Although summer is taking its sweet time arriving here in the Pacific Northwest this year, that isn’t stopping me from grilling up some tasty meats (like tri tip) and making delicious, high-fat side dishes to go along with them.

I was inspired to make this potato salad style side dish (made with cauliflower instead of potatoes) after having a version of it made by my cousin’s wife at a family birthday party. It was so incredibly delicious, everyone at the party, even the non-Ketonians, LOVED it and asked for seconds.

I made my first version of this while visiting a friend and his family (HI JERRY!) in Oregon and it was received with similar accolades. “We need the recipe!!” is all I’ve heard the last few weeks.

So here it is, finally! I made this dish for 4th of July and it’s still as satisfying as the first one I had months ago. For a tasty variation, try subbing out the sharp cheddar for blue cheese. And of course you can always add more bacon.

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

3 large hard boiled eggs, diced

4 strips thick-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled

4 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

2 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

The only slightly tricky part of this recipe is cooking the cauliflower “just right”. You want it to be sort of soft, but not mushy.

After you remove the hard core and any leaves, you can try one of these techniques:

• Dice cauliflower and steam it until fork tender, 1 – 3 minutes
• Place entire head into pressure cooker and cooking LOW pressure for one minute. Use quick release method and slice and cool. Then cut into cubes. (This is the method I used.)
• Dice cauliflower and put in a bowl in the microwave with about 1/4 cup of water. Cook on medium-high for 3 -5 minutes at a time, checking each time for doneness. Since microwave ovens vary so greatly, the total time may be 15 – 20 minutes.

Cool cauliflower cubes and then toss all ingredients in a large bowl. Taste and add more salt or pepper if desired.

Yield: 8 servings

Nutrition per serving: 382 calories, 6 g carbs, 2.4 g fiber, 11 g protein, 35 g fat