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Mary Berry’s Parma Ham and Cauliflower Cheese Parcels

As seen on her BBC series, Mary's Foolproof Dinners, in this recipe from Mary Berry, perfectly seasoned cauliflower cheese is wrapped in Parma ham and baked until crisp and golden; the perfect balance of salty and creamy in this unique side dish.

From the book

Introduction

Serve them individually as a side dish or serve two per person and add some garlic bread as a main course. These are soooo good! It is important that the florets become cold when refreshed under cold water, so they do not continue to cook or become too soft.

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Ingredients

300g (10½oz) cauliflower, broken into small florets (about the size of strawberry)
150g (5oz) full-fat cream cheese
1 egg, beaten
75g (3oz) mature Cheddar, coarsely grated
25g (1oz) Parmesan, coarsely grated
1 tsp Dijon mustard
12 slices Parma ham

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C Fan/Gas 7. Line a large baking sheet with non-stick baking paper.

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Add the cauliflower and boil for about 3–4 minutes, until slightly soft, but still with bite. Drain and refresh under cold water. Drain again well.

Mix the cream cheese, egg, cheeses and mustard together in a large bowl. Season lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the cooked cauliflower florets and carefully mix to coat the cauliflower but not to break the florets apart.

Put one slice of Parma ham on a board. Place a second slice on top to make a cross. Spoon a sixth of the mixture into the centre of the cross. Fold over the ham to encase the mixture. Repeat with the remaining slices.

Place the parcels on the prepared baking sheet and cook in the preheated oven for about 15–18 minutes until crispy.

Serve with a green salad.

Mary’s Tips: Parcels can be assembled up to 6 hours ahead. Not suitable for freezing.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars

18 Ratings

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18 Comments

    default user avatar Diana

    I made these as my contribution to a dinner party, now the host constantly requests the cauliflower cheese, every Sunday!
    I did put 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard, as I didn’t have the recipe to hand the second time I made it. I think it may have been even better x

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    default user avatar Joanne

    Really tasty recipe, serving as the Christmas Day starter. It is a little sloppy compared to what it looked like on the program which made the parcel leak a lot. Still extremely tasty though.

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    default user avatar Liz

    Easy to make. Looks fantastic and tastes amazing. I will definitely make again

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    default user avatar Sarah

    Absolutely delicious, definitely making again.

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    default user avatar Emma Mac

    Worth the slight fiddle(I’m a lazy cook!). As ever with Mary’s recipes, utterly delicious. Thank you.

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    default user avatar Nannie Annie

    I’ve just been forwarded this recipe and oh my goodness cant wait to try it out !
    Lovely combination of ingredients- anything Mary B does will be amazing

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    default user avatar Mo Kerrigan

    Absolutely yum

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    default user avatar ML

    Easy to follow, only a few ingredients. Did them as nibbles when I had friends round, everyone said how amazing and tasty they were.
    Have already made a second batch
    Highly recommend

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    default user avatar Joan

    Unique! Never seen anything similar
    My husband loved it and he’s such a traditionalist!
    So simple Very impressive dish

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    default user avatar Shannon Palmer

    I made this as a side one night for dinner for my family and they were still talking about it a couple of days later. Absolute winner!

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    default user avatar Susan Hancock

    Made this for lunch visitors. It was easy and much enjoyed. Gave the recipe to the guests as they loved it. A change from a heavy meat dishes. I bought 2 packets of parma ham and two smallish cauliflowers the latter weighed more than required amount. So I made 7 parcels as had 14 slices of ham and put the remaining cauliflower and cheese in oven proof dish to cook for next day. Served with mixed salad and garlic bread at lunch. Conveniently, Waitrose sell a packet of grated cheddar and mozarella together, plus some Burrata cremosa as the cream cheese, and the parmesan, which all together had a good flavour. 100% success.

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    default user avatar Anna Morley

    Sounds lovely I have all the ingredients and easy to make.

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    default user avatar Anna Morley

    Sounds lovely I have all the ingredients and easy to make.

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    default user avatar Tim B

    Gorgeous, a perfect starter

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    default user avatar Islay Corbel

    Delicious

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    default user avatar Kidlingtonian

    Absolutely delicious

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    default user avatar Bosibev

    Care is needed not to over load each parcel. The parcel peels easily from the oven tray. Making the mixture just before use seems to make the mixture a little ‘stiffer’ for loading purposes. End use works well, any oozing adds to the rustic look. Well received by guests.

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From the book: Mary’s Foolproof Dinners

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