Roasted cauliflower with breadcrumbs and cheese is an easy side dish with big flavor. The cauliflower is cut into bite-size florets, then roasted until golden and tender. It's finished with a salty, cheesy breadcrumb topping that toasts right in the pan. It also works well as a topping for salads and pasta dishes.
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Elevate Your Roasted Cauliflower
Roasted cauliflower with breadcrumbs and cheese is a simple, very tasty side dish. The cauliflower roasts until tender, then gets topped with buttery breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese that brown right in the pan and add great texture and flavor.
I have to admit, I eat a lot of roasted cauliflower. It's a good vegetable that's low in calories, full of fiber, and it goes with just about everything.
I've been using fresh breadcrumbs more often lately, and this breadcrumb cauliflower is one of our new favorites. Last week, we baked Baked Salmon Fillets with two kinds of mustard and a soft breadcrumb topping. It was great!
This time, we used the same idea with cauliflower. We seasoned the breadcrumbs with melted butter, grated cheese, and Italian seasoning.
How to Make Fresh Breadcrumbs
There's a full tutorial on how to make buttered breadcrumbs, and they're much better than store-bought.
You can toast them and keep them in the fridge or freezer to add a crunchy topping to vegetables, fish, or chicken. Before you toss day-old bread or a baguette, it's worth taking a few minutes to turn it into crumbs.
For this recipe, you'll need 1 to 2 slices of day-old bakery bread or about a third of a baguette torn into pieces.
Drop them into a food processor and pulse just until you have soft, coarse crumbs.
Measure out ½ cup for this recipe and store extras in the freezer for later.
Ingredients
- Cauliflower, broken into 1-inch florets
- Olive oil
- Garlic powder
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Soft bread crumbs
- Melted butter
- Grated parmesan cheese or pecorino romano
- Chopped fresh parsley
- Italian seasoning or dried oregano
- Zest of half a lemon
How to Roast Cauliflower with Cheese
While I roast most vegetables over parchment paper, this one goes right on the pan to make it super crispy!
- Set the oven rack in the center and preheat to 400°F (205°C).
- Break the cauliflower into 1-inch florets. Rinse and pat dry.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Add the cauliflower and toss until evenly coated.
- Spread the cauliflower on a large sheet pan in a single layer, leaving space between the pieces. Roast for 10 minutes.
- While the cauliflower roasts, mix the breadcrumbs, melted butter, cheese, parsley, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Slide the florets slightly closer together and scatter the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the top.
- Return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, until the topping is golden brown.
- Let the cauliflower rest in the pan for a few minutes before serving. Finish with lemon zest.
Serving Suggestions
- Spoon over spaghetti, penne, quinoa, buckwheat, or any pasta.
- Use as a crunchy salad topping.
- Serve alongside steak, roasted chicken, or pan seared snapper fillets.
- Set it out hot with lemon wedges for serving.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
Reheat in a dry skillet over medium heat until crispy.
Roasted Cauliflower with Breadcrumbs and Cheese
This roasted cauliflower with breadcrumbs is a great way to amp up your cauliflower. The buttery breadcrumb topping makes it crispy and your family will be asking for seconds. Serve it as a side dish, or spoon it over pasta or salads for the perfect savory topping.
FAQ
Children adore roasted cauliflower. I believe vegetables taste better roasted. For a sweeter twist, consider our recipe for Oven Roasted Cauliflower and Carrots, a sure hit with the little ones.
Roast cauliflower at 400°F. This temperature is hot enough to brown the edges while keeping the inside tender. A cooler oven will steam the cauliflower instead of roasting it.
Dry the cauliflower well after rinsing, use enough oil to coat the pieces, and spread them out on a bare sheet pan. Do not overcrowd the pan and skip the parchment paper so the cauliflower makes direct contact with the pan which aids browning.
The cauliflower is done when the edges are golden brown and a fork slides easily into the thickest part of a floret. It should be tender inside but not mushy.
Fresh cauliflower works best for roasting because it browns more evenly. Frozen cauliflower is wet, which makes it harder to get good color and texture. If you use frozen, thaw it completely, drain well, and pat it very dry before roasting.
Roasted Cauliflower with Breadcrumbs
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower broken into 1-inch florets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Breadcrumb Topping
- ½ cup soft breadcrumbs (or panko)
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese or Pecorino Romano
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or dried oregano
- zest of ½ lemon
Instructions
- Set the oven rack in the center and preheat to 400°F (205°C).
- Break the cauliflower into 1-inch florets. Rinse and pat dry.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Add the cauliflower and toss until evenly coated.
- Spread the cauliflower on a large sheet pan in a single layer, leaving space between the pieces. Roast for 10 minutes.
- While the cauliflower roasts, mix the breadcrumbs, melted butter, cheese, parsley, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Slide the florets slightly closer together and scatter the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the top.
- Return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, until the topping is golden brown.
- Let the cauliflower rest in the pan for a few minutes before serving. Finish with lemon zest.
