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The top 5 cauliflower recipes of 2019

Make cauliflower side dishes, appetizers and entrees to celebrate one of the year's biggest food trends.
Jason Santos' Smashed Meatloaf Sliders, Buffalo Cauliflower + Jyll Everman's Beer Brat Reuben Sliders, Beer Brat Pigs in a Blanket with Beer Cheese Dipping Sauce
Jason Santos' Smashed Meatloaf Sliders, Buffalo Cauliflower + Jyll Everman's Beer Brat Reuben Sliders, Beer Brat Pigs in a Blanket with Beer Cheese Dipping SauceNathan Congleton / TODAY
/ Source: TODAY

As we approach a new year (and a new decade!), it's hard not to reflect on the many fun food trends we savored in 2019. And one of our favorites was the rise of very versatile veggie: cauliflower.

From bite-sized appetizers to cheesy, low-carb entrees, cauliflower-everything made a serious comeback. Whether it's a simple yet hearty batch of cauliflower rice or DIY pizzas with a cauliflower crust, this veggie is a great way to help stretch leftovers and feed the whole family over holiday break.

Here are TODAY Food's top five cauliflower recipes to ring in another year of the good (and healthy) stuff.

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

A simple upgrade to the usual tailgating finger food, these veggie-filled bites pack in all of the same savory flavors as regular game day fare. You still get the spicy flavor, crispy crunch and creamy sauce you want from a wing, but with a healthier twist.

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Bake

This is a one-pot take on a childhood classic that delivers on cheesy, creamy indulgence. Adding cauliflower isn't just a vague attempt at making this feel somewhat healthy, but it just works beautifully in this dish where cauliflower gratin meets mac and cheese.

Shrimp Fried Cauliflower Rice

Anyone looking for ways to incorporate more vegetables into their family's meals can easily make riced cauliflower a new staple. The salty sauce in this stir fry can make any vegetable taste appealing, and this dish is pretty much all veggies, with a nice helping of protein from the shrimp.

Michael Symon's Sicilian Cauliflower

Sweet raisins, tender capers, salty anchovies, crunchy pine nuts and tart citrus add a wonderful variety of flavors and textures to this cauliflower dish with a Sicilian spin. It also goes with almost everything.

If TODAY's Dylan Dreyer makes it, we know we'll love it! Dylan's cauliflower soup recipe is so easy to make and it's also been her son Calvin's favorite meal since he started eating "real food." Top it with crispy pancetta for some extra savory flair.

The soup, which is made with mostly steamed cauliflower florets, also includes sautéed onions, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and it only takes about 40 minutes to make. If this dish doesn't make you a life-long cauliflower fan, nothing will.