My Cauliflower Cheese Gratin transforms the humble cauliflower into a creamy, cheesy, show-stopping side dish. Parboiled cauliflower florets are added to a large baking dish, then bathed in a creamy, cheesy sauce and topped with a flavoursome breadcrumb mixture which becomes golden and crispy. This classic dish is pure comfort food and always a crowd-pleaser.
I made this for our family and friends on NYD, the recipe was easy to follow with amazing results! Everyone commented how delicious it tasted with not a drop left at the end of the main course. Unfortunately I never got the time to take a photo but it looked so good too!
- Helen
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- Made from simple and readily available ingredients, this is an easy to prepare dish that is pure comfort food.
- This is a very easy recipe, suitable for the novice cook and experienced cook alike.
- If you like to get ahead, you can prepare the dish a day in advance but don’t add the breadcrumbs until just before you are ready to bake it.
- You can easily adapt the recipe to be gluten-free by using the appropriate flour and breadcrumbs.
- This is a simple, easily made side dish that is equally at home alongside our Marmalade Glazed Leg Ham or a golden Roast Chicken. In fact, serve it with a tossed green salad and you have a light, meat-free meal.
Recipe Inspiration: a slight variation on a recipe that my Nana would make regularly - she had 7 people to feed and it was always a hit!
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
- Cauliflower – I used one large cauliflower. As they vary in size, it is better to go by weight.
- Butter – I have used unsalted butter, as the cheese adds salt, and I prefer to control the level of salt myself.
- Plain/all-purpose flour – combined with the butter, this is our roux, a base for the cheesy bechamel sauce we are making. Use gluten-free if necessary.
- Milk – I have used full fat for this recipe.
- Nutmeg – for the most vibrant flavour, we use freshly grated.
- Cayenne pepper - we use a small amount of ground cayenne to add gentle spice.
- Cheddar cheese – we use a freshly grated, full-flavoured cheddar cheese. It is important to grate the cheese yourself. Commercial pre-grated cheese may contain anti-clumping agents that don’t melt smoothly and make your sauce grainy.
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – be sure to properly season your sauce before assembling the dish. It makes a huge difference to the finished product.
- Panko breadcrumbs - these are light, flaky breadcrumbs, readily available in the supermarket. Use gluten-free breadcrumbs if necessary.
- Thyme leaves – we use fresh thyme leaves; they add great flavour to the breadcrumb topping.
- Parmesan cheese – we use Parmigiano Reggiano. Use the best quality that you have.
Variations:
Cauliflower – we have used a white cauliflower, but they do come in other colours and you could use these if you wish. You could also use broccoli florets if you prefer or use a combination.
Ham – you could add some diced ham to the sauce. It’s a great way to use leftover Christmas ham.
How To Make Cauliflower Cheese Gratin:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 – Prepare your cauliflower and breadcrumb topping:
To begin, remove the cauliflower florets. Full details on how to do this are in the recipe.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook until the cauliflower is just tender.
Drain the cauliflower well, turn onto a baking tray which you have lined with two sheets of baking paper to dry out excess moisture.
To make the topping, melt the butter, add to a bowl along with the breadcrumbs, thyme leaves and grated parmesan. Stir to combine well and set aside.
2 – Start preparing the sauce:
For the Cheese Sauce, melt the butter, add the flour and whisk to combine. Cook for a minute then add the nutmeg and the milk.
3 – Whisk until it starts to thicken:
Whisk frequently until the sauce thickens, begins to simmer, and you have the consistency of pouring cream.
4 – Add in your cheese:
Remove from the heat, add the grated cheese and freshly ground black pepper. Stir until the cheese melts.
5 – Put in your baking dish:
Add the cauliflower florets to the prepared baking dish and pour the cheese sauce over.
6 – Add your breadcrumb topping:
Evenly sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top.
Bake for 15 minutes or until the topping is crispy and golden.
Stand the dish for 5 minutes before serving. This will allow it to settle so it doesn’t fall apart when you serve it.
Hint: check that the sauce is seasoned to your liking. As the cheese is salty, you may only need to add some black pepper.
Tips for Success, Storage and FAQs:
Yes, reheat in a preheated oven at 180 degrees C (355 F) for about 20 minutes or until ready. Uncover the dish for the last 10 minutes.
You can prepare the dish a day in advance but don’t add the breadcrumbs until just before you are ready to bake it.
I strongly recommend using the fresh vegetable as the frozen florets tend to become watery.
Yes, you can! We have tested this recipe with both gluten-free flour and breadcrumbs and it works perfectly. If you're unable to source gluten-free breadcrumbs, simply omit and just sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.
A “gratin” is a dish topped with cheese, or breadcrumbs which are mixed with butter, and baked until golden and crispy. You can also achieve a golden-brown top by placing the dish under a broiler/grill.
