Smoked Gouda Cauliflower

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This recipe was inspired by one in Dana Carpender’s 500 Low-Carb Recipes. Most people do not cook cauliflower casseroles with this particular cheese and it doesn’t melt easily.  But once it DOES melt, it truly transforms the ordinary into  the sublime.  In my opinion, it is the smoked Gouda that truly sets this dish apart from all the other cauliflower casseroles I have ever eaten.  I served it to my brother, who was once an executive chef in California and he RAVED about it!  It’s Atkins Induction friendly, too!   The brand of smoked Gouda I use is from Sam’s and it has 1 net carb per ounce.  Your brand may vary.

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium large head cauliflower

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

4 oz. smoked Gouda cheese, grated

¼ tsp. coarse black pepper

Dash salt

Optional:  chopped chives or green onion to top

DIRECTIONS:

Cut up cauliflower into manageable pieces and boil or steam until tender.  Drain off any water and mash the chunks up slightly with a fork (do not puree, however).   Stir in softened cream cheese until it is melted and blended well.  Grease glass casserole dish and spoon half the cauliflower mixture in.  Sprinkle with half the grated smoked Gouda.  Spoon remaining cauliflower into dish and top with rest of Gouda cheese.   Sprinkle with just a dash of salt, as the cheese has a lot of sodium.  If you are sodium sensitive, I wouldn’t add ANY salt.   Sometimes I add some chopped chives or green onion to the top, but this is not in the nutritional info below.  Bake at 350º for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Serves 6, each serving contains:  (you may get up to 8 servings and that will lower the net carbs even more)

190.3 calories

15.22 g  fat

6.17 g  carbs

2.4 g fiber

3.77 g  NET CARBS

8.77 g  protein

312 mg  sodium