Marry Me Cauliflower

Marry Me Cauliflower is a vegetarian twist on Marry Me Chicken with creamy sun-dried tomato sauce coating low calorie, budget-friendly pan-fried cauliflower. Perfect for a fancy date night dinner!

Other “fancy” cauliflower recipes we love are cheesy cauliflower steaks and cauliflower risotto.

Everyone loves anything cooked in a rich cream sauce. While I love my Instant Pot Italian chicken breast because it’s so easy, I first tried to make the viral marry me chicken on the stove and found it a bit messy.

Although I did cave in later and even expanded to marry me chicken soup, marry me chicken meatballs and marry me chicken pasta.

But that’s how I came up with this marry me cauliflower recipe in a first place. It turned out so good, you’ll want to make it again and again!

What Is Marry Me Cauliflower?

Marry me cauliflower puts a veggie spin on the popular marry me chicken, swapping sauteed chicken for flour-dredged cauliflower in cream sauce with sweet sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, spinach, and basil.

The “Marry Me” name comes from the irresistible flavor that some say is so good it could prompt a marriage proposal after just one taste.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Scrumptious: Charred cauliflower has a crispy outside with a melt-in-your-mouth inside, and the creamy sauce is to die for!
• Healthier alternative: The perfect vegetarian substitute to chicken with fewer calories and less fat.
• Budget friendly: We make the sauce with everyday pantry items, and cauliflower is easy on the wallet.
• Versatile to serve: This healthy dinner idea can be served as a main dish or a side dish. See below for serving ideas.

Ingredients for Marry Me Cauliflower

Here’s a short list of fridge and pantry staples you’ll need to make marry me cauliflower.

• Cauliflower: Pick cauliflower with a total weight of 2.5 pounds, more or less a bit is fine. It might seem like a lot but we will remove leaves and some of the core.
• Flour: We’ll coat the cauliflower in flour to achieve a charred, crispy crust. I used all-purpose flour, feel free to use whole wheat flour or gluten-free flour for the same effect.
• Garlic: Freshly minced garlic makes everything taste better!
• Sun dried tomatoes: Infuses the sauce with a delicious Tuscan flavor. Save the oil from the jar, we’ll use it too.
• Chicken broth: Low sodium chicken broth adds richness to the sauce. You can use vegetable broth instead, if you’d like.
• Heavy cream: A small amount makes the sauce extra creamy. Swap for half and half for a lighter sauce.
• Seasonings: You’ll need Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
• Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated Parmesan is best for a salty, savory taste.
• Spinach: Fresh baby spinach adds a burst of color and nutrition.
• Oil: For frying. To start, I used mostly the same oil sun-dried tomatoes are packed in. At the last frying step, I used a bit of olive oil for that olive oil flavor. It saves money and food, but you can use whatever you like.
• Basil: Garnish with fresh basil.

How to Make Marry Me Cauliflower

Here is a quick visual run down how to make marry me cauliflower that your family will fall in love with!

There is a full recipe card with measurements and instructions below.

• Prep the cauliflower: Slice the cauliflower into steaks and then into smaller pieces. Coat the cauliflower in flour on both sides. I like to do this while the skillet is preheating and during the frying process.
• Pan fry cauliflower: Preheat the skillet and add oil. Working in batches, place the dredged cauliflower in a single layer in the skillet, sprinkle on some salt and pepper, then let it pan fry for 3-4 minutes or until browned on each side.
• Make the sauce: Scrape off any burnt bits, add a bit more oil and the garlic. Saute for 30 seconds while stirring, then pour in the broth, heavy cream, sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and Parmesan cheese. Stir and let simmer for 2 minutes.
• Add cauliflower and spinach: Add the cooked cauliflower back to the skillet, spoon some sauce on top, and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. Then add baby spinach and do the same.

Tips for Best Results

Here are my go-to tips for making cauliflower in marry me sauce.

• If using sun-dried tomatoes in oil: Use that oil for sauteing all ingredients in this recipe, it adds another layer of flavor.
• Slicing cauliflower: Be sure to slice it flat so there’s more surface to brown, instead of just chopping the cauliflower.
• Use quality Parmesan cheese: The smooth, creamy texture melts more evenly and adds a rich depth of flavor to the sauce.
• Be gentle: The skillet will be full and it will be hard to stir. Do not stir vigorously at each step, it will be mush if you do. Instead, carefully spoon the sauce on top the cauliflower and tuck the spinach in between. The heat will take care of mixing all ingredients together.
• Make it gluten-free: Feel free to use all purpose gluten-free flour. Almond flour will work too, but sauce might be less thick.
• If you are not a fan of cauliflower: Use chicken cutlets instead. I tried it and recipe was great, just more messy to make. You can also use chickpeas, tofu or white beans for a vegetarian twist with added protein.

What to Serve Marry Me Cauliflower with?

I served it as a main dish garnished with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese over cavatappi pasta, but you have plenty of options to change things up.

• Pasta: Choose your favorite short or long pasta, it can be regular, whole wheat, or gluten-free pasta.
• Rice: Serve over a bed of Instant Pot jasmine rice or Instant Pot basmati rice.
• Bread: Having some crusty bread on hand is almost a given whenever there’s a tomato cream sauce involved.
• Low carb: For a low carb meal, serve it over cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash noodles, or alongside air fryer asparagus.
• As a side: This creamy cauliflower goes great with your go-to grilled, baked, or sautéed chicken recipe or alongside a delicious baked salmon.

How to Store and Reheat

Store: Transfer any extras into an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

Reheat: When it’s time for round two, warm it up in the microwave for a few minutes or simmer in a skillet with a splash of broth while covered.

Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing, cauliflower tends to lose its delightful texture and get a bit soggy when thawed.

FAQs

More Cauliflower Recipes

• Cilantro lime cauliflower rice
• Roasted cauliflower recipe
• Cauliflower stuffing
• Cilantro lime roasted cauliflower
• Cauliflower stir fry

More Creamy Side Dishes to Try

• Instant Pot mushroom risotto