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Cheryl MalikPosted: 10/14/20Updated: 08/09/23
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This cauliflower au gratin is super rich and ultra cheesy. It’ll become a family favorite in no time! Perfect for the holidays, the cauliflower is roasted for a delicious side dish that’s all creamy and not watery!
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- This cauliflower au gratin is made of cauliflower smothered in tons of cheesy goodness and topped with rich, buttery breadcrumbs. It’s the perfect side dish for holidays or if you just want a new way to get your kids to eat veggies!
- With an easy first step to help remove moisture, the cauliflower in this recipe isn’t soggy or mushy, making the texture of this au gratin absolutely perfect.
- A couple easy swaps make this recipe gluten free, so it’s great if you’re serving it to guests or family members who are sensitive to gluten.
Chef’s Tips
- To make this cauliflower au gratin gluten free, swap the breadcrumbs for gluten free ones and the flour for gluten free all-purpose flour.
- You can use any type of shredded cheese for this recipe, but I absolutely love shredded cheddar. Gruyere is also a good option, as is swiss or white cheddar.
- Use fresh cauliflower instead of frozen. Frozen will make your cauliflower au gratin way too watery.
More Holiday Side Dishes
- Gluten-Free Stuffing
- Whole30 Green Bean Casserole (Paleo, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free)
- Asparagus Casserole
- Whole30 Crockpot Mashed Potatoes (Vegan)
- Instant Pot Whole30 Cranberry Sauce with Apples and Rosemary (Paleo, No Sugar)
- Ham Gravy
5 from 1 vote
Cauliflower au Gratin
Prep:55 minutes minutes
Cook:10 minutes minutes
Total:1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes
This cauliflower au gratin is super rich and ultra cheesy. It'll become a family favorite in no time! Perfect for the holidays, the cauliflower is roasted for a delicious side dish that's all creamy and not watery!
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8 servings
Ingredients
- 8 cups cauliflower florets about 2 medium heads or 1 large, about 2 pounds in total
- salt to taste
- 1 small onion chopped
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter ½ stick, divided
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups hot milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 2 cups shredded cheese like Gruyere or cheddar
- ¼ cup parmesan freshly grated
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375º F and grease a 9×9-inch or 2 quart baking dish. Place cauliflower on baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Heat 4 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add onion and stir until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add flour to saucepan and cook while stirring constantly until mixture just starts to brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually pour milk into mixture, whisking into a smooth sauce. Stir in salt and lots of pepper. Cook until just simmering. Remove sauce from heat and stir in half the shredded Gruyere or cheddar cheese until it melts.
Place roasted cauliflower in the prepared baking dish and pour cheese sauce over.
Sprinkle cauliflower and cheese sauce with remaining Gruyere or cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup parmesan, if desired. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter and stir together with breadcrumbs and a pinch of salt.
Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and browned, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Return to oven for 5-10 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle parmesan over with cheese after cooking and serve.
Notes
- Shredded Cheese: We prefer cheddar, but Gruyere, swiss, and white cheddar are also good options.
- Cauliflower: Use fresh cauliflower instead of frozen. Frozen will make your cauliflower au gratin way too watery.
- Make it Gluten Free: Use gluten free breadcrumbs and gluten free all-purpose flour.
Nutrition Information
Serving Size: 1serving, Calories: 267cal, Protein: 12g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 53mg, Sodium: 599mg, Potassium: 427mg, Total Carbs: 15g, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 6g, Net Carbs: 12g, Vitamin A: 575IU, Vitamin C: 49mg, Calcium: 281mg, Iron: 1mg
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
© Author: Cheryl Malik
Meet Cheryl Malik
In addition to being a certified health coach, certified yoga instructor, and mom of 3, Cheryl is also the recipe developer, editor-in-chief, food photographer, and passionate foodie behind 40 Aprons. Having spent the last 10+ years as a food blogger, she's become known for her flavorful recipes, detailed instructions, gorgeous photography, and down-to-earth approach to food and cooking in general.
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- Jody says
Is the cauliflower supposed to be steamed or roasted? Two different things…..
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- Megan | 40 Aprons Team says
Just a typo – thanks so much for bringing it to our attention! The cauliflower is roasted in the first step.
Reply
- Jet says
I could’ve eaten this with just a salad. It was that good. I had it with store-bought roast chicken. Delicious. The only change I made was adding the cheese topping and bread crumbs right when I put it in the oven. Baked for 20-25 min then broiled for a minute. I used Gruyère.
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- Jessica | 40 Aprons Team says
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing, Jet! 😊
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- Matt says
Excellent, my daughter needs to be gluten-free so I substituted the flour for white rice flour. I also used gluten-free bread crumbs and added diced bacon.
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- Karen Armijo says
Can you sub almond or other milks for regular milk in this recipe?
Reply
- Cheryl Malik says
Hi Karen! Yes, you can sub almond or other milks! I’d recommend you use an unsweetened milk alternative, like soy or oat milk, so there’s less of a flavor difference.
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