In my head, this creamy cauliflower salad is like a cross between coleslaw and Cobb salad — but if we’re calling it what it is, it’s really just a 7-layer salad:
- Lettuce
- Cauliflower
- Onion
- Bacon
- Mayo
- Parmesan
- Sugar
In all honesty, I’ve never met a 7-layer salad I liked — except this one. Peas? No, thank you!
7-layer salads are the only kind of salad that I know of that actually tastes better after sitting for 8-24 hours. For that to happen, though, you have to use a lettuce that can hold up to the heartiness of mayo (iceberg or romaine), and you’ll want to make sure the mayo dressing doesn’t touch the lettuce as much as possible — hence the layer of cauliflower acting as a barrier.
It’s a rich salad best served (in my opinion) in small portions, just like coleslaw. If you enjoy salad but aren’t a coleslaw fan, this makes a great alternative!
Another name for this dish could be “steakhouse salad,” since it pairs beautifully with a good, juicy steak — or ribs, or really any BBQ!
Ingredient Considerations
Here’s what you need:
- 1 head iceberg lettuce
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1 small yellow onion
- 1 lb bacon
- 1 to 1½ cups mayo
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- ¼ cup white sugar
A few thoughts on ingredients:
LETTUCE
You can use romaine, but I prefer Iceberg because it’s even heartier and really stands up to the mayo.
USE REAL MAYO
If you are a Miracle Whip person, I’d skip the sugar. The direct sugar application is actually part of what makes this recipe special: after sitting in the fridge for 8+ hours, it kind of crystallizes and marries with the mayo and parmesan. I don’t think Miracle Whip gives quite the same effect.
DON’T BE SCARED OF THE ONION
Even a small onion yields a LOT of chopped onion, but don’t be afraid to use it all. It will literally melt into the salad after sitting 8+ hours (one more reason why the fridge time is so important). You won’t even know it’s there! This is also why I prefer to mince it finely rather than leaving it in a dice. Mince that baby up.
You can sub white onion. I’d be wary of red onion — I don’t think it would hurt the flavor, but it might tint the mayo after sitting overnight. I can’t say for sure, though, as I’ve never tried it!
EMBRACE SOME SUGAR
If you seek out this recipe online, most recipes call for ½ cup of sugar. Yep.
I just can’t do it, so in this recipe, I cut it in half.
I wouldn’t skip it altogether, though — it really does add to the final product. At a minimum, I’d use 2 tablespoons (⅛ cup).
And for the record: if you’ve ever used any store-bought creamy dressing, they all have sugar. Don’t make this salad if you’re looking for something healthy — its goal is to be creamy and decadent. 🙂
THE SIZE OF YOUR LETTUCE AND CAULIFLOWER MATTER
How much mayo you need depends on the yield of your lettuce and cauliflower heads.
If your 9×13 dish ends up filled to the rim, use the full 1½ cups of mayo (and you may need to transfer to a large bowl before tossing).
If you have smaller heads that only reach halfway up the dish, stick to 1 cup.
When I made this salad for the post, I wasn’t paying attention and used 1½ cups — but as you can see in the photos, the lettuce and cauliflower don’t fill the dish. It was too much mayo.
Assembling This Creamy Cauliflower Salad
There are multiple ways you can cook your bacon. For this particular application, I usually pre-chop it with kitchen shears and fry it in a pan over medium-high heat until it’s golden and crispy.
Drain on a paper towel.
I also think it’s important in this recipe that the cauliflower pieces are very small. You don’t want to have to cut them up when eating. Go smaller than you think.
Layer the salad.
We use a 9×13 because it provides more surface area for ingredients and dressing. (I actually use a 9×13 for a lot of salads!)
Lettuce – then cauliflower – then mayo (remember, the mayo in this photo was too much in proportion to lettuce and cauliflower in the dish). My mistake!
Then sprinkle the onion on top of the mayo, followed by bacon, parmesan, and finally sugar.
Cover and put in the fridge for 8-24 hours (don’t skip this step!)
This is what it looks like when it comes out. Notice how the sugar, parmesan, and mayo melt and crystallize together.
Give it a good toss. Remember, if you had larger heads of lettuce and/or cauliflower and the 9×13 was stuffed full, you may find it easier to dump into a large bowl to toss. Otherwise, you can just do it right in the dish.
Enjoy with steak, anything off the grill, BBQ, or whatever you like!
The amount it will serve depends again on how full the dish was of lettuce and cauliflower. I would say it yields 8-12 servings.
Creamy Cauliflower Salad
Ingredients
Method
- In a 9×13 casserole dish, spread out lettuce evenly then cauliflower.
- Dollop mayo all over the lettuce and cauliflower, then slowly and gently spread with a spatula, working to completely cover the lettuce and cauliflower as much as possible.
- Sprinkle the chopped onion on top followed by the parmesan cheese and finally sugar.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Right before serving, toss the salad together really well.
A Childhood Memory
All the recipes getting posted on the blog this year have some special memory for me. This salad was a dish that one of my aunts always brought to family gatherings. I absolutely loved it and would easily devour a double or triple serving. Eek!
She passed away this past January, so I’m glad I made it a goal this year to share only recipes connected to memories. Food has such power in memories, so this was a small way I could look back and remember something that made her special to me. I will always equate this salad (and Chocolate Cinnamon Sheet Cake) with Aunt Wendy.
