Baked Cauliflower

Unlike other kids, I was crazy about vegetables when I was young. One of my favorite vegetables was cauliflower. My dad, who liked to cook, used a number of methods to get my brother and I to eat our veggies. Our parents often employed Popeye the Sailor, and The Fonz to inspire a love of vegetables. But looking back, it was actually a number of delicious recipes that were the real keys to success. Dad often served baked cauliflower smothered in a creamy melted cheese sauce as a side dish to our meals. As I look back now, it has eclipsed the memory of the meals. I can no longer even remember what the main dish was, but I can still taste that cheesy cauliflower.

The great thing about baking a cauliflower with cheese is the versatility of the recipe. It can be elevated into an art form with any variety of rich gourmet cheeses, from supermarket stand-bys like swiss or cheddar, to parmigiano-reggiano or gruyere. Herbs, paprika, chili powder, and seasoned bread crumbs also make grown-up contributions, although you can dress it down with childhood delights like Tater Tots and bacon. More health-conscious recipes including vegan cheeses are also available on the opposite end of the spectrum. But in a pinch, a package of instant powdered Mac & Cheese sauce can do the trick. Some evenings, on the far side of my parents’ paychecks, a brick of processed cheese product was all it took to turn a suspicious vegetable into a hit.

Admit it: to a kid, cauliflower can be pretty unappealing. At best itt resembles a pale, brain-like growth. As it is, children already tend to be phobic about trying new food that might not be tasty. We’ve developed this characteristic naturally, as a survival mechanism, back in the day when tasting something new or different could mean the difference between life and death. After all, the hunter-gatherers of man’s prehistoric past didn’t have the luxury of reading labels. Any parent who has tried shoveling a mouthful of greens into a resisting kid’s mouth knows how tough it is to override that powerful instinct. One of the best ways to inspire a child’s sense of culinary adventure, when evoking the heroes of pop culture fails, is adding the mystery vegetable to recipes incorporating “safe” foods they already know and like. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that recipes for a cheesy cauliflower bake abound online. Thank goodness so many people are willing to share this dish, in the interest of slipping a little nutrition to our kids.