Bacon Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli Recipe (2024)

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By Courtney ODell

Apr 24, 2018, Updated May 17, 2023

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Bacon Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli Recipeis the perfect easy delicious vegetable side dish – tons of caramelized broccoli and cauliflower bursting with bacon and parmesan flavor for vegetables the family will actually BEG to eat!

Bacon Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli Recipe (2)

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Rich Bacon Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli

Rich and delicious roasted broccoli and cauliflower are one of my favorite side dishes anytime of year.

Packed with nutrients, easy to adapt to any cuisine, and incredibly budget friendly – this simple roasted vegetable dish is loaded with flavor, simple enough to toss in the oven (you just need to crisp some bacon and then throw the rest of the ingredients in a pan and chuck it all in to cook) – making this one pot bacon parmesan roasted broccoli and cauliflower dish an easy side dish that is so delicious even picky kids will ask for it again and again.

This easy oven roasted broccoli and cauliflower recipe is bursting with bacon and parmesan flavor, as well as tons of roasted garlic and rich, buttery vegetable flavors. It’s great alongside steak, fish, chicken, or pork – and perfect for a dinner party, BBQ, picnic, or just a busy weeknight dinner.

If you’re trying to work more broccoli and cauliflower into your diet, look no further than this totally craveable dish!

Bacon Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli Recipe (3)

Tips to Perfect Parmesan Oven Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower:

This bacon parmesan broccoli and cauliflower dish is delicious, easy, and quick – with a couple easy tips and tricks, you’ll be making this as your new go-to vegetable side dish in no time!

How to Cook Broccoli in Oven

Broccoli is a perfect dish to toss in the oven and let the dry heat do the work for you – it caramelizes and crisps beautifully, for a slightly salty savory vegetable your kids will actually ask to eat again and again.

Roasting broccoli in the oven is so delicious because it helps to break down the bitter flavor broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables can have – instead turning rich and buttery instead of bitter.

While broccoli is excellent stir fried, a hot oven is also a fabulous way to cook broccoli without over-softening it, so it still has some shape and crunch (in my opinion, there is nothing more disgusting than too-soggy and completely mushy broccoli).

  • Bake Broccoli Quickly at High Heat
    • Since broccoli has a unique, looser structure compared with cauliflower (and the water content is a bit different), it holds up a lot better to heat and doesn’t get mushy right away – but if you love broccoli with a bit of bite (instead of a mushy lump), it’s best to cook it quickly at high heat.
    • Don’t overcook the broccoli or cook it too slowly – I am sure you’ve tried a broccoli dish from a slow cooker that didn’t have a ton of texture – the crunchy texture is fabulous for roasted broccoli in the oven – and gives the broccoli a deep, rich buttery flavor you won’t get without the oven’s high heat.
  • Let it Brown
    • Slightly browned broccoli crowns fresh from roasting in the oven are PACKED with flavor – let the broccoli brown and crisp, even if it’s only on one side.
    • Stir the dish less – don’t worry too much about flipping the broccoli over, as it’s more important to us in this recipe to develop a deep caramelization from the vegetables for the best flavor.

How To Cook Cauliflower in Oven

Oven roasted cauliflower is one of my all-time favorite dishes to make as a side – baking or roasting cauliflower in the oven breaks down the cauliflowers tough structure and really pulls out a rich, buttery flavor that isn’t bitter at all as raw cauliflower can be.

While I LOVE making cauliflower rice (click here for the hands-down BEST cauliflower rice recipe, ever), this recipe uses much larger cauliflower florets, as it is meant to be a quick, easy recipe without all the fuss of ricing cauliflower.

How To Make Cauliflower Smell Better When Cooking Cauliflower in the Oven

I’m not going to sugar coat this one – cauliflower, when roasting in the oven, smells like farts.

Oven roasted cauliflower is one of the most delicious ways to eat cauliflower – it gives a rich, buttery flavor that is nothing like the harsh, bitter flavor from raw cauliflower – but until the cauliflower is roasted, it can give a nasty, funky smell as it cooks.

