Roasted Beef Stuffed Cauliflower

You know the saying, ‘what’s old is new again‘ is one that seems to fit cauliflower. What used to be considered a boring vegetable, less colorful and less delicious than its cousin broccoli, is now an ‘it’ vegetable. I mean, its everywhere — cauliflower rice, pizza crust, roasted, in sandwiches, main entrees, etc. etc. The versatility of this humble veggie has boosted its popularity to become big business for growers and grocers.

Whole roasted cauliflower is an unusual presentation. Cauliflower’s inherent earthy sweetness becomes more pronounced as the moisture inside is drawn out.

January is always a good month to get creative with oven meals. I love the idea of a whole roasted cauliflower with cheese sauce drizzled over it. Although, stuffing it with meat is not a new concept, I, myself have not made it this way. So today’s meal is a nicely seasoned ground beef filling baked inside of a whole cauliflower and topped with a Parmesan cheese sauce. The result is real good! 

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Roasted Stuffed Cauliflower with Beef

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Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

American, European

Servings

MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

Beef Stuffing

• 454 grams ground beef
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp tomato paste
• 1 medium-large fresh tomato, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tsp fresh sage, chopped
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1-2 whole fresh cauliflowers

Parmigiano-Reggiano Sauce

• 2 Tbsp EACH butter & flour
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 60 grams Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• salt to taste

Course Main Dish Cuisine American, European Servings MetricUS Imperial Ingredients Beef Stuffing 454 grams ground beef 1/2 medium onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tsp tomato paste 1 medium-large fresh tomato, chopped 1 egg 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 1 tsp dried oregano 1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped 1 tsp fresh sage, chopped 1/2 tsp pepper 1 1/2 tsp salt 1-2 whole fresh cauliflowers Parmigiano-Reggiano Sauce 2 Tbsp EACH butter & flour 2 1/2 cups milk 60 grams Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated 1/2 tsp pepper salt to taste

Votes: 1 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe!

Instructions

Stuffed Cauliflower

1. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, onion, garlic, tomato paste, tomato, egg, pepper flakes, oregano, basil, sage, pepper & salt until well incorporated. Set aside.
2. Remove the whole stem from the cauliflower making sure to leave the head fully intact. In a large pot, boil cauliflower for 8-10 minutes until fork tender. Remove from the boiling water & place on paper towels to drain for a few minutes then carefully remove any remaining stem to make space for the filling.
3. Preheat oven to 400 F. Fill the head of cauliflower with ground beef mixture making sure to press the filling into the head. Place inverted head of cauliflower on a buttered, foil lined baking sheet; cover with another sheet of foil & bake about 30 minutes or until beef is cooked through.

Cheese Sauce

1. In a saucepan, melt butter add flour, stirring until light brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in milk & allow to thicken, about 5 minutes. Add grated cheese, salt & pepper & mix until fully incorporated & thickened.
2. Adjust heat to broil. Remove foil from stuffed cauliflower & cover with cheese sauce. Broil about 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Garnish with fresh parsley.