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German Baked Cauliflower Bomb – Oma's Blumenkohl-Bombe

This baked cauliflower bomb, aka Blumenkohl-Bombe, is a centerpiece dish that gets rave reviews EVERY TIME! Cauliflower, meatloaf and bacon. Together. What's not to like? 

Just follow the easy steps below and you'll be amazing your family and guests. Just imagine how surprised they will be when you cut into a bacon-covered "bomb" and see the insides.

Servings:

Makes 6 - 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 medium head cauliflower (about 2 pounds)
• 2½ teaspoons salt, divided
• 5 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 cup diced onions
• 1 stale kaiser roll, sliced
• ¾ cup milk, warmed
  
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 pound lean ground pork
• 3 large eggs
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  
• 1 - 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs, if needed
• 12 ounces lean sliced bacon
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  
• 2 tablespoons German mustard (or your favorite)
• freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions:

1. Trim the stalk end of the cauliflower so that the head will sit flat, being careful to keep the head whole. Trim off any leaves. Cut an X into the stalk end to speed up the cooking time.
2. Put the cauliflower head into a large pot. Add hot water to cover. Add 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so that the water is simmering and cook for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the cauliflower to a greased baking dish or rimmed baking sheet and place it stalk side down. Measure out 3 cups of the cooking liquid and reserve it to use for making the sauce.
3. Preheat the oven to 360°F.
4. In a small skillet, sauté the onions in 1 tablespoon butter, until they are softened, but not browned. Set aside.
5. In a small bowl, place the sliced roll, pour over the warm milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. Drain the milk and squeeze the slices to remove as much moisture as possible and to crumble them.
6. Into a large bowl, add the onions, crumbled roll, beef, pork, eggs, pepper, and 1½ teaspoons salt. Mix gently with your hands. If the mixture is too moist to hold together, add some breadcrumbs.
7. Press handfuls of meat mixture gently around the cauliflower to make a layer that is about 1 inch thick. Continue until the whole head is covered and all the meat is used. Wrap the bacon slices around the meat so that all the meat is covered.
8. Place the bomb into the oven (do not cover) and roast for about 70 to 80 minutes or until the bacon is browned and crisp.
9. While the bomb is baking, make the sauce by melting 4 tablespoons butter in a skillet. Stir in the flour and cook until the roux is smooth, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in 2 cups of the reserved cooking liquid and simmer, stirring constantly, until the sauce is smooth. Simmer for about 5 minutes, adding more cooking liquid if necessary. Add the mustard and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cover the sauce and keep warm until ready to serve.
10. Serve wedges of the baked cauliflower bomb with sauce.

Notes/Hints:

• When you are cooking the cauliflower, you don't want to let it get tender. You just want it to be slightly cooked.
• Don't have a stale roll to use? Use ½ cup breadcrumbs instead. Don't soak them! (omit the ¾ cup milk). Just add the breadcrumbs to the meat mixture.

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10.01.2024 revision update