Cauliflower Au Gratin

Cauliflower au gratin is cauliflower florets cooked in a creamy Gruyère cheese sauce, topped with breadcrumbs and baked to perfection. A simple, yet elegant and delicious side dish! If you're a fan of cheesy cauliflower, you’ll love this easy, flavorful, crowd-pleasing recipe. This is my absolute favorite way to eat cauliflower!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, French

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Total Time 55

Servings side servings

Calories 253

Author Kim

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups 2% milk
1 head cauliflower (3 to 4 cups) cut into small florets
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
4 ounces Gruyère cheese shredded
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
optional: chives to garnish over the top after baking

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Stir the cauliflower into the sauce. Cover with a lid and cook until the cauliflower starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the Gruyère cheese until melted.
Pour mixture into a 2 quart baking dish. Combine the panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan and sprinkle over top. Cover with foil and bake until cauliflower is tender (can be easily pierced with a knifte), about 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes until breadcrumbs are golden.
Serve immediately, garnished with chives, if desired.

Notes

*Bacon or pancetta would be a tasty addition to the gratin. Cook diced bacon or pancetta until crisp, drain well, and stir into the sauce before pouring the cheesy cauliflower mixture into the baking dish.

**This dish is best eaten right away. If you do have leftovers, heat them gently in the oven until they’re heated through, or in the microwave. They will keep a couple of days in the fridge.

Nutrition