This cauliflower gratin is a tacky and scrumptious vegetarian facet 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 an alternative of breadcrumbs. It’s the perfect!
This cauliflower gratin is my carb-conscious different to candy potato gratin and potato casserole. It’s creamy and decadent, but nonetheless gentle and full of veggies!
As somebody who’s firmly pro-cauliflower, I’ll eat it mashed, grilled, baked, and at the same time as a steak. And if there was ever a time to swan-dive right into a facet dish, it could be after I’m making cauliflower gratin. This simple 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 standard potato gratin, however it’s a scrumptious and low-carb model of the basic.
Why I Love This Cauliflower Gratin Recipe
- Loaded with cauliflower. The cauliflower florets take in all the flavour on this tacky gratin completely. You gained’t even miss the potatoes!
- A lighter technique to gratin. Except for skipping the potatoes, my cauliflower gratin recipe makes use of a mix of half-and-half and milk as an alternative of heavy cream, and chopped almonds as an alternative 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 straightforward to whip collectively on the stovetop and assemble in a baking dish the night time earlier than. I like making it as a vacation facet 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 blended with butter. Most recipes au gratin are assembled in a casserole dish. I at all times consider a gratin as a facet dish, nonetheless, whereas a casserole, normally, is usually a essential.
What You’ll Want
This cauliflower gratin begins with a béchamel sauce. That is only a fancy-sounding identify for a white sauce created from flour, butter, and milk. I’ll go over this and the remainder of the elements under. You’ll discover the complete, printable elements listing with quantities within the recipe card after the publish.
- 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 alternative of dairy-free milk different. I additionally embody half-and-half in my recipe, however you should use heavy cream or milk relying on how wealthy you want your sauce.
- Cheese – I shred up sharp Manchego cheese, however you should use Gouda, Gruyère, or good ol’ cheddar cheese. Be at liberty to make use of a mix of various cheeses! Make sure that to make use of freshly grated cheese for the smoothest cheese sauce.
- Herbs – Dried thyme and Italian seasoning are my favorites. You possibly can season your gratin sauce with one other mix, like Herbes de Provence, or get inventive 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 possibly can 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 possibly can substitute the almonds with conventional breadcrumbs in the event you choose.
Methods to Make Cauliflower Gratin
Collect your elements, and let’s make a creamy, tacky cauliflower gratin which may simply steal the present at Christmas dinner. Comply with these simple 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 superb facet dish to organize 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!
Suggestions 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 type of cheese you utilize, ensure that to shred it recent from the block. Pre-shredded cheese comprises 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 you 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. When you’re not retaining this recipe vegetarian, add cooked crumbled bacon or diced ham (strive leftover glazed ham) for further protein.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate. The baked cauliflower gratin may be refrigerated hermetic for as much as 3 days.
- Reheat. I like to recommend reheating gratin beneath foil in a 350ºF oven, or you possibly can heat particular person servings within the microwave till scorching 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 continually, 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 may be ready forward of time! Put together the cheese sauce and the cauliflower, assemble it in a baking dish, and refrigerate over night time. 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 could range in response to the elements and instruments used. Please use your most popular dietary calculator for extra detailed information.
