We love to use cauliflower in our baby food recipes – it is absolutely packed with nutrients, makes great purees and has a delicate, slightly nutty flavour that all our little ones have loved.
Sadly, though, cauliflower gets a bad rap and there are lots of people who don’t quite share our enthusiasm for it! But in most cases, we find it’s because cauliflower is often very poorly cooked.
When it’s boiled half to death and waterlogged, we’d agree – it tastes pretty awful!
Cooked properly, however, it’s a totally different vegetable. And it’s so good for your baby that it’s definitely worth giving cauliflower a try, even if it’s something you wouldn’t normally eat.
This recipe is slightly unusual in that we BAKE the cauliflower instead of boiling or steaming it. This lightly caramelizes it, adding a whole new dimension to the flavour. It also produces an excellent puree with a non-watery texture.
And maybe best of all, you don’t tend to get that rather strong smell that’s usually associated with cooking cauliflower!
TIP: Save time by roasting up lots of cauliflower and serving the rest of it as a side dish with the family meal. You’ll be amazed by how popular it will be! Then you can just take baby’s portion and puree it separately.
To Make Baked Cauliflower & Cheese Puree You Will Need…
1/2 small head of cauliflower
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
big pinch garlic powder
around 1/3 cup of warm milk (you can use breast milk or formula if you prefer)
2 tbsp grated cheese (we used Cheddar but parmesan would be even better!)
Wash the cauliflower, remove the central core and any leaves, then break the rest into florets. Try to get a uniform size – so, if any are especially big, cut them in half. If the florets are too big, they will burn before becoming tender in the middle.
Dry the florets with a piece of paper towel.
Preheat the oven to 450 deg F (230 deg C).
Put the florets into a bowl and add the olive oil and garlic powder. Toss everything together thoroughly.
Spread the florets in a single layer on a baking sheet and put into the oven.
Bake for 20 minutes, until fork-tender.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle the grated cheese over the top of the cauliflower.
Return to the oven for around 5 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the florets look charred.
Transfer the florets to a blender and add the milk (you may find you need a little more or less, depending on the size of your cauliflower head. Start off by adding a bit less – you can always add more if needed).
Blend until smooth and creamy, adding more milk if necessary.
Want to know more about the benefits of cauliflower?
Read our complete guide to introducing cauliflower to your baby
Baked Cauliflower & Cheese Puree
This baked cauliflower and cheese puree for baby has an amazing taste and texture. It would make a great side dish for the whole family!
Ingredients
- 1/2 small head of cauliflower
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- big pinch garlic powder
- around 1/3 cup of warm milk (you can use breast milk or formula if you prefer)
- 2 tbsp grated cheese (we used Cheddar but parmesan would be even better!)
Instructions
- Wash the cauliflower, remove the central core and any leaves, then break the rest into uniform-sized florets.
- Dry the florets with a piece of paper towel.
- Preheat the oven to 450 deg F (230 deg C).
- Put the florets into a bowl and add the olive oil and garlic powder. Toss everything together thoroughly.
- Spread the florets in a single layer on a baking sheet and put into the oven.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until fork-tender.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle the grated cheese over the top of the cauliflower.
- Return to the oven for around 5 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the florets look charred.
- Transfer the florets to a blender and add the milk (you may find you need a little more or less, depending on the size of your cauliflower head. Start off by adding a bit less – you can always add more if needed).
- Blend until smooth and creamy, adding more milk if necessary.
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