• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil.
• Place the florets on the sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until slightly golden. Reserve a few florets for topping the queso, but transfer the rest to a food processor. Pulse and blend it until combined and smooth. You can make it as smooth or chunky as you’d like, but remember the texture will be that way in the dip!

queso

• While my cauliflower roasts, I char the poblano on my gas range and stick it in a bag to steam. After 20 minutes, I remove it, peel off the skin and chop it. I love the result of this pepper, but you can always chop it raw and sauté it with the onion!
• Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. Stir in the peppers, onions and garlic. Season with the salt and pepper. Cook until the onion softens, about 5 to 6 minutes.
• Slowly stream in 1 cup of the half and half, whisking the entire time. In a bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup half and half and cornstarch until no lumps remain to create a slurry. Stir the slurry into the saucepan and cook for a minute until the milk thickens. Reduce the heat to low.
• Stir in the grated cheese one small handful at a time, until melted. Stir in the cauliflower puree until combined. The color may darker slightly or look a little speckled. Taste the mixture and add a sprinkle of salt and pepper if necessary. If it gets super thick (this can happen if your heat isn’t low), you can always whisk in a bit more milk. I’d start with ¼ cup.
• Transfer the mixture to a crock, larger bowl or a small crockpot heating on low. Top it with the leftover roasted cauliflower, along with anything else you may have. I love adding on some quick pico and a handful of cilantro or green onion. Serve immediately.
• This will need to be stirred a few times as it sits. It’s best when kept over low heat. It is thicker, so it doesn’t drizzle beautifully, but it is amazing ON dish, like nachos and tacos and taquitos!