Let me be honest with you. The first time I cut into a head of cauliflower and tried to make it look like a steak, I thought, ‘Well, this is either going to be genius or a total mess.’ Spoiler: it was genius. These crispy golden cheesy cauliflower steaks are a beautiful way to take a plain old veggie and make it feel like the star of the table. They’re satisfying, slightly dramatic when you serve them, and they fit neatly into the world of low carb vegetarian recipes. The secret, at least in my kitchen, lies in coaxing out that nutty, almost sweet flavor cauliflower hides until you roast it. Add a shower of cheese that melts into all those little crevices, and suddenly you’re looking at something that feels downright indulgent. I still remember pulling my first tray out of the oven, standing there in the warm blast of garlicky air, and thinking, ‘Why did I ever think steak had to mean beef?’ If you’ve been hunting for cauliflower steaks recipes that are both approachable and reliable, this is it. It slides right into your list of plant based recipes and works beautifully for weeknight dinners. The steps are simple, the ingredients don’t send you chasing across town, and the end result is one of those healthy plant based recipes that makes you feel like you’ve pulled off something much fancier than you actually did. Think of it as one of those plant based recipes easy enough to handle after a long day, but polished enough to impress. It’s also one of my favorite low carb cauliflower recipes to lean on when I want dinner to taste like comfort food without the heaviness that usually comes with it.