This Cauliflower Gratin is rich and creamy and perfect for your next holiday get together. Roasted cauliflower is baked with a creamy cheese sauce and topped with more cheese and panko breadcrumbs. This is always a hit!
The holiday season is upon us.
One of my favorite thing about holiday meals is all of the delicious side dishes.
oday’s Cauliflower Gratin is one I especially like because it is creamy, cheesy and I am a sucker for roasted cauliflower.
My version of cauliflower gratin involved roasting the cauliflower first to create a sweeter flavor in the cauliflower as well as a bit of a crisper piece of cauliflower.
This summer I created a Zucchini Gratin recipe that my family loved and I knew I had to try something similar with cauliflower.
I love having new side dishes to serve at the holidays and this one is new to the rotation. Speaking of side dishes I also plan to try this Green Bean Casserole, Potato Gratin and these Honey Garlic Butter Carrots.
Recipe Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Cauliflower: The cauliflower is the start of this dish. I roasted it to help bring out the sweet flavor and then quickly baked it with the cheese sauce and topped it with breadcrumbs.
- Spices: I use oregano and parsley in this recipe. Feel free to spice it up a bit if you like. Cayenne pepper is a fun twist or you can go for something like nutmeg.
- Cheese: This cauliflower side dish uses three types of cheese in this dish: Parmesan, sharp cheddar and Gruyere cheese. You can pick the cheeses that you think work best together.
- Milk: When I make this dish I use heavy cream to help create a thick, rich sauce. Whole milk or 2% milk will also work nicely. I would stay away from 1% or skim as I find them to be too thin.
- Breadcrumbs: I top this dish with panko breadcrumbs for extra crunch. You can also use regular breadcrumbs or just leave them off all together.
How to Make Cauliflower Gratin:
Step 1: Prepare Cauliflower: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Toss the cauliflower, red onion and garlic in a large bowl with the olive oil, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper.
Step 2: Spread on Baking Sheet: Spread the cauliflower evenly on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 25 minutes, stirring once.
Step 3: Create Cheese Sauce: While the cauliflower is roasting melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Once the butter is melted add the flour and whisk continuoulsy. Slowly add the cream into the flour mixture and turn the heat up to medium-high and simmer whisking constantly.
Step 4: Simmer Cheese Sauce: Turn the heat to medium and simmer until the mixture is thickened. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the gruyere cheese and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese.
Step 5: Roast the Cauliflower: Remove the roasted cauliflower from the oven and transfer to a non-stick 8×11 baking pan or dish. Pour the cream cheese sauce over the cauliflower making sure it is even throughout the pan.
Step 6: Add Cheese and Bake: Bake in the oven for 10 minutes then add the remaining cheese, the sharp cheddar cheese and the breadcrumbs {optional} and bake for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted on top.
Recipe FAQ
You can! You can sub the cream with whole milk or try a dairy-free alternative like coconut milk, or cashew cream.
I like using fresh but you can use frozen! You do have to thaw the frozen cauliflower and then drain it because it will have retained a lot of water. You don’t want the gratin to get watery and mushy.
I think that protein is a great addition to this dish. Try adding shredded chicken, ham or cooked bacon that is cut into small pieces.
Yes, you can assemble this a day before you need to make it and refrigerate it. Then bake it before you are ready to serve it.
What to Pair with Cauliflower Gratin:
I love serving this dish alongside some other holiday sides. Below are my favorites:
- Honey Glazed Carrots: Honey Glazed Carrots make a great side dish during the week or an addition to your Thanksgiving meal. Carrots are cooked with butter, vegetable broth and finished off with a glaze of honey and fresh flat leaf Italian parsley making them sweet and flavorful.
- Green Beans with Brown Butter and Toasted Almonds: Green Beans with Brown Butter and Toasted Almonds is a nice twist on traditional green beans. The nutty flavor of the brown butter coats the freshly cooked green beans and is tossed with crunchy toasted almonds. This is a nice addition to a holiday table.
- Slow Cooker Gouda Mashed Potatoes: Forget boiling your potatoes and try these Slow Cooker Gouda Mashed Potatoes. The red potatoes cook away in your slow cooker leaving you more room on your stove. The cooked potatoes are finished off with gouda cheese, Greek yogurt, butter and milk creating creamy mashed potatoes that everyone will enjoy.
More Cauliflower Recipes to Try:
Vegetarian
Curry Roasted Cauliflower
Mediterranean
Cauliflower Tabbouleh
Vegetarian
Roasted Buffalo Cauliflower
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Cauliflower Gratin
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into large florets (about 6 to 7 cups)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 of a small red onion, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese {or regular Parmesan cheese}, divided
- 1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup panko crumbs {optional}
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Toss the cauliflower, red onion and garlic in a large bowl with the olive oil, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Spread the cualiflower evenly on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 25 minutes, stirring once.
- While the cauliflower is roasting melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Once the butter is melted add the flour and whisk continuoulsy. Slowly add the cream into the flour mixture and turn the heat up to medium-high and simmer whisking constantly.
- Turn the heat to medium and simmer until the mixture is thickened. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the gruyere cheese and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese.
- Remove the roasted cauliflower from the oven and transfer to a non-stick 8×11 baking pan or dish. Pour the cream cheese sauce over the cauliflower making sure it is even throughout the pan.
- Bake in the oven for 10 minutes then add the remaining cheese, the sharp cheddar cheese and the breadcrumbs {optional} and bake for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted on top.
Notes
- You can omit the red onion and the breadcrumbs if you want.
- You can use either regular breadcrumbs or panko for extra crunch.
- I used heavy cream in this dish for a creamier sauce but you can also use whole milk or 2 %. I don’t suggest using 1% or skim as the sauce turns a lot thinner and less creamy.
It looks soo yummy and delicious.
Ummm.. I hame definitely gonna try this Culiflower Gratin!
This looks yum, definitely gonna try it.