Cheesy Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Dijon & Dill

This cheesy whole roasted cauliflower was a childhood staple growing up. I challenged myself to elevate it into a restaurant level dish.

The Two-Step Trick Behind Cheesy Whole Roasted Cauliflower

Steaming the cauliflower before roasting is key. A raw cauliflower head takes forever to roast through, and by the time the center is tender the outside is burned. Steaming gets it cooked of the way much faster, and then all the oven has to do is brown the cheese.

The other trick is the creamy sauce underneath the cheese. A tangy mix of mayo, sour cream, Dijon, garlic, and lemon not only seasons the cauliflower but it also gives the Havarti and Parmesan something to stick to so you get that blistered, restaurant-style crust instead of cheese that slides right off.

The buttery, dill breadcrumbs sprinkled on top right before serving are what push this from just a roasted vegetable to a restaurant presentation.

Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Dijon, Havarti & Dill

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings

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Ingredients

• Cauliflower
• 1 large head cauliflower leaves trimmed but kept whole
• Kosher salt

Dijon-Dill Cream

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp sour cream
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 small garlic clove minced
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• Pinch kosher salt

Cheese Crust

• 1 cup shredded Havarti
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan

Buttery Dill Breadcrumbs

• 1/2 cup fresh sourdough breadcrumbs or panko
• 1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• Pinch kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh dill

For Finishing

• Fresh dill
• Lemon zest
• Flaky salt
• Lemon wedges
• Method

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Steam the cauliflower.

• Bring a few inches of well-salted water to a simmer in a large pot fitted with a steamer basket. Add the whole cauliflower, cover, and steam for about 8–12 minutes, until a paring knife can penetrate the cauliflower but still meets some resistance.
• You don’t want it completely tender yet—it will continue cooking in the oven.

Dry it well.

• Transfer the cauliflower to a sheet pan or baking dish and leave uncovered for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 450°F.
• This drying period is important; otherwise the steam trapped on the surface dilutes the Dijon cream and makes it harder for the cheese to brown.

Make the Dijon-dill cream.

• Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, dill, pepper, and a small pinch of salt.
• Taste it. It should be quite tangy and well seasoned since the mild cauliflower and Havarti will soften the flavors.

Coat the cauliflower.

• Generously spread the Dijon-dill cream over the entire cauliflower, working a little into the crevices.
• Mix the Havarti and Parmesan together, then press the cheese all over the coated cauliflower.

Roast

• Roast for 15–20 minutes, until the cauliflower is completely tender and the Havarti is melted and bubbling.
• Turn the broiler on for the final 1–3 minutes to develop deeply browned, blistered patches across the cheese.

Make the crispy breadcrumbs.

• While the cauliflower roasts, melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the breadcrumbs and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until deeply golden and crisp.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the fresh dill.

Finish

• Transfer the whole cauliflower to a serving platter. Scatter the buttery dill breadcrumbs over the top, followed by fresh dill, finely grated lemon zest, and a little flaky salt.
• Serve with lemon wedges and cut the cauliflower into thick wedges at the table.