Buffalo Cauliflower Dip | Gimme Some Oven

Easy1 hourVegetarian

This Buffalo Cauliflower Dip recipe is a vegetarian take on this classic hot dip, made with lots of roasted cauliflower, and — look out — it’s downright irresistible.

A few weeks ago, I was hanging out with one of my Catalan friends here in Barcelona when she asked out of the blue, “So what’s the story on all of these dips that Americans are always eating?  You know, like spinach artichoke dip?  Or that famous buffalo dip everyone talks about?  What are they?”

Fast forward a few days later to our Spanish class, when the discussion turned to the topic of the American Super Bowl.  Barclay and I were trying to explain some of the various traditions surrounding the big game to everyone, and I offhandedly asked our teacher to help me with the Spanish word for “dips”.  She thought for a second, and was like, “mmmm, salsa?”  (Spanish for “sauce”.)  I tried to clarify, “No, no, not the sauces that you mix into things.  Like dips, you know, the ones that you dip bread or chips or veggies in?”

Turns out that, beyond romesco sauce, the concept doesn’t really seem to exist here.  ?

As someone whose primary love language in life has always been chips and salsa, I’ve gotta admit — I had no idea that we were so spoiled in the United States by all of our dips!!  ? ? ?

So naturally, my immediate response to both conversations was to invite everyone over to our place to try All The Dips.  So this weekend, we’re making it happen.  Barclay and I are going to host a little Super Bowlish party (ahem, without the Super Bowl, since it won’t be on here after midnight on Sunday).  And I’m going to make a buffet of the classics — my favorite red and green salsas, guacamole, spinach artichoke dip, French onion dip, and cheddar bacon ranch dip.  And of course, on Super Bowl weekend, you’d better believe there’s also going to be some buffalo chicken dip happening in the house.  Although with so many vegetarians in the group, I decided to test out a cauliflower-based version ahead of time too.  And oh my goodness, Barclay and I could not stop eating this stuff.

Vegetarian buffalo dip FTW!

Bonus?  It’s totally easy to make.

Just roast up a small head of cauliflower.  (Here’s a quick video on how to cut cauliflower)

Combine it with low-fat cream cheese, Greek yogurt, shredded Mozzarella, green onions, and blue cheese (optional) until combined.  (You can also also do this a day ahead of time, if you’d like to prep the dip ahead of game day.)  Pour the mixture into a baking dish and pop it in the oven until it’s nice and hot and melty and starts to turn golden around the edges.

Then sprinkle on your favorite toppings…

…and SERVE!

Let’s be real, this one will never win any beauty contests.  But man is it irresistible.

If you’re not into blue cheese, feel free to sub in feta (or just leave it out entirely).  And if you’re looking for hot sauce recs, I’m a Frank’s fan all the way (we love it so much we even tracked a bottle down in Spain).  Also, if you’re looking to save space in the oven, I’ve included slow cooker instructions for this one below as well.

Can’t wait to introduce all of our friends to the brilliance of “buffalo” this weekend.  Hope that you all enjoy it too!

Yield: 12-16 servings

Buffalo Cauliflower Dip

This Buffalo Cauliflower Dip recipe is a vegetarian take on this classic hot dip, made with lots of roasted cauliflower, and — look out — it’s downright irresistible.

Total Time:1 hour

Prep Time:15 mins

Cook Time:45 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 (8-ounce) block reduced-fat cream cheese, roughly cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup hot sauce (I recommend Frank’s)
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
• 1/2 cup thinly-sliced green onions
• optional: 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
• optional toppings: extra crumbled blue cheese, thinly-sliced green onions, chopped celery, and/or a drizzle of hot sauce

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 425°F.  Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil, if desired.
2. Spread the cauliflower out on the baking sheet, and drizzle with olive oil.  Toss to combine until the cauliflower is evenly coated.  Then spread the cauliflower out evenly on the baking sheet.  Season with salt and pepper.  Then bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cauliflower is slightly charred around the edges.  Remove from oven.
3. Transfer the cauliflower to a large mixing bowl, and add the cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, hot sauce, Greek yogurt, green onions and blue cheese.  Stir until evenly combined.
4. Oven: Turn oven to 350°F.  Spread the mixture out evenly in a 9 x 9-inch baking dish.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cheeses are completely melted and the edges of the dip start to brown.  Remove from the oven, and garnish with your desired toppings.  Serve warm, with your desired dippers.
5. Slow Cooker: Spray the inside of the bowl of your slow cooker with cooking spray.  Add all ingredients to the bowl of the slow cooker, and stir until combined.  (You can also stir the ingredients together in a separate bowl, and then transfer that to the bowl of the slow cooker afterwards.)  Cover and cook on high for 1.5 to 2 hours, or on low for 3-4 hours, until all of the cheeses have melted.  Give the dip a final stir, then transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with your desired toppings.  Serve warm, with your desired dippers.

Difficulty: EasyCategory: Vegetarian

All images and text ©Gimme Some Oven