This cauliflower gratin is a tacky and scrumptious vegetarian aspect dish with tender cauliflower florets baked in a creamy cheese sauce with garlic, onions, and seasonings. I prime my gratin with crispy toasted almonds as a substitute of breadcrumbs. It’s the very best!
This cauliflower gratin is my carb-conscious various to candy potato gratin and potato casserole. It’s creamy and decadent, but nonetheless gentle and filled with veggies!
As somebody who’s firmly pro-cauliflower, I’ll eat it mashed, grilled, baked, and whilst a steak. And if there was ever a time to swan-dive right into a aspect dish, it could be after I’m making cauliflower gratin. This straightforward recipe has tender cauliflower florets drenched in cheese sauce and baked till it’s golden and bubbly, topped with crispy toasted almonds. This may not be a conventional potato gratin, nevertheless it’s a scrumptious and low-carb model of the traditional.
Why I Love This Cauliflower Gratin Recipe
- Loaded with cauliflower. The cauliflower florets absorb all the flavour on this tacky gratin completely. You gained’t even miss the potatoes!
- A lighter strategy to gratin. Except for skipping the potatoes, my cauliflower gratin recipe makes use of a mix of half-and-half and milk as a substitute of heavy cream, and chopped almonds as a substitute of breadcrumbs for the topping. It has all of the creaminess and crunch that I like, made lighter.
- Make-ahead pleasant. This cauliflower gratin is simple to whip collectively on the stovetop and assemble in a baking dish the evening earlier than. I like making it as a vacation aspect that I can pop into the oven on the day.
What Does “Gratin” Imply in Cooking?
One thing cooked au gratin, or gratinée, refers to any dish baked beneath a topping of cheese or breadcrumbs combined with butter. Most recipes au gratin are assembled in a casserole dish. I at all times consider a gratin as a aspect dish, nonetheless, whereas a casserole, typically, could be a fundamental.
What You’ll Want
This cauliflower gratin begins with a béchamel sauce. That is only a fancy-sounding identify for a white sauce constructed from flour, butter, and milk. I’ll go over this and the remainder of the elements beneath. You’ll discover the total, printable elements checklist with quantities within the recipe card after the put up.
- Butter and Flour – You’ll cook dinner these collectively to make a roux for the bottom of the sauce.
- Milk – This may be entire milk, 2%, or your selection of dairy-free milk various. I additionally embrace half-and-half in my recipe, however you need to use heavy cream or milk relying on how wealthy you want your sauce.
- Cheese – I shred up sharp Manchego cheese, however you need to use Gouda, Gruyère, or good ol’ cheddar cheese. Be at liberty to make use of a mix of various cheeses! Be certain to make use of freshly grated cheese for the smoothest cheese sauce.
- Herbs – Dried thyme and Italian seasoning are my favorites. You may season your gratin sauce with one other mix, like Herbes de Provence, or get artistic with dried or recent herbs.
- Seasonings – Along with salt and pepper, I take advantage of chili powder and nutmeg to season the cheese sauce. You may adapt the seasonings to fit your tastes.
- Cauliflower – You’ll want a sizeable head of cauliflower, rinsed and chopped into florets. Search for cauliflower that’s recent and agency, with none discoloring.
- Onion and Garlic – Freshly minced garlic, and diced yellow onion or shallot.
- Garnishes – Paprika and chopped almonds to garnish the completed gratin. You may change the almonds with conventional breadcrumbs for those who favor.
The right way to Make Cauliflower Gratin
Collect your elements, and let’s make a creamy, tacky cauliflower gratin that may simply steal the present at Christmas dinner. Comply with these straightforward steps:
- Make the cheese sauce. You’ll begin by cooking off flour in melted butter to make a roux. Subsequent, whisk in milk and half-and-half and let that simmer and thicken. Lastly, take the sauce off the warmth and stir in your grated cheese and seasonings.
