Loaded Baked-Mock-Potato Salad

 

Perfect for picnics – low in carbs, too!

Nearly every picnic around has someone bringing a great heaping bowl of potato salad. In my circle, the one whose taters are most popular has recently been put on a severely carb-restricted plan, making that just a little awkward.

Naturally, I wanted to come up with an alternative that we can both enjoy when everybody else feasts upon those spuds. And, to my surprise, I learned that cauliflower can be a very nice substitute.

The surprise came because, for years, the cooked cauliflower I'd been subjected to was…well… sort of skunky and cabbage-y. But with the judicious use of a hot oven, some cooking oil, and a little salt, the veggie sweetens up in a way that stir-frying and steaming won't.

As for this salad, it can be served hot or cold, so adapts to suit your mood or menu. Either way, I recommend making it in advance, and letting it sit in the refrigerator for several hours (overnight is ideal), so the flavors meld. It also doesn't require much in the way of clean-up… all you'll need is a baking sheet, some non-stick parchment, and a preferred method for spreading oil on the surface of the veggies for early preparation work, and then a large mixing and/or serving bowl, plus measuring cups/spoons, and a spatula or spoon to mix it all up.

Loaded Baked-Mock-Potato Salad

Ingredients:

1 large head of cauliflower, cut & broken up into bite-size pieces
About 3 Tablespoons of your favorite cooking oil* (just enough to coat the cauliflower bits)
Salt to taste (I use about 1/2 teaspoon)

1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup good mayonnaise (I use Duke's)
1/3 cup coarsely-shredded or small-cubed medium cheddar cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
1/4 cup diced celery
about 3 Tablespoons diced bread-and-butter pickles
1/3 cup crisp-cooked bacon bits, divided
chopped chives or more scallion greens for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400º F.

Cover large baking sheet with non-stick parchment (or, if you don't have parchment, lightly grease your baking sheet).

Clean and cut/pull apart cauliflower, putting the florets into a large mixing bowl or gallon zipper bag.
 

Pour cooking oil over the florets, stir/shake until all the pieces are coated, and then spread the pieces over the parchment-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt, and bake for about 20 – 25 minutes, turning at least once for even cooking. The aim is to get them golden-brown and their edges slightly crisped.

Remove from oven, allow to cool enough to work with (I then pop it into the refrigerator for an hour or two. The choice is yours, though).

In large mixing bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, cheese, scallions, celery, and diced pickle. Stir thoroughly.

Add 1/4 cup bacon bits, roasted cauliflower, and dressing mix. Stir until dressing evenly covers all the cauliflower pieces. 

Almost forgot the bacon.

Store covered in refrigerator for several hours to overnight. 

Fancy-shmancy containers like mine
need to be carefully cleaned before use,
though.

May be heated in oven or microwave, if your preference is for warm salad.

Sprinkle remaining bacon on top of salad immediately before serving, for garnish and extra crunch. Chopped fresh chives or scallion greens may also be added before serving, for garnish and flavor. (I skipped them during the photo sessions, because I was making this for family, and The Bat is not a fan of either flavor.)

*I leave the choice up to you. Others like working with avocado oil, or even melted ghee. I'm kind of a weirdo. I like the flavor and finish of corn oil.