This smell goes away – and I promise your side dish will smell amazing — but as cauliflower cooks and releases some of it’s sulfur, which gives off a very fart-like aroma.

While that can’t be entirely avoided, I do have a couple tips and tricks to help reduce cauliflower smell as you cook this side dish.

  • Cook Cauliflower with Bacon or Other Strong, Savory Ingredients.
    • This one is the easiest – cooking cauliflower with strong scents (like bacon in this recipe) that are craveable helps to mask the sulfur smell cauliflower gives off as it cooks.
  • Add Lemon or Lemon Juice.
    • A little acid from slices of lemon or lemon juice drizzled over cauliflower can cut some of the sulphur smell as cauliflower cooks.
  • Add Drops of Vinegar.
    • Just like lemon juice, vinegar’s acidity can help counteract the sulphur smell as cauliflower cooks.
  • Cook it Early.
    • This roasted cauliflower and broccoli recipe is fantastic in part because you can cook it earlier than your dinner – giving time for your kitchen to air out a bit before a big dinner or party – and simply re-heat when it’s time to eat, leaving only the deliciously savory bacon and roasted vegetable scents.
    • Simply cook almost all the way to done (WITHOUT BACON and parmesan) and then let cool, and store until ready to be reheated. When reheating, add bacon and parmesan to pan and sautee until hot.
  • Don’t Cook on an Aluminum or Iron Pan.
    • Opt for a naturally nonstick pan (such as ceramic) for a less-smelly way to roast cauliflower.
    • I cook this dish in a cast iron pan because I love cauliflower too much to care how it smells when it cooks, but I’ll often open the windows when I do.
    • Using a pan without a metal surface will cut down on some of the sulfur’s reaction to metal.

Other side dishes you will love:

10 Minute Broccolini Recipe

Perfect Sauteed Mushrooms

Pan Roasted Butter Carrots

Pan Fried Brussels Sprouts with Ghee

Bacon and Broccoli Charred Salad

Roasted Cauliflower with Cilantro Cashew Pesto

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Bacon Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli Recipe (4)

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Bacon Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli Recipe (5)

Bacon Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli Recipe

Yield: 6 people

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Bacon Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli Recipeis the perfect easy delicious vegetable side dish - tons of caramelized broccoli and cauliflower bursting with bacon and parmesan flavor for vegetables the family will actually BEG to eat!

Ingredients

  • 3 slices bacon, diced
  • 1/4 cup garlic, diced
  • 1 crown broccoli
  • 1 crown cauliflower
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice, fresh squeezed
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp celtic sea salt
  • 1 tbsp italian herb blend
  • 1 tsp pepper, fresh cracked
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. In large, heavy pan, lightly brown diced strips of bacon.
  3. Remove bacon from pan when lightly browned, set aside.
  4. Remove much of the bacon grease from the pan (a little is perfect - but you don't want too much- just enough to glisten across the bottom of the pan, but not enough to pool up.)
  5. Add broccoli, cauliflower, and garlic to pan.
  6. Drizzle with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, and herbs - toss well to coat evenly.
  7. Place in oven and roast for 30 minutes - until vegetables have started to brown and have reduced in size by about a third.
  8. Add bacon to pan, and sprinkle vegetables with parmesan.
  9. Roast for another 5-10 minutes, until parmesan is golden and vegetables have browned bits and are tender to the touch - but aren't too soft. For softer vegetables, add 10 minutes oven time before adding bacon and parmesan.
  10. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

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Nutrition Information

Yield 6Serving Size 1
Amount Per ServingCalories 118Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 9mgSodium 578mgCarbohydrates 7gFiber 3gSugar 2gProtein 5g

Nutrition is automatically calculated by Nutritionix - please verify all nutrition information independently and consult with a doctor or nutritionist for any and all medical and diet advice.

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Categorized as:
Appetizers, Bacon, Cauliflower, One Pot, paleo, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegetables

About Courtney

Courtney loves to share great wine, good food, and loves to explore far flung places- all while masting an everyday elegant and easy style at lifestyle blog Sweet C’s Designs. Sweet C's devoted to finding the best food and drinks you'll want to make or find, around the world!