- Cook dinner the cauliflower. In the meantime, par-boil the cauliflower florets. Afterward, sauté the cauliflower with the onions, butter, and garlic.
- Assemble. Unfold the cauliflower right into a casserole dish, and pour the cheese sauce evenly over prime. Sprinkle the highest with chopped almonds and paprika.
- Bake. Bake this cauliflower gratin at 400ºF for 20 minutes till it’s bubbly on the edges and golden on prime. Give it a couple of minutes to relaxation after baking, and serve!
Make-Forward
Cauliflower au gratin is a good aspect dish to arrange upfront. Assemble the cheese sauce and cauliflower within the baking dish, after which cowl and refrigerate it in a single day. The next day, take out the gratin and let it come to room temperature earlier than baking as directed. Straightforward!
Ideas and Variations
- Don’t overboil the cauliflower. Overcooked cauliflower tends to be mushy, and because you’ll be baking it after boiling, watch out that it doesn’t boil too lengthy. You need the florets to be fork-tender, however nonetheless a bit crisp.
- Grate the cheese recent. Regardless of which form of cheese you employ, be sure to shred it recent from the block. Pre-shredded cheese incorporates anti-caking brokers that maintain it from clumping, and those self same elements maintain it from melting easily.
- Add the cheese off the warmth. Make sure to take the béchamel sauce off the warmth earlier than you stir within the grated cheese. This avoids clumping and separating, which might occur when dairy will get overheated. Let the cheese soften slowly for finest outcomes.
- Make it meaty. Should you’re not holding this recipe vegetarian, add cooked crumbled bacon or diced ham (attempt leftover glazed ham) for additional protein.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate. The baked cauliflower gratin might be refrigerated hermetic for as much as 3 days.
- Reheat. I like to recommend reheating gratin underneath foil in a 350ºF oven, or you possibly can heat particular person servings within the microwave till sizzling all through.
- Freeze. To freeze leftovers, wrap the cooled cauliflower gratin in a double layer of plastic wrap or foil and freeze for as much as 3 months. Thaw the gratin within the fridge earlier than reheating.
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Prep. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
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Make a roux. Soften 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet. Add the flour and whisk over medium-high warmth for 1 minute. Add the milk and the half-and-half and cook dinner, whisking always, till thickened, about 5 minutes.
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Make it tacky. Take away the skillet from warmth and whisk within the cheese. Whisk within the thyme, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, chili powder, and nutmeg. Put aside and maintain heat.
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Cook dinner the cauliflower. In a big skillet, carry 1/2 inch of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower florets, cowl, and cook dinner over excessive warmth for five minutes. Afterward, drain the cauliflower in a colander.
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Sauté. Soften the remaining butter in a skillet. Add the onion and cook dinner over medium-high warmth for 3 minutes. Stir within the minced garlic and proceed to cook dinner for 1 minute, or till aromatic. Add the ready cauliflower florets to the skillet and cook dinner, stirring steadily, for two minutes.
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Assemble. Switch the cauliflower combination to a 2-quart baking dish. Unfold the ready cheese sauce on prime. Sprinkle the highest with the chopped almonds and paprika.
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Bake. Bake the gratin within the oven for 20 minutes, or till effervescent and browned on prime. Let stand for 10 minutes earlier than serving.
- Make-ahead: The gratin might be ready forward of time! Put together the cheese sauce and the cauliflower, assemble it in a baking dish, and refrigerate over evening. When prepared, carry it to room temperature earlier than baking.
- Impressed by Meals & Wine.
Energy: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 10g | Fats: 17g | Saturated Fats: 10g | Ldl cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 241mg | Potassium: 631mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 450IU | Vitamin C: 74.8mg | Calcium: 310mg | Iron: 1.1mg
Dietary information is an estimate and supplied as courtesy. Values might range in accordance with the elements and instruments used. Please use your most popular dietary calculator for extra detailed information.
