Cauliflower Gratin
This creamy cauliflower is about to become your favorite new side dish.
By Lauren Miyashiro; Recipe by Ree Drummond
Jump to recipe
Yields:
8 - 10 serving(s)
Prep Time:
35 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 25 mins
Potato au gratin gets all the love during the holidays, but this easy cauliflower gratin is a worthy and delicious substitute. We won’t go as far as to call it healthy, per se — there’s still plenty of cream, cheese, and breadcrumbs – but replacing starchy potatoes with cauliflower does lighten up the special occasion-worthy side dish significantly. Bonus: It’s 100% acceptable to have both mashed potatoes and this gratin on the table.
What is cauliflower gratin?
Inspired by potatoes au gratin, cauliflower gratin is essentially a cheesy cauliflower casserole with a cheese sauce base (aka mornay) and a crispy bread crumb topping.
How do you make mornay sauce?
Making the sauce is easy. You’ll start by cooking a simple roux (equal parts butter and flour) then whisk in milk and heavy cream and cook until thickened. Stir in shredded cheese at the end until melty, and voila! You’ve just made mornay.
Why is my cauliflower gratin watery?
Cauliflower recipes have recently become more popular, especially when it comes to creating low carb versions of recipes we love (like pizza crust!) But it also has a bad reputation for making things watery. The reason being: it’s made of a ton of water! To combat this, Ree starts her recipe for cauliflower gratin by roasting the cauliflower florets until browned. This draws out much of the vegetable’s moisture and will prevent the gratin from being watery and soggy in the oven.
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Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, plus more for the baking dish
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into large florets (about 8 cups)
- 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 8 oz. gruyère cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
- 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions
- Step 1Preheat the oven to 425˚. Generously butter a 3-quart baking dish. Spread the cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet in an even layer and roast until just starting to brown around the edges but still a bit firm, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside until no longer steaming, about 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375˚.
- Step 2Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and stir to combine. Let cook until bubbling, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and heavy cream. Cook, stirring, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and comes to a gentle simmer, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to low; add the salt and three-quarters of the gruyère and stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth, about 1 minute.
- Step 3Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a small skillet over low heat. Add the rosemary and thyme and cook until bubbling, about 30 seconds. Add the panko and stir to coat completely in the butter. Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan and remaining gruyère.
- Step 4Transfer the cauliflower to the baking dish. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower and sprinkle the panko mixture on top. Bake until the panko is golden brown and the cauliflower is tender, about 25 minutes. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.
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