Cauliflower au Gratin

There is something so delicious about this creamy sauce with lots of cheese. Your family might not even notice that it’s cauliflower. This amazing cauliflower gratin is very simple to prepare and makes a great side dish.

We also love to make this Easy Cheesy Cauliflower Rice Recipe and Keto loaded cauliflower . Cauliflower is very tasty! In fact, Cauliflower au gratin is one of our favorite side dishes. The entire family raves about it and absolutely loves it. Give it a try and see what everyone is talking about.

Why We Love This Recipe

It is very simple to make and turns out fabulous. You might be surprised how much everyone will enjoy this cauliflower recipe.

The rich cheese sauce is so creamy and tastes amazing with the tender veggies. It is baked to perfection and each bite is so wonderful.

This easy recipe is a great way to get the kiddos to eat more vegetables. Everyone will love the cheesy sauce that is so flavorful.

What is Cauliflower au Gratin?

It is a healthier alternative to au gratin potatoes. The cauliflower is a tasty substitute and the entire dish is baked in a rich cheese sauce.

Everything you love about au gratin potatoes is packed into a baking dish. Each bite is coated in the best cheese sauce.

The entire casserole is topped with even more cheese and baked to perfection. It is simply amazing.

The cheese on top makes it even better for the best blend of ingredients.

Ingredients

Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and ingredients in the recipe card.

Variations Ideas

• Bread Crumbs. Substitute bread crumbs instead of the cheese on top prior to baking.
• Broccoli. Combine broccoli with the cauliflower for another flavor packed side dish idea.
• Ham or Chicken. Dice meat and combine with the cauliflower. This will make this heartier. Bacon is another great idea.
• Veggies. You can add onion, zucchini or any vegetables you like to the baking sheet. Allow everything to roast together with the cauliflower.
• Cheese. If you can’t find Gruyere, substitute swiss cheese. This will have similar results. You can also use provolone cheese.

How to Make Cauliflower au Gratin

• Step 1 – Preheat oven. It should be set to to 400°F.

Step 2 – Prepare the cauliflower. Rinse the cauliflower and cut into bite-sized florets. Toss with olive oil.

Step 3 – Bake until tender. Place on a baking sheet and roast 15-20 minutes or until fork tender. Be careful that you do not overcook the cauliflower.

Step 4 – Make the sauce. While cauliflower is roasting, melt butter in a saucepan. Once melted, add the flour until smooth and let cook for 1 minute. Add the milk a little at a time while whisking until smooth.

Step 5 – Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Stir in salt and black pepper. Add in 1 cup gruyere cheese and half the cheddar cheese. Whisk until smooth and without lumps.

Step 6 – Combine cheese sauce and cauliflower. Toss cheese mixture with roasted cauliflower and place in a 2 qt casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Step 7 – Bake. Finally, bake 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Then Broil 1-2 minutes or until browned.

Expert Tips

• Cheese Sauce – The cheese sauce should be cooked over medium heat. Do not let it boil or the sauce might separate.
• Cauliflower – Don’t reduce the amount of cauliflower. The rich sauce needs the allotted amount of cauliflower to balance out the heaviness from the sauce. See How to Cut Cauliflower into Florets for the best tips.
• Plan Ahead – Save time and use uncooked cauliflower that has already been washed and cut into pieces.
• Cooking Cauliflower – The cauliflower should be cooked until fork tender. Be careful not to overcook it or the casserole will be mushy after it’s baked.

What to Serve with Cauliflower au Gratin?

• Crock Pot Mississippi Chicken Recipe
• Stuffed zucchini boats recipe
• Crockpot steak recipe 
• Jalapeno Poppers Stuffed Pork Chops 
• Keto Cheddar Biscuits Recipe