian?

With creative recipes like these, you’re really not missing out on too much if you don’t eat meat.

Source: Pinch of Yum (click the link to go to the recipe)

#10 Loaded Cauliflower Casserole

Next time you need to bring a dish to a family gathering, this one’s a winner.

Because of everything that goes into it, even if you hate cauliflower, you’ll still love this. There’s bacon, sour cream, mayo, ranch, and 3 different kinds of cheeses.

It’s not exactly healthy, but it is still better for you than the potato equivalent.

Source: Dear Chrissy (click the link to go to the recipe)

#11 Cauliflower “Potato” Salad

Here’s the cauliflower twist on the classic side dish, potato salad.

Now all you need is a burger or hot dog, a nice day, and maybe an adult beverage… that’s the essence of an enjoyable summer day.

This recipe is right on point with the flavor of potato salad.  It falls short in texture, mainly because cauliflower simply doesn’t have that soft, creamy bite that a cooked potato has.

Nevertheless, this is an excellent, cauliflower-based substitute.

Source: Kitchen is My Playground (click the link to go to the recipe)

#12 Roasted Cauliflower Tacos 

If this picture doesn’t brighten your day, I don’t know what will.

I don’t think a week goes by where we don’t eat some form of tacos, so this one fits perfectly into our routine.

Fair warning on this one: There are a lot of ingredients that go into this, and if you follow the recipe perfectly, you’ll probably spend around an hour putting together your tacos.  It’s worth the investment though, because they do taste great.

Source: The Glowing Fridge (click the link to go to the recipe)

That’s all (for now)

Are you as hungry as I am after reading this post? I am absolutely BLOWN AWAY by what you can do with cauliflower.

These 12 recipes just make you want to fill your fridge with cauliflower and try them all out.

There’s a lot I didn’t get to here (if you can believe it), so maybe one day I’ll do a part 2 in this series.

What are some cauliflower recipes that you’ve tried and enjoyed? Leave a comment below!