This Best Ever Cauliflower Cheese Bread is healthy & delicious low-carb snack adults AND kids love. It’s easy to make, & fabulous with marinara on the side!
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It seems fitting that I share this recipe for Cauliflower Cheese Bread + My Top Tips for Healthy Eaters with you today, as my own “babies” just finished their 1st day of 10 grade {SiSi} and 8th grade {Big Tex}. Sigh…
And while I don’t have any babies or toddlers to feed right now, I do have some words of wisdom for raising healthy eaters to impart to you, along with a delicious recipe for Cauliflower Cheesy Bread that ANYONE will love-toddlers, kids, and adults alike!
Plus, I’m sharing a review of the second cookbook by my food blogger friend, mom, and ER Doc “#idontknowhowshedoesitall”, Dr. Sonali Ruder, aka The Foodie Physician.
I’ll get to this EASY, *To-Die-For* Cauliflower Cheese Bread recipe in a sec, along with my top tips for healthy eaters, but first, let’s talk about Sonali’s cookbooks…
You might remember I reviewed Sonali’s first cookbook, The Natural Pregnancy Cookbook {affiliate link}, last fall and shared her yummy Pumpkin Custard recipe with you. If you haven’t tried it yet, and with fall quickly approaching, it’s a pumpkin recipe you’ll definitely want to pin to enjoy over the holiday season!
What’s in Sonali’s NEW cookbook???
Natural Baby Food: Over 150 Wholesome, Nutritious Recipes for Your Baby & Toddler
150+ Recipes {For up to 6 months, 6-8 months, 8-12 months, 12 months and up}
A Guide to Starting Solids: When, What, and How
The Building Blocks of Good Nutrition
Tips for Safely Feeding Your Baby
How to Make Your own Baby Food 101
Like her Natural Pregnancy Cookbook, Sonali’s new Natural Baby Food cookbook is filled with great advice and wisdom from the perspective of both a mom AND a physician.
Dietitian Confession Time…
I didn’t make my own baby food purees when my kids were little.
But, my kiddos were quickly eating “mashed” versions of soft foods like avocado, and bananas, along with yogurt, berries, eggs, and other foods that are still staples in their diets today.
And, I’m happy to say, they have expanded their repertoire of *healthier* foods that include pretty much all types of fruit, lentils and beans, nuts, and, gasp, even veggies including lettuce, carrots, onions {cooked in things}, broccoli {try blending it in to pesto-yum!}, spinach, arugula, zucchini, sugar snap peas, green beans, and more.
Sadly, they’re still not crazy for kale like their mama is, but there’s always hope!
This brings me to MY top tips for raising healthy eaters…
When I first shared these tips with the moms and dads at my kids’ school, Del Mar Hills Elementary School, at a PTA meeting, SiSi was in 4th grade, and Big Tex was in 2nd grade. And, to tell you the truth, I’m not sure I knew exactly what I was doing. But, flash forward 5 years, {while I still haven’t completely figured the teenager thing out}, I think I got the food part right. For the most part. 🙂 Here are 4 of my favorite tips…
As a parent, it’s your job to offer your children healthy, nutritious meals…it’s their job to eat them!
Don’t forbid certain foods; teach your kids that sweets, treats, and “less healthy” snacks can be enjoyed in moderation.
NEVER force your kids to eat something they don’t like. Encourage, yes, but force, no.
Be patient. It may take 8-15 exposures to get your children to try/like a new food. It may even take several years! {As was the case with my kids and salads!} Continue to offer new foods at each meal but don’t make a big deal of it if your children don’t want to eat them.
Cauliflower Cheesy Bread
Kids and adults alike will love these ooey-gooey gluten-free “bread” sticks made with antioxidant packed cauliflower and calcium + protein rich cheese. Serve with marinara sauce for the ultimate healthy snack or meal!
1cupshredded cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack cheese, divided use
1teaspoondried Italian seasoning
1/4teaspoonsalt
1/8teaspoonpepper
Veggie-Packed Tomato Sauce (recipe in the Natural Baby Food Cookbook, or your favorite marinara sauce for serving
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Remove the outer leaves form the cauliflower and cut it into florets. Place the florets in the blow of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped (it should look like rice).
Transfer the cauliflower to a microwave-safe dish or bowl. Cover and cook in the microwave for 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can steam the cauliflower in a steamer basket, or bake it in the oven at 375 degrees F fr 20 minutes.
When the cauliflower is cool, transfer it to a bowl lined with a kitchen towel or cheesecloth. Bring the ends of the cloth together and squeeze as much liquid out of the cauliflower as you can. Transfer the cauliflower to a mixing bowl and add the eggs,1/2 cup cheese, Italian seasoning, salt , and pepper. Mix to combine.
Transfer the mixture to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Form the dough into a rectangle about 8 x 12 inches and 1/4-inch thick. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until cooked. Remove the baking sheet and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese over the top. Bake for another 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted.
Cut into 16 breadsticks. Serve with tomato sauce for dipping.
Notes
*For a super quick version of this Cauliflower Cheesy Bread, use pre-chopped cauliflower rice in a bag. You can find it in the fresh or frozen section of many grocery stores. Simply pour into a microwave-safe bowl, microwave according to instructions, and proceed with the rest of the recipe.
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Forget my kids…
I pretty much inhaled 1/2 the batch of this Cauliflower Cheese Bread for lunch today. #imnotashamed
Some other recipes in the Natural Baby Food cookbook that would appeal to kids and adults alike include Zucchini Tots, Asparagus in a Blanket, Pumpkin Banana Snack Bites, Classic Avocado Toast, Creamy Chicken and Corn Taquitos, and so many more healthy and delicious recipes!
Let’s chat! Have you tried making Cauliflower Cheese Bread before? If you have kids, what are your biggest questions or challenges getting them to eat a healthy diet? Any of your own tips to share???
EA Stewart, MBA, RD is an integrative registered dietitian specializing in wellness nutrition, digestive health, autoimmune disease, brain health, and vibrant aging. She creates easy, plant-forward gluten-free recipes for a wide variety of diets including low FODMAP, Mediterranean, and more.
