Creamy Cauliflower and Bacon Bake

Sometimes I get the impression people think I cook up gourmet meals for my family.

This makes me laugh because, truth be told, the best way to describe dinner around here is ‘grub’!

Life’s too busy for anything too fancy. It’s all about sausages with mash, butter chicken, beef stroganoff, spicy chicken wings, lentil soup, quesadillas … you get the picture.

Often I’ll just throw things together based on what I have left in the fridge and which may match the tastebuds of my family.

I don’t often blog these recipes, but, as mums we are all in the same boat, so I’ve decided to blog my ‘grub’ …

Creamy cauliflower and bacon bake is what I’m talking about here, and while it probably isn’t something Michelangelo might consider art, it’s tasty as (granted, anything with bacon is almost cheating).

Make enough to feed the family with a serving of leftovers for the next day. Our kids loved it on their leftover spelt pasta (a bit of a carbonara vibe) and side salad. For myself, I ate it straight up with a big side of salad. It would actually be pretty delicious with rice too and it’s a perfect side dish to a main meal.

Many of the ingredients in this recipe can be sourced from my one-stop-favourite, organic wholefoods online store, The Wholefood Collective. They go to great lengths to ensure everything they source is amazing quality, they stock all my favorite products and I don’t even have to leave the house! Oh and the cherry on the cake is they donate profits to improve food security for vulnerable Aussies.

Here are some of the ingredients you’ll need:

Cannellini or red kidney beans
Paprika
Chicken stock

Creamy Cauliflower and Bacon Bake

Brenda Janschek

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Servings 5

Ingredients

  

• 1 onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 200 grams bacon chopped
• 1 tin cannellini or red kidney beans
• 1 teaspoon each paprika thyme and oregano
• 1/2 cup homemade chicken or vege stock
• 1/2 head broccoli chopped into small florets
• 1/2 head of cauliflower chopped into small florets
• 1 cup cream
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese finely grated
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese finely grated
• extra cheese to sprinkle on top

Instructions

 

• Heat over to 180 degrees C
• In a large frying pan, fry onion and bacon on medium heat for a few minutes, until onion softens
• Add garlic and cook for a few minutes.
• Add beans, paprika, thyme and oregano and stir for 30 seconds
• Add stock and stir well and take off the heat
• While the onion and bacon are cooking, chop up cauliflower and broccoli and place in baking dish
• Stir through the onion and bacon mix
• In a small bowl whisk together cream and cheese and pour over cauliflower and broccoli and bacon
• Pop in the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes or until cauliflower and broccoli are tender
• Be sure to stir the bake 2-3 times during cooking
• Once cooked, sprinkle the bake with a handful of cheese, and sprinkle with paprika and grill for 5 minutes until golden brown
• Serve on top of pasta, rice, as a side dish or as is with a garden salad

Onion and bacon fry up

Cut up vegetables on pop in baking tray

Stir through onion and bacon mixture

Stir through creamy cheese sauce and pop in the oven

End result – a bubbling,creamy,cheesy,flavoursome home-style dish.Yum!

Bren x