Nutty cauliflower nuggets covered in warm, bubbling, cheesy goodness.
I woke up to my radiator hissing this morning. In the last week, the temperature has dropped 20 degrees, and the skies are a clear, vibrant blue. November has arrived, along with comfort food season. And my new go-to comfort food is these cheesy cauliflower toasts!
Nutty cauliflower nuggets covered in warm, bubbling, cheesy goodness on a slice of crispy pumpernickel. With that ooey-gooey cheese, spiked with tangy cider and warm with spice, these cheesy cauliflower toasts are the perfect meal for a chilly fall day. They’re a great simple dinner—just add a little side salad and you’re good to go—and if you have leftover cheesy cauliflower (and that’s a BIG if, because you may just find yourself eating it straight out of the pot . . .) you can store it easily and reheat it on fresh toast the next day for a quick and easy lunch.
This recipe is a mash-up of two classic British dishes: cauliflower cheese, a casserole similar to baked mac and cheese but made with cauliflower instead of macaroni, and Welsh Rarebit, a beer-laden cheesy sauce which is traditionally ladled over toast and then broiled until it gets bubbly and browned. British food sometimes gets a lot of criticism for being bland and boring, but I love cauliflower and cheesy sauce, and if we’re spiking that cheese sauce with alcohol and putting the whole thing over toast? Sign me up!
I did modify the traditional Welsh Rarebit sauce by switching the beer out for hard cider, in honor of fall (and also because I think nuttiness of the cauliflower works well with the dryness of the hard cider), but you could use beer as well, or even additional milk, if you wanted to avoid the alcohol entirely. However, the hard cider adds a great tang that balances the richness of the cheese, so even if you don’t regularly cook with alcohol, I’d encourage you to try it!
As the days get colder and darker, we’re all in need of a little warm, cheesy comfort. The next time you want a plate of ooey-gooey goodness, make these cauliflower toasts. They’ll warm you from the inside out, from your first crunch-laden bite to the last lick of cheese!
Enjoy!
Cheesy Cauliflower Toasts
(Makes 8 toasts)
½ head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal salt, divided
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ cup dry hard cider
1 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper, plus extra for sprinkling
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, plus extra for sprinkling
Finely chopped chives, for sprinkling
8 slices pumpernickel bread, toasted
Special equipment: broiler
Method
In a large lidded pot, bring ½ inch of water to a simmer. Add ½ teaspoon salt and the cauliflower florets, and return to a simmer. Cover and steam 6-8 minutes, or until florets are tender. Drain and keep warm.
Melt butter in a sauce pot over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and light in color, and starting to bubble at the bottom of the pan. Whisk in hard cider until incorporated, then whisk in milk, a half a cup at a time. Add mustard, Worcestershire, paprika, remaining ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and cracked black pepper.
Switch to a rubber spatula and bring sauce to the boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce becomes thick and bubbling. Remove from the heat and stir in 2 cups shredded cheese. Fold in cauliflower.
Preheat the broiler. Top the toasted rye bread with the cheesy cauliflower and sprinkle with additional shredded cheese. Broil until bubbling and beginning to brown in spots. Sprinkle with chives and cracked black pepper if desired and serve immediately.
Originally posted November 7, 2021.
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