Name: Parmesan Cauliflower
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Medium head of fresh cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 cup Italian bread crumbs; 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese; 1/2 tsp garlic powder; 1/2 tsp salt

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Make crispy and flavorful roasted Parmesan Cauliflower in a matter of minutes for a quick, healthy and delicious side dish sure to become a family favorite.

parmesan cauliflower roasted and ready to eat

This garlic Parmesan roasted cauliflower recipe uses simple ingredients and is quick to prepare, making it the perfect side dish for busy weeknights. But the best part is the delicious flavor of this simple side dish – your family will want you to add it to your weekly rotation of vegetable side dishes!

Tips for preparing Parmesan cauliflower?

This dish is very simple to prepare, but for the tastiest result follow these tips:

Use a fresh head of cauliflower, chopped to just the tips and broken into small pieces
The best way to combine the ingredients is to first coat the cauliflower florets with extra virgin olive before adding the savory Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs – don’t be tempted to put everything in the bag together at once.
Check the oven a minute or two before the time is up, looking for a golden brown color. Ovens can’t heat unevenly.
Don’t skimp on the garlic – it adds a lot of flavor to this dish.

How to keep your Parmesan cauliflower “clean”

To protect your family from chemicals and toxins:

Use the cleanest ingredients you can find. A few of my personal recommendations are linked below.
Roast your cauliflower on a stainless steel baking sheet or in a cast iron pan.
Stick with cold pressed olive oil from a source you trust (many olive oils are adulterated with other oils). Avoid seed oils.
Store your leftovers in a glass airtight container rather than plastic.

What you need to prep this easy side dish

You need just a few basic kitchen staples:

paring knife (my favorite here)
mixing bowl (I have this set, and my son loved it so much I bought him his own set for Christmas)
measuring cup
stainless steel baking sheet
plastic zipper bag (gallon size)

Just 4 ingredients in Parmesan cauliflower

With just 4 main ingredients plus some seasonings, this side dish is truly quick and easy to prepare:

Medium head of fresh cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt (I prefer a natural, unrefined salt over table salt)

Can I make my own Italian bread crumbs?

I prefer to make my own bread crumbs. I use my blender (I recommend this one, it is pricey but definitely worth it) to make crumbs from leftover homemade bread, usually sourdough, but any would work. For the Italian bread crumbs, I add 2 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp salt to a cup of bread crumbs. I then omit the garlic powder and salt called for in this Parmesan Cauliflower recipe. I’ve found these homemade breadcrumbs taste better than anything I’ve found in the store AND I in know exactly what is in them.

Step-by-step instructions

Preheat the oven temperature to 425 degrees.

Wash and cut the cauliflower head, removing outer leaves, breaking larger florets into smaller pieces and discarding the larger portion of the stem. Measure out the bread crumbs, olive oil and Parmesan cheese. Add salt and garlic powder to the bread crumbs and mix well.

Grease a stainless baking sheet with cooking spray. To avoid seed oils, I like 100% avocado oil spray or olive oil spray.

parmesan cauliflower on greased baking sheet ready to cook

Place the cauliflower in a gallon zipper bag, and pour the olive oil in as well. Shake til each piece of cauliflower is coated.

Add the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese to the zipper bag and shake well. Pour the contents onto the large rimmed baking sheet and spread in a single layer. For uniform crispy cauliflower, ensure that you have an even layer on the sheet pan. For easy clean up, line the stainless baking sheet with parchment paper.

Bake for 20 minutes. Stir the cauliflower and bake an additional 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Bake for 20 minutes. Stir the cauliflower and bake an additional 10 minutes. Serve hot.

How to re-heat leftover Parmesan cauliflower

This dish is too tasty for any to be left over, but if you do have some at the end of your meal, store it in the fridge in a covered container. Re-heat in the oven, watching closely, or in the air fryer. Avoid using the microwave – the result will be soggy.

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Yield: 4 cups