Creamy Ranch Cauliflower

If you were to meet me for this first time, and you weren’t quite sure where I was from, there would be one dead giveaway: my affinity for Ranch dressing.

I feel like the ranch obsession kind of originated in the South. I’m not sure the yankees up north have the stomach for it like us hard core Southerners. Ranch, in my opinion, goes with pretty much everything. I can’t eat pizza without it, I’ll dip my potatoes in it, and fried chicken/pickles/jalapenos sing when they’re dipped in that creamy substance.

Homemade ranch, or the restaurant variety (thinner than the bottled kind and oh-so-good) are my favorites. There’s also a restaurant here (Texadelphia) that serves a salsa-ranch that you dip tortilla chips in. Oh my goodness. That stuff is golden.

And then, I stumbled upon this gift from the God’s at the grocery store:

Yeah, I’m infatuated with ranch. Yeah, I’m from Texas. Like I said…dead giveaway. Dead. Giveaway.

One of the recipes I drew out of my box for this week was this one. I can tell why I wrote it down: slow cooker, cauliflower, a million crazy ingredients. Plus, I’ve never heard of anything like this recipe. It’s truly one of a kind.

Yesterday was my first time to use crock pot liners and HOLY COW! Greatest invention ever! Easy clean up so I could put a pork shoulder roast in my slow cooker today.

Anyway, back to the food. If all the pre-packaged ingredients turns you off, don’t let it. This recipe is well worth the extra calories. Ranch dressing mix, Mexicorn, chive & onion cream cheese, cream of onion soup (I never knew that existed, by the way)—it works. Trust me, it works.

I’ll be nomming on this cauliflower to go alongside some Caribbean pork sliders I’m making today. I think this side dish is the perfect accompaniment to sandwiches, chicken, and maybe a pork tenderloin.

Creamy Ranch Cauliflower

• Servings: 6-8
• Time: 5-6 hours
• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

A creamy, slow-cooked side dish packed full of ranch flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 (11 oz) can Mexicorn, drained
• 1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of onion soup
• 1 (8 oz) container chive and onion cream cheese, softened
• 1 (8 oz) container sour cream
• 1 (1 oz) package dry ranch dressing mix
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 3 sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions

1. Combine Mexicorn, soup, sour cream, cream cheese, ranch dressing mix, jalapneo and cauliflower in slow cooker. Stir well so cauliflower is well-coated.
2. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or until tender. Sprinkle with bacon and serve.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Combine Mexicorn, soup, sour cream, cream cheese, ranch dressing mix, jalapneo and cauliflower in slow cooker.

Stir well so cauliflower is well-coated. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or until tender. Sprinkle with bacon and serve.