Recipe Favorites: Twice-Baked Cauliflower

(Updated March 2008) I'm one of those people who really like cauliflower, and I especially like this dish, possibly in memory of all those twice baked potatoes I ate before I started eating the lower glycemic index way. I remember my mother making them for special occasions, and I'd help scoop out the potato insides and mix them with sour cream, cheese and butter, and there was definitely lots of cheese sprinkled on top when the potatoes went back in the oven for the second baking. In those days all the Denny siblings considered them to be the ultimate gourmet treat, something my mother didn't often make for the twelve (12!) people she was cooking for.

Don't think of the cauliflower in this recipe as just a replacement for potatoes though. This is a great way to prepare cauliflower, whether or not you're a potato eater. I've been re-discovering The Low Carb gourmet by Karen Barnaby and that's where I found this recipe, which I followed quite closely for me. I did cut down on the butter and bacon, and used low fat cheddar, cream cheese, and sour cream to make it more South Beach Diet friendly. Next time I'd skip the butter completely; this would have plenty of flavor without it.

Bacon isn't really recommended on South Beach, but this recipe called for 8 pieces, which I cut down to six, and for six servings that's not a huge amount of bacon. I buy the pre-cooked bacon at Costco, and cook it so it's very crisp, then blot well with paper towels, so I try to get rid of as much of the fat as I can. I think Canadian Bacon would taste great in this if you wanted to be a little more faithful to South Beach, and it would also be fine with no bacon at all.

And yes, if you want to be picky, the cauliflower is really boiled, then baked, but I agree with Karen Barnaby that Twice Baked Cauliflower is a title that really captures the spirit of this dish. Give it a try if you like cauliflower.

Twice Baked Cauliflower
(6 servings, recipe adapted slightly from The Low Carb gourmet.)

1 large head cauliflower
4 oz. low fat cream cheese (do not use fat free)
1 T butter (optional, original recipe called for 2 T and next time I would leave out the butter)
1/2 cup low fat sour cream (do not use fat free)
1/4 cup minced green onions
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
6 slices bacon, cooked very crisp and crumbled
1 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
(I used Kraft 2% milk sharp cheddar)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut out stem and core from cauliflower, and cut into small pieces. Cook in large pot of boiling water until cauliflower is tender, but not overly soft. Drain well and mash with potato masher, leaving some chunks. Mix in cream cheese, butter (if using), sour cream, green onion, Parmesan, and 3/4 of the bacon.

Spread evenly in an 8 X 8 inch glass casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and reserved bacon. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

South Beach and Low Glycemic Suggestions:

Even with less fat due to low fat cheese, cream cheese, and sour cream, less bacon, and no butter, this recipe should be a "once-in-a-while" treat for the South Beach Diet since all the fat is saturated fat. Serve it with lower fat dishes such as Grilled Tuna with Cherry Tomato Salsa. Cauliflower is very low on the glycemic index, and should be a good choice for any low-glycemic eating plan.

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