Grilled cheese with cauliflower bread is a delicious low-carb, keto-friendly lunch. Cauliflower grilled cheese for the win!
Grilled cheese with cauliflower… bread? Let’s put “bread” in quotation marks, yes? I know this isn’t bread. I love bread and carbs of all kinds, and I assure you I’m not giving those up (ever), but even I like to take a break when I can eat one of my favorite foods and it can be just a little healthier. And this just tastes so so so good in and of itself, so it’s one of those cauliflower substitution deals I happily accept. And so, I make cauliflower grilled cheese.
The cauliflower “bread” won’t ever dry out to the point of tasting like actual bread, but the more liquid you can squeeze out, the less chance of any mushiness. So in the step where I say wrap the cauliflower in a towel and squeeze, squeeze. And squeeze some more. Try and dry out the cauliflower as much as you can.
If you like this idea, try my roundup of 25 cauliflower swap recipes, or this lemon broccoli low-carb sheet pan dinner.
grilled cheese with cauliflower “bread”
You’ll notice here I use a package of pre-chopped cauliflower rather than buying a head of cauliflower, which would be more budget-friendly. This is one of those cases where the time saved is worth the extra pennies, in my view. But you can also process the cauliflower in a food processor until it looks akin to rice. The other benefit/time-saver of the packaged cauliflower is that you can steam it right in the bag, so the prep time is just minutes. Just make sure to open the bag and let it cool to the touch before trying to squeeze out the liquid, or you’ll have some hot hands.
This veggie mixture worked really, really well in the oven. The slices of “bread” could be used as a substitute for just about any sandwich. Next up, I’m thinking of a cauliflower BLT.
how do you make cauliflower grilled cheese?
you will need:
- 1 14-ounce (400 grams) package of finely chopped cauliflower crumbs
- 1 lightly beaten egg
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- cooking spray
- 4 to 6 American cheese slices
- butter (optional)
what to do:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Steam the cauliflower in the bag according to package directions. (Cauliflower should be soft, not tender, so if necessary, add an additional minute of microwave time.) Let the cauliflower cool to the touch. Pour the cauliflower in the center of a dish towel or cheese cloth. Over a bowl, squeeze out as much of the liquid from the cauliflower as possible. (I got about a cup of liquid.) Discard the liquid.
Pour the dried out cauliflower in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and spray the parchment paper with olive oil cooking spray. Shape four rectangles from the cauliflower mixture on the baking tray, about 3 1/2 by 5-inches and 1/4-inch thick. Bake for 15 minutes until gorgeously golden brown. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes on the tray.
To make the grilled cheese, heat butter OR cooking spray in a skillet over medium heat. Place a piece of cauliflower “bread” in the skillet. Add 2 to 3 slices of cheese, and top with another piece of “bread.” Heat for several minutes per side until the cheese is melted.
Makes two sandwiches.
Ingredients
- 1 14-ounce (400 grams) package of finely chopped cauliflower crumbs
- 1 lightly beaten egg
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- cooking spray
- 4 to 6 American cheese slices
- butter (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Steam the cauliflower in the bag according to package directions. (Cauliflower should be soft, not tender, so if necessary, add an additional minute of microwave time.) Let the cauliflower cool to the touch. Pour the cauliflower in the center of a dish towel or cheese cloth. Over a bowl, squeeze out as much of the liquid from the cauliflower as possible. (I got about a cup of liquid.) Discard the liquid.
- Pour the dried out cauliflower in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and spray the parchment paper with olive oil cooking spray. Shape four rectangles from the cauliflower mixture on the baking tray, about 3 1/2 by 5-inches and 1/4-inch thick. Bake for 15 minutes until gorgeously golden brown. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes on the tray.
- To make the grilled cheese, heat butter OR cooking spray in a skillet over medium heat. Place a piece of cauliflower "bread" in the skillet. Add 2 to 3 slices of cheese, and top with another piece of "bread." Heat for several minutes per side until the cheese is melted.
- Makes two sandwiches.
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