Author:
Kevin Curry
Low Carb Bacon Butternut Cauliflower Bake
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Low Carb Bacon Butternut Cauliflower Bake
Ingredients for 5 servings
Substitution
Note
- 3 slices center-cut bacon
- olive oil spray
- Cheese sauce
- 680g (1 1/2 lb) butternut squash
- 4 oz goat cheese (or reduced fat cream cheese)
- 1 cup no salt added chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- needles from 1 sprig rosemary
- pinch of sea salt & pepper
- 1 lb cauliflower florets, cut into small florets – no large chunks
- 1 cup shredded gouda (or Monterrey jack)
- Garnish
- fresh chopped chives
Steps
Step 1
Set an oven to 400F.
Step 2
Chop the ends off the butternut squash, then slice it down the middle vertically. Scrap out the seeds. Lightly spray the inside with olive oil, then add a pinch of sea salt & pepper. Place them face down on a baking tray lined with parchment. Roast in the oven until soft, about 45 – 55 minutes. Let it cool to touch once baked.
Step 3
Cook bacon until it is crispy in a skillet. Set aside to cool on a paper towel to drain and harden. Once it has cooled and hardened, chop or break it into small pieces, like bacon bits.
Step 4
Add the cauliflower florets to a microwaveable safe bowl. Add about 4 oz of water, then cover it and cook in the microwave for 3 to 4 minutes. The cauliflower should be SLIGHTLY tender but still be very crisp. Set the cauliflower aside to cool. (Alternatively, you can bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the florets and cook for NO MORE than 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.)
Step 5
Chop the baked butternut squash into large chunks. Remove the skin by cutting it away using a knife.
Step 6
Place all the ingredients for the cheese sauce in a food processor or high-powered blender. Blend until silky smooth – it should look like cheese sauce.
Step 7
Lightly spray a baking dish with olive oil, add half of the cauliflower florets, then pour about half of the cheese sauce over them. Then add the remaining cauliflower on top, followed by the remaining cheese sauce. Use a spatula to fold and mix the cauliflower in the sauce – there should be no visible white pieces (this is why it’s important to make sure there are no large chunks of cauliflower).
Step 8
Sprinkle bacon on top, followed by gouda. Cover with foil, then bake in the oven for at least 25 – 30 minutes, removing the foil for the final 5 minutes to brown the cheese.
Step 9
Let it slightly cool after baking, then garnish and enjoy!
Low Carb Bacon Butternut Cauliflower Bake
Kevin Curry
- 3 slices center-cut bacon
- olive oil spray
- Cheese sauce
- 680g (1 1/2 lb) butternut squash
- 4 oz goat cheese (or reduced fat cream cheese)
- 1 cup no salt added chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- needles from 1 sprig rosemary
- pinch of sea salt & pepper
- 1 lb cauliflower florets, cut into small florets – no large chunks
- 1 cup shredded gouda (or Monterrey jack)
- Garnish
- fresh chopped chives
-
Set an oven to 400F.
-
Chop the ends off the butternut squash, then slice it down the middle vertically. Scrap out the seeds. Lightly spray the inside with olive oil, then add a pinch of sea salt & pepper. Place them face down on a baking tray lined with parchment. Roast in the oven until soft, about 45 – 55 minutes. Let it cool to touch once baked.
-
Cook bacon until it is crispy in a skillet. Set aside to cool on a paper towel to drain and harden. Once it has cooled and hardened, chop or break it into small pieces, like bacon bits.
-
Add the cauliflower florets to a microwaveable safe bowl. Add about 4 oz of water, then cover it and cook in the microwave for 3 to 4 minutes. The cauliflower should be SLIGHTLY tender but still be very crisp. Set the cauliflower aside to cool. (Alternatively, you can bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the florets and cook for NO MORE than 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.)
-
Chop the baked butternut squash into large chunks. Remove the skin by cutting it away using a knife.
-
Place all the ingredients for the cheese sauce in a food processor or high-powered blender. Blend until silky smooth – it should look like cheese sauce.
-
Lightly spray a baking dish with olive oil, add half of the cauliflower florets, then pour about half of the cheese sauce over them. Then add the remaining cauliflower on top, followed by the remaining cheese sauce. Use a spatula to fold and mix the cauliflower in the sauce – there should be no visible white pieces (this is why it’s important to make sure there are no large chunks of cauliflower).
-
Sprinkle bacon on top, followed by gouda. Cover with foil, then bake in the oven for at least 25 – 30 minutes, removing the foil for the final 5 minutes to brown the cheese.
-
Let it slightly cool after baking, then garnish and enjoy!
Nutrition per serving
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hey, I'm Kevin
My name is Kevin. My life changed when I realized that healthy living is a lifelong journey, mainly won by having a well-balanced diet and maintaining an active lifestyle.
By experimenting in the kitchen and sharing my meals on Tumblr, I learned healthy eating is not boring! By making a few adjustments to my favorite foods, I could design a diet that could help me achieve my wellness goals while satisfying my desire for BANGIN food! 😅 Now I try to help people around the world realize that same level of freedom in eating regardless of budget. Welcome, let's #DemocratizeWellness together!