These baked cheesy cauliflower steaks deliver on all the greatness of roasted cauliflower. The softness of the cauliflower combined with the gooey cheese and crispy topping makes for the perfect texture experience.
Baked cheesy cauliflower steaks might seem like a heavy load of cauliflower but I assure you it’s the perfect side dish. This dish is perfect for cauliflower lovers like me and those who typically avoid it. Trust me, when Kyle got up to get seconds of just the cauliflower I knew I had a winner on my hands.
The combination of mild flavours and multiple textures will satisfy all of your senses. This recipe is a simple one and we prep components while others cook so we minimize the cooking time. This side dish is perfect if you’re making a main in the crock pot or stovetop.
Some of the best mains as pairings with this side are:
- Meatballs in creamy mushroom sauce
- Polish goulash
- Grilled honey-glazed pork chops
- Creamy Dijon chicken
- Pork patties – Kotlety Mielone
- Yogurt-marinated chicken
Because these can actually be prepared ahead don’t forget to add baked cheesy cauliflower steaks to your holiday dinner. Serve it with:
Preparing Baked Cheesy Cauliflower Steaks
Ingredients
Produce
Cauliflower: Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable in the same family as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and kale among others. The head is white and the only part of the plant that is typically consumed. Cauliflower is high in vitamin C and also contains decent amounts of fiber and vitamin B6.Â
Dairy
Cheddar cheese: I like to use old cheddar in this recipe to add a bold flavour. The longer the cheese is aged the sharper the flavour will be. Medium cheddar will also work, but you may need to play around with the spices a bit to ensure enough flavour.
Pantry
Olive oil: I use olive oil for this recipe because of its mild flavour. Olive oil is the fat extracted from olives. The least processed is extra virgin olive oil, which I use in this recipe.
Paprika: I use sweet paprika, or just paprika which is most commonly found in grocery stores. It is not sweet in the sugary sense, but compared to its spicy and smoked siblings it is definitely the sweetest of them all.
Garlic powder: Garlic powder is dehydrated garlic ground to a powder. It’s sweeter than raw garlic so it just adds a hint of garlic flavour without the sharpness.
Onion powder: Onion powder is made from dehydrated onions which are then ground. White, yellow or red onions can be used to make onion powder. It is a very common spice that is used in many spice mixes.
Panko: Panko is white bread that is processed into large flakes, rather than crumbs, and then dried. It’s actually a type of bread crumb which is why any breadcrumb will be fine. I find panko to be lighter and crunchier which is why I like it for this recipe.
Dried parsley: Parsley is a dark green herb that is used as a garnish or as a flavouring
Dried oregano: Oregano is a plant from the mint family. It’s used as s herb and has a very potent flavour. Dried oregano is the leaves of a fresh plant that has been air-dried.
How to Make Oven Roasted Cheesy Cauliflower Steaks
There are a few key steps to this recipe but we’ll do some of the prep work in parallel to the baking to speed up the process.
Start by preheating the oven to 425°F
Step 1: Prep the Cauliflower
You can start by preparing the spice mix for seasoning the cauliflower.
Combine the oil, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder in a small bowl and set it aside.
Next, you will need to wash the head of cauliflower but before you do that, remove any extra leaves near the stem.
 
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TIP: You can trim the stem of the cauliflower but just until it’s even with the florets. If you cut it too short your slices of cauliflower won’t hold together as well.
Once the cauliflower is washed, slice it into ¾-inch slices. The slices on the ends will fall apart a bit which is just fine.
Place the slices of cauliflower on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and brush them with about 2/3 of the spice mixture. No need to be too precise. Just make sure you have some left over for when you flip the cauliflower. Sprinkle with coarsely ground salt.
Step 2: Bake the Cauliflower
Place the cauliflower in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Â
Once the timer goes off flip the cauliflower and brush with the remaining spice mix. Place back in the oven for another 10 minutes.
Step 3: Prep the toppings while the cauliflower bakes
Cheese
Shred the cheddar cheese and set aside. Once the cauliflower is done baking, sprinkle it all with the cheddar cheese and place it back in the oven until it’s melted, roughly 2-3 minutes.
Crisp
While the cauliflower is baking, combine the panko breadcrumbs, parsley and oregano in a small bowl.
Next, add a tablespoon of oil to a small pan and heat it up on high heat.
Once hot add the breadcrumb mixture and toss quickly to coat it in oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes tossing frequently to prevent burning. Once it’s golden brown remove it from the pan and set aside.
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Substitutions
Cheddar Cheese: You can use any melty cheese that you like or have on hand. I used a medium or old cheddar for a little extra flavour.
Serving Roasted Cauliflower Steaks
Top the cheesy cauliflower with some crispy breadcrumbs and serve as a side to your favourite main. Or, if you’re like me, then you’ll just want to snack on this until it’s gone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What temperature do you roast cauliflower at?
Anywhere between 400°F and 450°F will give you nice roasted edges on the cauliflower while still getting a bit of a crunch. Your cooking time and the size of the cauliflower will determine how long you need to bake it. Typically anywhere form 20 (on higher temp)  to 30 minutes (on a lower temp) does the trick.Â
Let us know in the comments if you have any other questions. And if you like this recipe be sure to leave us a five-star rating below.Â
Are you looking for dinner ideas? Check out our recipes:
Baked Cheesy Cauliflower Steaks Recipe
Equipment
- Cookie sheet ((Large))
- Small bowls
Ingredients
- 1 cauliflower
Cauliflower Seasoning:
- â…“ cup olive oil
- 1 ½ tsp paprika
- ¾ tsp garlic powder
- ¾ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp coarsely ground salt
Crunchy topping:
- ¼ cup panko (gluten free)
- ½ tbsp dried parsley
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 oz cheddar cheese grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 °F.
- Start by mixing the spices, except salt, and olive oil in a small bowl and set it aside.
- Next, wash the cauliflower and remove all the extra leaves. Slice the cauliflower into ¾-inch slices and transfer them onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
- Using about two-thirds of the spice mixture, brush it over the cauliflower steaks (on one side only), sprinkle with half the coarsely ground salt and bake for 15 minutes.
- While the cauliflower is baking, in a small bowl combine the panko, parsley and oregano.
- Next, in a small pan heat up 1 tbsp of oil. Once hot add the panko mixture and quickly toss to coat evenly in the oil. Fry for about 3-4 minutes on high heat until golden brown. Set aside.
- When the alarm for the cauliflower signals, remove the cauliflower and flip the slices. Brush the remaining spice mixture over the cauliflower, sprinkle with the remaining salt and place it back in the oven for another 10 minutes.
- Finally, grate the cheese and once the alarm sounds sprinkle the cheese over the cauliflower and put it back in the oven just until the cheese is melted (approximately 2 minutes).
- Serve topped with the panko topping as a side to your favourite mains.