Read More About Me

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Bacon Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why do you soak cauliflower before cooking? ›

If you're planning to roast the cauliflower whole or slice it into steaks, slice off the thick stem at the base. Drop the whole cauliflower head upside-down into cool, salted water. Let it soak for 10 to 15 minutes to remove dirt, residue and bugs.

Why is my roasted cauliflower tough? ›

Undercooking It. Overcooking is bad, but undercooking cauliflower is an equally off-putting problem. "When making cauliflower steaks or roasting florets, if you don't roast it in the oven long enough it will be warm but still hard and unenjoyable to eat," says Michalczyk.

What results when cauliflower is cooked with some vinegar or lemon juice added to the water? ›

To prevent the smellproduced by cauliflower when it is being cooked, you can add 2 tablespoons oflemon juice or vinegar during cooking and just cook it until is soft and “aldente”.

Why is my roasted cauliflower not crispy? ›

If the florets are too crowded on the pan, they'll steam—not caramelize—in the oven.

How long should I soak cauliflower in salt water? ›

Next, transfer the florets to a colander and place them under running water to wash off the dirt and bigger bugs. After this, it is suggested to blanch them in salt water to kill bacteria and parasites for 10–20 minutes.

How to stop roasted veg from going soggy? ›

If the pan is packed too tightly, the vegetables will steam instead of caramelizing. The result is sad, limp, less-than-flavorful vegetables. The solution: Give your vegetables some room to breathe. Arrange the veggies in a single layer, keeping at least a quarter inch of space between them.

What brings out the flavour of cauliflower? ›

There are two really simple techniques that bring out the best in cauliflower: grilling and pickling. Dumping cauliflower florets in a mixture of salt and lemon juice for 45 minutes to an hour turns them into spiky little flavor bombs, delivering high-pitched squeaks in salads, sandwiches or the stew recipe here.

How to get roasted veggies crispy? ›

Moving the pan closer to one of the elements can help. I find that I get lots more crispy edges when I roast vegetables on a rack in the upper third of the oven. Use the convection feature on your oven, if you have one. The fan helps better circulate hot air.

What does adding lemon juice to cauliflower do? ›

Food Science

Cauliflower contains some phytonutrients, these nutrients may react with iron cookware and gives the cauliflower a brownish color. To prevent this add some lemon juice to the cauliflower or to the water in which it is blanched.

What does baking soda do to cauliflower? ›

Baking soda is often used as a natural cleaning agent, and it can be used to brighten up your veggies too. Sprinkle a little in the water before boiling to prevent cauliflower from yellowing and make corn look more vibrant.

What happens when you add lemon juice to water when cooking cauliflower? ›

Helps retain color: Cauliflower can sometimes turn brown or lose its vibrant white color when cooked. However, the acid in lemon juice can help prevent discoloration and maintain the cauliflower's white appearance.

How healthy is roasted cauliflower? ›

When it comes to nutrition, cauliflower is a superstar. It's high in vitamins C and K, and is also a good source of folate, which supports cell growth and is essential during pregnancy. Cauliflower is fat-free and cholesterol-free. And it's low in sodium.

How long to soak cauliflower in vinegar water? ›

Produce with rough outer skin: Items such as broccoli, potatoes and cauliflower are a little harder to clean. Soak in a solution of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water for 1 minute. For heads of cabbage or lettuce, it's best to separate the leaves first.

Is it worth marinating cauliflower? ›

Introduction: Easy Eats: Marinated Roasted Cauliflower

This one takes a day or two to get going, but it's really tasty and super easy to make. It's also has the benefit of being low carb, and nutrient-dense.

What will adding lemon juice to the water for cooking cauliflower do? ›

Food Science

Cauliflower contains some phytonutrients, these nutrients may react with iron cookware and gives the cauliflower a brownish color. To prevent this add some lemon juice to the cauliflower or to the water in which it is blanched.

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