Oven-Roasted Ranch Cauliflower

[This recipe was originally posted in conjunction with the Meijer ad week of 12/9/12 - 12/15/12]

This past summer, I had a head of cauliflower in the house and I wanted to do something with it besides smother it with Velveeta cheese sauce.  My "aha" moment came when I thought about one of the most popular recipes on this blog:  Oven Roasted Asparagus.  I started with that concept, and then thought about how we like to dip raw cauliflower in Ranch dressing.  The result was this easy, deliciously different side dish.  Oven-roasting the cauliflower means that it's slightly crispy on the outside but tender on the inside, and the Ranch dressing mix adds the perfect amount of flavor. 

Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 envelope of dry Ranch dressing mix
1/4 C grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Toss cauliflower with olive oil.  Sprinkle with Ranch dressing mix and Parmesan and toss again.  Spread cauliflower onto a foil-covered and greased cookie sheet or jelly roll pan.  Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 25-35 minutes (or until cauliflower pieces are lightly browned), stirring/turning florets halfway through baking time.

Options and Tips:

• If you want to make this side dish even healthier, leave out the Parmesan cheese.
• If you're not a fan of Ranch flavor, just substitute dry Italian dressing for the Ranch.
• Baking time will depend on how crispy you want your cauliflower, as well as how small your florets are.

This is an original recipe.

This recipe is linked up at Tasty Tuesday over at Beauty and Bedlam.