Roasted Cauliflower

5 from 2 votes

With this Roasted Cauliflower recipe you can easily roast an entire cauliflower head and save time with no need to cut florets. It can quickly be prepped and in the oven in just 5 minutes, and gives plenty of time to make the main course while it cooks.

Prep Time5

Cook Time40

Total Time45

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 252kcal

Author: Jennifer Fishkind

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower intact
2 bay leaves
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme plus more for garnish
Cracked black pepper
4-5 cups chicken broth
½ cup salted butter melted

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Carefully remove leaves and base stem of the cauliflower head, while keeping the head as a whole intact
Place cauliflower in a stock pot. Add chicken broth, 2 bay leaves, and 2-3 sprigs of thyme. Bring to a boil over high heat on the stovetop. Boil 7-8 minutes or until a fork can be poked into the stems of the cauliflower with a bit of resistance.
Lift head of cauliflower from pot and place stem side down in a 10-inch cast iron skillet (an 8”x8” square glass baking dish would also work.)
Use a ladle to scoop 2-3 ladles of the chicken stock, as well as the bay leaves and thyme sprigs over the cauliflower in the skillet.
Sprinkle the cauliflower with cracked black pepper (to taste) and pour the melted butter over the top of the head.
Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until a fork/knife slips easily into the stems of the cauliflower. Spoon some of the broth/butter sauce from the pan up and over the cauliflower to baste every five minutes or so.
If additional browning is desired, turn the oven temperature up to 450°F or broil until desired level of brownenss is achieved.
Garnish with fresh thyme leaves and serve immediately.

Notes

If using unsalted butter, you may wish to add some salt to the head of cauliflower when seasoning
Be aware that boiling and roasting times will vary according to the size of the head of cauliflower. It will cook more while in the oven so it’s important that there is still some resistance when checking for doneness during the boiling phase.

Nutrition