Panko and Asiago Crusted Popcorn Cauliflower

So many great things you can do with a head of cauliflower! We turned this humble vegetable into an enjoyable experience: beautiful morsels of crispy, crunchy, cheesey, baked popcorn cauliflower. A dip on the side and your party can get started.

There is one thing I have to say about having started this food blog. It has inspired me in such great ways, and I am also loving working with my wife Nicoletta. Lately I have been craving simple appetizer food and as I was looking at other food blogs I happened upon “I am a Food Blog”. I was inspired by a dish she made called popcorn cauliflower.

I loved that it was healthy, baked not fried and looked so crispy, something Nicoletta would appreciate and knowing she loves baked cauliflower, I just had to try this recipe. So this one is for Nicoletta. My take on I am a Food Blog’s popcorn cauliflower, which I of course revamped to sooth my creativity and called  Panko and Asiago crusted Popcorn Cauliflower.

This is so easy to make, you just need a head of cauliflower, some Panko crumbs, Italian style bread crumbs, grated Asiago and Parmigiano cheese, a couple of eggs, some seasoning and you’re set to get these bad boys done.

As a kid I always loved making breaded cutlets or batter coated vegetables. I still love this process taking those beautiful morsels, bathing them in the egg wash then into the crumb dish to be well dusted in the Panko and bread crumbs, then laid to rest on a parchment lined baking sheet .

Into a nice preheated oven to be baked to a gorgeous golden brown but not more gorgeous than my wife, who in my opinion is absolutely beautiful. You can smell the cheeses melting, melding the Panko and bread crumbs, sealing in the juices of the cauliflower. The taste of these amazing crispy coarse texture of the Panko crumbs and a finer texture of crispiness from the Italian bread crumbs being held by the rich pungent flavor of the aged Asiago and Parmigiano Reggiano. Then I thought, self who is my inner voice, what would be a great dipping sauce to go with these, and immediately I thought sweet chili, mayo, sriracha.

A perfect match this dipping sauce: sweet, spicy and that last kick from the sriracha, delicious. A winning dish in my opinion, but I am biased. Try this dish and see for yourself, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Also, if you are trying to get your kids to eat their vegetables, this would be one to really consider. The only thing left is to bite into this.

If you’re planning a party or just having an appetizer night with your family, get dipping. Would love to hear your feedback on this recipe.

Song of the day, a new amazing local band hitting the air waves strong: “Smoke Rings” by Royal Tusk.

Recipe adapted from “I Am a Food Blog“.

Panko and Asiago Crusted Popcorn Cauliflower

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 medium head of cauliflower
• 2 eggs
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• Pinch of paprika
• Dash of onion powder
• Dash of garlic powder
• 1 cup Panko crumbs
• 1/2 cup Italian style bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Asiago
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano

Dipping sauce:

• 1/4 cup mayo
• 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce

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Instructions

1. Trim leaves off of cauliflower.
2. Cut cauliflower into small pieces, wash and drain well.
3. In a bowl crack eggs in and beat well.
4. Add salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika.
5. Mix well.
6. In another bowl combine panko crumbs, Italian bread crumbs, grated Asiago and Parmigiano.
7. Take cauliflower pieces and place in egg wash.
8. Drain excess egg and pace cauliflower into crumb mixture.
9. Coat well and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
10. Preheat oven to 450°F.
11. Place cauliflower into the oven and bake till golden brown, approximately 15-20 minutes.

Dipping sauce:

1. In a bowl mix mayo and sweet chili sauce, then squeeze sriracha on to top of mayo sweet chili sauce mixture.
2. Take cauliflower out of oven and place in a dish with a small ramekin of the dipping sauce by its side.
3. Ready to serve.
4. Enjoy!

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Notes

If you have some leftover you can freeze them and reheat them in the oven when you’re ready to use them again.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4 servings

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