1-Step 1: Preheat Your Oven Start by preheating your oven to 400°F. This temperature is ideal for roasting cauliflower because it’s hot enough to create crispy, caramelized edges while cooking the inside to tender perfection. If your oven runs a bit cool, you might want to set it to 415°F to compensate. While the oven heats up, you can prepare the cauliflower and seasoning mixture.

2-Step 2: Prepare the Cauliflower Steaks Take your head of cauliflower and remove any outer leaves. Place it on a cutting board with the stem side facing down. Using a sharp knife, slice the cauliflower in half right through the core. Then, slice each half into two or three steaks that are about 1 to 1.5 inches thick. The core is essential here because it holds the florets together, creating those beautiful steak-like slices.

3-Step 3: Line Your Baking Sheet Place cauliflower slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Parchment paper prevents sticking and makes cleanup a breeze. If you don’t have parchment paper, you can lightly grease the baking sheet with a bit of olive oil. Make sure to leave some space between each steak so air can circulate properly and help them crisp up nicely.

4-Step 4: Create the Spice Mixture In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Stir until everything is well combined. The mixture should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but spreadable enough to brush onto the cauliflower.

5-Step 5: Season the Cauliflower Using a pastry brush or the back of a spoon, brush both sides of each cauliflower slice with the spice mixture. Be generous but try to distribute the seasoning evenly. Make sure to get the mixture into all the nooks and crannies of the cauliflower florets. This step is crucial for maximum flavor in every bite.

6-Step 6: First Round of Roasting Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and roast for 20 minutes. During this time, the cauliflower will become tender and start to develop golden-brown edges. You don’t need to flip them during this first round, but you can check halfway through to make sure they’re cooking evenly.

7-Step 7: Add the Cheese After 20 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Top each cauliflower steak with a generous amount of shredded mozzarella cheese. Use about 1/2 cup total for all the steaks, distributing it evenly across each piece. The cheese will melt and bubble, creating that irresistible cheesy topping everyone loves.

8-Step 8: Final Roast Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and slightly golden in spots. Keep an eye on it during this final step because cheese can go from perfectly melted to burnt very quickly. You can also switch to broil for the last 1-2 minutes if you want extra bubbly, browned cheese.

9-Step 9: Garnish and Serve Remove from the oven and garnish with 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley or cilantro before serving. The fresh herbs add a pop of color and a bright flavor that balances the rich, cheesy topping. Serve immediately while hot and the cheese is still melted and gooey.