Top Tip:
For the best result, it is important to start with good-quality ingredients. The cauliflower should be fresh and the cheese flavoursome.
Be sure to not overcook the cauliflower initially, as it will cook further in the oven. Be sure that you drain it well and then gently turn the florets onto a baking tray lined with a double layer of paper towel to absorb excess moisture.
Serving Suggestions:
This Cauliflower Cheese Gratin is a versatile dish, perfect to serve with a protein or with other vegetables for a vegetarian meal. Some ways to enjoy it are:
- At a barbecue. It is a great addition to meats or sausages.
- Serve for a festive celebration, it is a great advantage to be able to prepare it ahead of time.
- It is ideal alongside our easy Spatchcock Chicken.
- As a meat-free meal, served with a tossed green salad.
- Take to a potluck - it travels well and is always a crowd-pleaser.
Enjoy this delicious, family-favourite side dish, and be sure to let me know in the comments below when you have given it a try!
Alex xx
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Cauliflower Cheese Gratin
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2.2 lb) cauliflower - approx. 1 large cauliflower See Note 1
- 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt - for the water
For the Cheese Sauce:
- ¼ cup (60 gm) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup (40 gm) plain/all-purpose flour – use gluten-free if necessary See Note 2
- 2 ½ cups (625 ml) milk
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 2 ½ cups (250 gm) freshly grated cheddar cheese
- sea salt (if necessary) and freshly ground pepper - to taste See Note 3
For the Topping:
- ¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (90 g) panko breadcrumbs – use gluten-free breadcrumbs if necessary
- 2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves - finely chopped
- ¼ cup (25 gm) freshly grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Start by making the breadcrumb topping. Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the melted butter to a medium-sized bowl along with the breadcrumbs, thyme leaves and grated parmesan. Stir to combine well and set aside.
- Remove the leaves from the cauliflower. To do this, tip it upside down, and using a circular motion with your knife, remove the core of the stem. You now have access to the florets at the base. Begin to cut them away, slicing through the stems against the central core. Gently loosen the first few with your fingers to get started. From there it’s easier to remove the others. Cut larger florets into similar sizes - I aim for the pieces to be roughly 4.5 cm (1 ¾ inches).
- Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil (enough to cover the cauliflower). Add the cauliflower, and cook for about 5 minutes, including the time it takes to come back to the boil, or until the cauliflower is just starting to become tender. (It will continue cooking in the oven, so don't fully cook it at this stage.)
- Drain the cauliflower into a colander. Turn the florets onto a baking tray that you have lined with two sheets of baking paper to dry out excess moisture.
- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees C (390 F).
- Lightly butter the base and sides of a 20 x 30 cm (8 x 12 inch) baking dish.
- For the cheese sauce, in the same saucepan that you melted the butter in, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Then, add the flour and use a whisk to combine. Cook for a minute, whisking constantly, then add the milk. Whisk frequently until the sauce thickens, begins to simmer, and you have the consistency of pouring cream. This will take about 5-7 minutes.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and add the grated cheddar cheese, nutmeg, cayenne and freshly ground black pepper. Stir well until the cheese melts. Check that the seasoning is to your liking, adding salt if necessary.
- Add the cauliflower florets to the prepared baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce over, then evenly sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top.
- Add the dish to the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the topping is crispy and golden and the cauliflower is cooked through.Stand the dish for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Cauliflower: this is the prepared weight of the cauliflower once it has been trimmed. Look for a cauliflower with white flesh and tightly packed florets. It should feel heavy for its size. If some of the leaves are still attached, they should be green. There should not be any discolouration on the flesh or the leaves.
- Gluten-free: this dish has been tested with gluten-free flour and breadcrumbs and comes out perfectly. If you are unable to source gluten-free breadcrumbs, simply omit and just sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top.
- Seasoning: adjust the seasoning to your liking – we recommend using freshly ground black pepper. As the cheese is salty, be sure to check the sauce before adding additional salt.
- Make in advance: you can prepare the dish a day in advance but don’t add the breadcrumbs until just before you are ready to bake it.
- Storage: store leftovers, well covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat the Cauliflower Gratin, covered with foil, at 180 degrees C (355 F) for 20 minutes or until hot. Leave uncovered for the last 10 minutes.
- Freezing: the dish does not freeze well, it becomes watery.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Marie says
So creamy and cheesy and the flavour is just fantastic. Will definitely be making this again.
Alexandra Cook says
That is lovely to hear, Marie! Thank you, Alex xo
Helen Baskerville says
I made this for our family and friends on NYD, the recipe was easy to follow with amazing results! Everyone commented how delicious it tasted with not a drop left at the end of the main course. Unfortunately I never got the time to take a photo but it looked so good too! 👩🍳
Alexandra Cook says
Hello Helen,
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment.
I am so pleased that this recipe was enjoyed by all 🙂
Alex xo