Cauliflower au gratin recipes can make for decadent weeknight meals or crowd-pleasing side dishes. Learn how to make this baked and cheesy cauliflower casserole.
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What Is Cauliflower Au Gratin?
Cauliflower au gratin combines layers of creamy cheese sauce with a layer of pre-cooked cauliflower to create a veggie side dish or main dish. Gratin is a culinary technique that involves topping a dish with panko breadcrumbs, cheese, or melted butter and baking it under a broiler to achieve a crispy, brown crust. You can also substitute broccoli for the head of cauliflower in most cauliflower au gratin recipes.
Cauliflower au gratin can complement protein entrées, such as roasted turkey or prime rib, or as a side dish replacement for mashed potatoes or scalloped potatoes alongside pork chops or chicken. Cauliflower au gratin can also be a meatless meal if you serve it as a main dish—you can pair it with a salad or a side of vegetables, such as green beans.
3 Tips for Making Cauliflower Au Gratin
The key to a good cauliflower au gratin is managing the moisture level—too much liquid in the preparation or cooking process will result in a watery dish.
- 1. Drain and dry the cauliflower. Blanching your fresh cauliflower (submerging it in boiling water for a few minutes) will help prevent it from undercooking or drying out during baking, but it could contribute more moisture to your dish if you’re not careful. After you blanch the cauliflower, drain and dry it well to avoid additional water in your dish.
- 2. Don’t overcook the cauliflower. Overcooked cauliflower can become mushy. However you choose to pre-cook your cauliflower before you get to the baking step, avoid overcooking it to lessen your risks of a watery dish. After you have the assembled casserole dish in the oven, continue to keep a close eye on it to avoid any overcooking.
- 3. Roast or steam the cauliflower. If you have concerns that blanched cauliflower will add too much moisture to your finished dish, you might opt to roast or steam the cauliflower instead. Using a steam basket or colander over a pot of simmering water to steam the cauliflower, or rub your cauliflower with some olive oil and roast it in the oven on a baking sheet. Using roasted cauliflower can enhance the flavor of a cauliflower au gratin recipe in a way that steamed or blanched cauliflower cannot.
Cauliflower Au Gratin Recipe
makes
prep time
15 mintotal time
1 hr 15 mincook time
1 hrIngredients
- 1
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- 2
Boil the cauliflower florets in the pot of salted water until they are tender but still firm, about 5 minutes. Once done, drain the cauliflower and set it aside to dry.
- 3
Make the béchamel sauce. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Then stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly add in the milk in two or three additions, whisking constantly, until the mixture begins to boil. Once the sauce is at a boil, simmer for about 20 minutes, or until thick, whisking often to prevent scorching.
- 4
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of salt, black pepper, nutmeg, parmesan, and white cheddar. The addition of cheese turns the béchamel sauce into a mornay sauce.
- 5
Separately, combine the Gruyère and the breadcrumbs.
- 6
In an 8-inch-by-11-inch baking dish, pour ⅓ of the sauce into the bottom. Layer the drained cauliflower on top, followed by the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle the breadcrumb and Gruyère mixture over the top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the top of the dish. Sprinkle additional salt and pepper as needed.
- 7
Bake the dish for 25–30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
- 8
Garnish the finished dish with parsley and serve it hot or at room temperature.
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