Roasted Cauliflower is one of the best meat substitutes for Thanksgiving turkey, Christmas holiday roast, or even at a Super Bowl football party to serve your vegetarian and vegan family or friends.
Roasted whole cauliflower head - best vegetarian meat alternative
The roasted cauliflower recipe would be one of the best additions to any meal, where meat eaters can have this as a side dish, and vegetarians can have this as a main course. The whole roasted cauliflower is crispy on the outside and tender with a melt-in-mouth texture on the inside. Serve this baked whole cauliflower with easy homemade garlic cream sauce, making the whole dish gluten-free, keto-friendly, and low-carb. You can also easily make it vegan with a few substitutions, which I have discussed below, so check them out! While you are here, also check out the healthy roasted cauliflower tikka recipe.
Ingredients for roasted cauliflower head
To steam cauliflower
Use bay leaf, small onion, ginger, garlic cloves, juice of lemon, and bouillon. You can skip adding bouillon if using any broth.
For the spicy mix
For the best flavor, use onion powder, garlic powder, red chile powder, salt, and tandoori masala (creole or curry powder).
Other ingredients to roast a cauliflower head
Butter and cheddar cheese make it rich and special for your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
For Garlic cream sauce
Butter, garlic cloves, pepper flakes, heavy cream, Italian pizza seasoning, cheddar cheese, spring onions, and a pinch of salt. See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to roast whole cauliflower head?
Steam whole cauliflower
Remove the leaves, cut the bottom flat, and nicely wash the cauliflower. Add 1.5 to 2 liters of water in a pot along with ginger, onion, garlic cloves, lemon, and bouillon, along with the whole cauliflower head. Cover and steam it for 10 minutes. Note: If you use vegetable/chicken broth instead of water, skip the above step. Bring the broth to a boil, place the cauliflower head over the trivet, and steam for 10 mins.
Make the spicy mix
Add onion powder, garlic powder, red chile powder, salt, and tandoori masala (or any spice mix you choose) in a bowl. Mix the spices and keep this aside. You can store this in an air-tight container in a refrigerator and use it throughout the holiday season. Add softened butter and the spice mix as needed from above in another bowl.
Bake the best spicy roasted cauliflower.
Preheat the oven to 425 F. Transfer the steamed cauliflower to the baking pan. Apply the spice mix over the cauliflower as much as possible. Bake it for about 12 to 15 minutes. Next, top it with cheddar or parmesan and bake for an additional 5 minutes if desired. Adding cheese is optional.
How to make Garlic cream sauce?
Melt butter in a pan. Add garlic cloves and saute until lightly golden. To this, add pepper flakes and heavy cream and bring it to a simmer. Once the cream starts simmering, add Italian seasoning, cheese, a pinch of salt, and spring onions, and mix until the cheese is melted. Switch off the flame.
How to serve whole roasted cauliflower with sauce?
Transfer the roasted cauliflower head to the cutting board using a fork and spatula. Cut them into steaks, rounds, wedges, pies, or any desired shape and size. Drizzle the cheesy garlic cream sauce and serve!
Storage Suggestions
If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container and refrigerate them for three days. Make ahead: You can also make this roasted cauliflower minus the cheese topping ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator. Just reheat in the oven by following the instructions below. Then add cheese and bake for another 5 minutes so the cheese melts. Or you can even prepare the spice mix, steam the cauliflower, and keep it in the refrigerator. Next day, mix the spice powder and softened butter, spread it over the cauliflower, and bake as per instructions in the recipe. Reheating instructions: I agree it takes a lot of time, but I prefer reheating them in the oven to retain the texture of the cauliflower by covering it with aluminum foil and baking them at 350 degrees F or until heated through - it should take about 15 mins.
What to serve with roasted whole cauliflower?
I love to serve roasted cauliflower with garlic cream sauce, buttermilk biscuits, or dinner rolls to suck up the gravy from the plate. Sometimes, I even try it with aioli. These combinations are the best option as an entree for a vegetarian meal. But you can also serve this as a side dish with steak, turkey, chicken, pork, or shrimp for your Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.
More vegetarian dinner recipes for holidays
You can make some of the best dinner casseroles for your Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. Did you like this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Recipe card
Note: We originally posted this whole oven-roasted cauliflower recipe with measurements for spicy mix for making two cauliflower heads in Nov 2022. It has now been modified in Oct 2023 to 1 cauliflower head. Use the stepwise image for reference only. Refer to the recipe card for updated recipe measurements.
