#gastronomia Grandma’s Cauliflower

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It finally snowed here! I have mixed feelings about it…..I like the snow but I hate the cold and driving is always awful. However, all this cold weather means the HOLIDAYS are coming! I am so excited! We have lots to celebrate in the next two months: our wedding anniversary, Thanksgiving, Christmas, my birthday and New Years! We even get to fly home to Ottawa to be there for two weeks over Christmas!

On a total random tangent, I am SO not looking forward to flying back east with my almost 2 year old. Our big flight is almost 5 hours! What is she going to do on my lap for that long? The people on the flights are going to hate me! Good thing she’s cute. That should make up for something, right? But, my friend told me a great idea that I think I’m going to do: buy small boxes of chocolates and ear plugs and hand them out to the people around you. That way they really can’t get too mad! Genius! I’ll let you know about all our travels next month. Why I just took 4 minutes to type all that our for you, I’ll never know.

BUT, I write about all these holidays because this recipe goes right along with the holidays in my house! I grew up eating this delicious and fabulous side dish, typically only at Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Whenever my Grandma makes this cauliflower, it is always one of the first things to go (along with this rice stuffing) because it’s a family favorite and it’s just so darn good. Did I mention it takes only 3 ingredients?! Well, technically it’s 5 if you count salt and pepper. But still! 5 ingredients!

This makes a great make ahead dish and would be a nice substitute for green bean casserole if you’re not into that. I never had tried green bean casserole until I went to Idaho for College. My Mom never made it for us growing up. I’m pretty sure there are lots of Canadians who make this American Thanksgiving staple but we never did….probably because we had this cauliflower instead!

What other reasons do you need to make this besides easy, fast and yummy? Over the holidays, these are the kinds of recipes we need more of! More time with family and less time in the kitchen. So, this Thanksgiving, you should give this one a whirl! You might be surprised who starts eating their vegetables!

Grandma’s Cauliflower
yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:
1 whole head cauliflower
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups grated cheddar cheese (I like sharp)
salt & pepper

Directions:
Remove green leaves and a part of the stem so the cauliflower will still stay together and sit flat when upright. Place cauliflower upside down (so it doesn’t float so much) into large pot and cover with cold water and about 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to boil and simmer 30-40 minutes or until the cauliflower stems are tender, but before the cauliflower starts to fall apart. Remove from heat and carefully remove from pot using a large slotted spoon. Place right side up into baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Slather the cream of mushroom soup over the entire head of cauliflower evenly. Top with cheese* and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

*If you want to make this ahead, cover and refrigerate before you bake. On the day you are ready to serve, remove from fridge and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

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