Recipe of the Week: Crispy Baked Cauliflower Poppers with Cheese Sauce

Our first Hello Fresh box arrived two weeks ago and I know that I will be sharing some wonderful recipes with you as a result, but I wanted to post something similar to what was in our first box.

Brian is not a big cauliflower fan, but he really enjoyed the cauliflower "fries" in our first box.  If you are looking for a healthier alternative to French fries (and who isn't), then this variation is a great treat.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Crispy Baked Cauliflower Poppers with Cheese Sauce

Ingredients:

Cauliflower

1 large head cauliflower

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

dash of salt

Cheese Sauce

3 Yukon gold potatoes

2 large carrots

1/4 cup; plus 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

salt

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon brown mustard

1/8 teaspoon turmeric

Directions:

For the cauliflower:

1.  Preheat oven to 400F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2.  Cut cauliflower into florets and place in a large bowl.  Drizzle with coconut oil and toss to coat.

3.  In a small bowl, mix together nutritional yeast, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne and salt.  Sprinkle  spice on cauliflower and toss until coated.

4.  Place cauliflower on baking sheet in a single layer.  Bake for 30-45 minutes turning every 15 minutes until the cauliflower is brown on all sides and nice and crispy.  Sprinkle with additional salt, if needed and the cheese sauce on the side.

For the cheese sauce:

1.  Wash and scrub the potatoes and carrots, peel and chop into uniformed pieces and boil for at least 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

2.  Drain vegetables (save water) and let cool for 5 minutes before adding to a blender.

3.  Add 1/2 cup of vegetable water to blender and pulse to mix.

4.  Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy.