Loaded cauliflower

Time: 30 mins - 1 hour

Serves: 4

Loaded fries, poutine, chips and gravy – whatever you want to call it – can be even better without the chips. Or, if it helps you feel better, think of this as cauliflower cheese turned up a notch.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

200g bacon rashers, cut into strips

2 heads cauliflower, florets separated

salt and pepper, to season

1 cup prepared instant gravy 

1 cup shredded tasty cheese

3 spring onions, finely sliced

¼ cup sour cream

Method

1. Heat your oven to 200C fan-forced (220C conventional). Heat a large ovenproof frypan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Fry the bacon for about 5 minutes until browned and crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan but leave the rendered oil in there. Fry the cauliflower florets in batches for about 5 minutes each batch, until the cauliflower is browned (it does not have to be cooked through). Season to taste.

2. Return all the cauliflower to the pan and pack it in tightly. Pour over the gravy and scatter with the bacon and cheese. Place in the oven with the overhead grill on and cook until golden, about 15 minutes, then serve scattered with the spring onions and a dollop of sour cream. If your oven doesn’t have a combined bake and grill function, bake the cauliflower for 15 minutes, then finish with 5 further minutes under the grill to brown the cheese.