Foodie Fridays: Baked Whole Cauliflower with Queso Cheese Sauce

It is still a little too hot around here to use the oven much, but I have been wanting to bake a whole cauliflower head for a while now, and I just could not wait any longer for cooler weather!  I looked at several recipes and came to the conclusion that the whole cauliflower must be steamed before baking to ensure that the inside gets cooked without burning the outside.  The easiest way I know to cook food from the inside is by microwaving, so that is what I did.  My recipe takes a bit of time, but it is very simple and includes a tasty cheese sauce to serve over the cauliflower (some recipes called for coating the cauliflower with a cheese sauce before baking, but frankly the images did not look appetizing!).

I like to eat this as a main dish for lunch, but it would also make a good side dish.  The cauliflower I photographed was a white one, but the first time I made this recipe I used a head of orange cauliflower.  It was so pretty I tried to find another one, but had no luck so settled for the white - use any color you like, but I highly recommend the orange.  Give this recipe a try when the weather cools off a bit, if you can wait that long!

Baked Whole Cauliflower with Queso Cheese Sauce

1 head cauliflower
1/4 C. olive oil
8 oz. (1/2 jar) white queso dip (I used Tostito's Queso Blanco Dip)
2 oz. crumbled feta cheese*
1/2 C. shredded cheddar mozzarella cheese blend

Trim the cauliflower, removing the leaves and tough core but leaving the florets attached.  Put about 2 T. water and the cauliflower in a pie plate.  Microwave on HIGH for about 15 minutes, until tender but still firm.

Remove the cauliflower from the pie plate.  Drain off any water and dry the plate, then coat the bottom with 1 T. oil.  Return the cauliflower to the pie plate and coat generously with oil.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, turning the plate 180 degrees after 15 minutes, until the outside of the cauliflower begins to brown (see image below).  Allow to cool slightly.

While the cauliflower cools, combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and heat in the microwave on HIGH until the shredded cheese is melted (1-2 minutes).  Stir to blend.  Cut the cauliflower into halves or quarters and serve with the cheese sauce.  Serves 2 as a main dish, or 4 as a side dish.

*If you use prepackaged crumbled feta, save the larger crumbles for salads and use the finer crumbles at the bottom of the container.