Cauliflower Gratin

This cauliflower gratin makes a perfect indulgent side dish that is rich, creamy, and crispy, but also low-carb! Roasted cauliflower is smothered in a Gruyère cheese sauce and topped with a crispy Panko Parmesan topping for a dish that’s comforting and flavorful.

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make this easy recipe:

Cauliflower– preferably fresh. You could use frozen cauliflower after it has been thawed and drained, but its texture is usually too soft.

Gruyere cheese – is a delicious Swiss cheese with a distinct, nutty flavor. It‘s hard to substitute it with another cheese because of its delicious and rich flavor but you could use mature cheddar, Swiss cheese, or Appenzeller cheese. A smoked cheese such as smoked Gouda would be a great addition! You could also top the casserole with cubed crispy bacon. Please buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself for the best flavor. Pre-grated cheeses may also not melt into the sauce perfectly.

Instead of Panko breadcrumbs, you can use regular fine breadcrumbs but Panko will provide more crunch.

We‘re using cream and milk for the sauce – it stays perfectly creamy but it‘s also a little bit lightened up. The sauce is also seasoned with lemon juice which makes it perfectly balanced and not just rich and creamy!

How to make it step-by-step

STEP 1: Bake cauliflower:

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and move the wire rack one shelf above the center.
Wash cauliflower, cut off the leaves, and divide into florets. Place the florets on a large baking sheet and pat dry with paper towels.
Toss the florets with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes or until browned and softened but not very soft.

(3 pounds (1350g) cauliflower florets, 1 large head or 2 small, 1/4 cup olive oil)

STEP 2: Make the Panko parmesan topping:

Melt the butter in a small pot and stir in Panko until evenly coated in butter. Take the pot off the heat and stir in parmesan. Set aside.

(3 tablespoons (45g) butter, 3/4 cup (50g) Panko breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup (45g) grated parmesan cheese)

STEP 3: Make the cheese sauce:

Dice the shallot, finely chop garlic (with a knife and not a garlic press), juice the lemon, and grate the Gruyere on the large holes of a box grater.

(1 large shallot, or 1 medium onion, 5 cloves garlic, 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 1/2 cups (150g) Gruyere cheese)

STEP 4: Melt the butter in a large frying pan, add the shallots, and cook over low heat for about 2 minutes or until softened.

(Note: if using regular yellow onion and not shallot: make sure to dice it very finely and cook it a little bit longer, about 4-5 minutes, until very soft, you don’t want crunchy onions in your sauce.)

Add garlic, thyme, paprika, and flour. Cook for a minute, stirring.

(2 tablespoons butter, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, 1 1/2 tablespoons flour)

STEP 5: Add milk, cream, Dijon, and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until slightly thickened.

(1 1/4 cups heavy cream, 1 cup milk, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard)

STEP 6: Add 1/2 of the Gruyere cheese and cook until it’s melted.

Take the pan off the heat, season the sauce with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

STEP 7: Take the cauliflower out of the oven and transfer it to a 9×13-inch (23x33cm) baking dish.

Note: If you want to have one less dish to wash up, you could bake the cauliflower in the casserole dish. However, it will have a better chance of browning when it is not overcrowded and is baked on a larger baking sheet.

STEP 8: Assemble: Add the sauce to the cauliflower. Stir until evenly coated.

STEP 9: Top with the remaining 1/2 of Gruyere.

STEP 10: Sprinkle breadcrumb parmesan topping over the sauce.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the topping is golden and the casserole hot and bubbly.

Enjoy!

Storage

This dish reheats very well and tastes delicious. The cheese sauce may split slightly while reheating but the flavor stays the same. To avoid it, make sure to reheat it really well. Reheat it in a 350°F (180°C) oven and store it in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

How to make it ahead: Prepare the casserole as directed but don‘t sprinkle it with Panko Parmesan topping yet. Cover the baking dish tightly with plastic foil and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. Sprinkle with the crunchy topping just before baking and bake as directed in the recipe.

More delicious vegetable casseroles

Baked Ratatouille	Brussels Sprouts Gratin	Zucchini Gratin