Buffalo Ranch Cauliflower and Broccoli Freezer Side Dish
It is so nice to be able to pull a side dish out of the freezer. More and more, I’m finding that I am making sides when we do our freezer meal sessions. This Buffalo Ranch Cauliflower and Broccoli recipe is simple, yet handy to have.
This side dish is low carb, keto-friendly, and gluten-free. My husband is on a keto diet on and off, so I’m always on the lookout for keto recipes like our Lemon Mustard Chicken, Tequila Lime Shrimp, and Instant Pot Bone Broth. It’s nice to have these vegetables that can easily go with those meals.
Even though this recipe uses hot sauce, the end result isn’t very spicy because it’s offset by the Ranch. This makes it a bit more kid-friendly…that is of course if you can get your kids to eat broccoli and cauliflower!
When our kids were younger, we called them “trees” and “winter trees”. That seems to go over a bit better. They actually seemed to want to eat their “mini trees”. Well, until after that first bite anyway!
Buffalo Ranch Broccoli and Cauliflower Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 3 1/2 cups each cauliflower and broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
- 2-3 Tbsp. Frank’s Red Hot sauce
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 Tbsp. dry Ranch dressing mix
Assembly instructions:
- In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower and broccoli with the hot sauce, olive oil, and dry dressing mix.
- When the vegetables are well coated, spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze for about 45 minutes and then transfer them into a large resealable bag*. Remove the excess air and freeze.
*Pro-tip: We like to buy the broccoli and cauliflower frozen in resealable bags from the store. That way, after we assemble this dish, we can put the vegetables back into those same bags, reseal, and store them in the freezer. From the outside, it will just look like a bag of frozen broccoli and cauliflower, but it will already be seasoned and ready to cook. You can label it with a permanent marker if you want. I like reusing the bags because it creates less waste.
Cooking instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the frozen broccoli and cauliflower in a single layer on top.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Flip the vegetables over and place them back in the oven for another 20 minutes.
- Serve beside your favorite main dishes or as a potluck side dish.
What to serve the buffalo broccoli and cauliflower with:
- Lemon Mustard Chicken (pictured)
- Chili Lime Tilapia
- Country Style Ribs
- Honey Sesame Chicken
- Apple Pork Chops
- Maple Dijon Salmon
- Simple Marinated Pork Chops
- Mississippi Pot Roast
- Classic Sunday Pot Roast
- Puerto Rico Fried Chicken
- Sweet and Spicy Meatballs
- 3 1/2 cups each cauliflower and broccoli florets fresh or frozen
- 2-3 Tbsp. Frank's Red Hot sauce
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 Tbsp. dry Ranch dressing mix
-
In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower and broccoli with the hot sauce, olive oil, and dry dressing mix.
-
When the vegetables are well coated, spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze for about 45 minutes and then transfer them into a large resealable bag*. Remove the excess air and freeze.
-
Preheat the oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
-
Place the frozen broccoli and cauliflower in a single layer on top.
-
Bake for 10 minutes. Flip the vegetables over and place them back in the oven for another 20 minutes.
-
Serve beside your favourite main dishes or as a potluck side dish.
*Pro-tip: We like to buy the broccoli and cauliflower frozen in resealable bags from the store. That way, after we assemble this dish, we can put the vegetables back into those same bags, reseal, and store them in the freezer. From the outside, it will just look like a bag of frozen broccoli and cauliflower, but it will already be seasoned and ready to cook. You can label it with a permanent marker if you want.
