Name: Cauliflower Gratin
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds cauliflower florets (or 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets); 2 tablespoons butter; 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 2 cups milk (2% reduced fat or whole, warmed in microwave for approximately 1 minute); 1 teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper (or to taste); ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg; ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese; ½ cup shredded Monterey jack cheese; ⅓ cup seasoned (Italian style) Panko bread crumbs; ⅓ cup grated Parmesan

Ingredient Notes

Chopped cauliflower florets on a black cutting board.

Cauliflower: When cooking for a holiday menu it is often-times worth any additional cost to buy pre-prepped ingredients. Costco has a 2-pound bag of cauliflower florets that are washed and ready to go. Most major grocery stores carry bagged, prepped veggies as well but it’s hard to beat those Costco prices. A large 3-pound head of cauliflower should yield enough florets for this recipe if you’d like to cut and prep them yourself.

Cheese sauce: The luscious cheese sauce starts with a basic white sauce that consists of butter, all-purpose flour, salt, freshly ground pepper, a pinch of nutmeg. I use 2% reduced fat milk for this recipe, which is what I always have in my fridge. Reduced fat milk does a fabulous job but I wouldn’t recommend going below 2% milk fat for the best result. For a richer result, go with whole milk. You’ll also need shredded sharp cheddar cheese and shredded Monterey jack cheese

Topping: Seasoned panko bread crumbs combined with grated Parmesan cheese.

A blue casserole dish filled with cauliflower gratin topped with bread crumbs.

How to Make Cauliflower Gratin

Cut any large florets into smaller, bite-sized pieces. Drop the florets into a pot of boiling water and allow them to cook for only 5 to 6 minutes at the most. The cauliflower should still have some firmness to it and be just barely fork tender so be vigilant and watch it closely.

Drain the water from the pot and set the cauliflower aside.

Three in process images of the cheese sauce in a saucepan.

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring, for a minute or two to cook-off the flour taste. Gradually whisk in warmed milk. Cook and whisk until you have a nicely thickened white sauce. Add some salt, freshly ground pepper, and a touch of nutmeg and stir to combine.

Remove the pan from the heat and add shredded sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese.

Stir the cheese into the sauce until melted and smooth.

Two in process shots of the cauliflower added to the cheese sauce and in the baking dish.

Add the cooked cauliflower to the cheese sauce and stir it well to combine.

Transfer the mixture to a large baking dish that has been coated with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle the top with a mixture of Italian style Panko bread crumbs and shredded Parmesan and pop the dish in a 375 degree F oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Caulifower casserole topped with bread crumbs in a blue casserole dish.

Can Cauliflower Gratin Be Made Ahead?

Absolutely! Follow the recipe as directed but do not add the bread crumb topping. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight. When ready to bake, remove the dish from the refrigerator and allow to sit on the kitchen counter for 20 to 30 minutes to take the chill off. Top with the bread crumb/Parmesan cheese mixture and bake as directed, increasing the cooking time a little, if necessary.

A spoon with a scoop of cauliflower gratin in a blue casserole dish.

More Vegetable Side Dish Recipes You’ll Love

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This post was originally published on April 12, 2014. It has been updated with new text and images.

4.07 from 15 votes (14 ratings without comment)