Cauliflower Comfort Food

When I first went gluten-free, I spent the winter craving warm, cheesy, salty comfort foods. I hadn't found an acceptable GF pasta yet, and couldn't eat rice and beans for every meal, so I got creative.

The following creation was a favorite that first winter. I got the idea from a low-carb friend who make cheesy mashed cauliflower as part of the Atkin's plan. Now, in my attempt to add more veggies to my life, I am bringing it out again. I made it last night and while it is not so pretty, it is delicious! Now, even though it is based on cauliflower, i wouldn't go so far as to say that it is "healthy." It is low-carb friendly, and makes excellent leftovers, and certainly isn't the worst dinner I could think of making. :)

Cauliflower-Sausage Bake

Ingredients
2 large bags of frozen cauliflower
16 ounces sausage (I like to make sure it is MSG free)
1 medium onion chopped
16 ounce container of cottage cheese
16 ounce container of sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Spanish paprika

Instructions
1. Saute onion in butter in a large skillet until translucent. Add sausage, crumble, and brown.
2. Boil and drain or steam the cauliflower. Use a potato masher to mash up the cauliflower into small pieces.
3. Add the the sausage mixture, cottage cheese, and sour cream to the mashed cauliflower and mix thoroughly.
4. Mix in 1 c of the cheddar cheese.
5. Place the mixture into a 9x5 baking dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Dust the top with the Spanish paprika.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes (or 375 degrees for 30 minutes if you're in a hurry).