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Cauliflower gratin in a white casserole dish.
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Cauliflower Gratin

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Aleksandra

Ingredients

for the cauliflower:

  • 3 pounds (1350g) cauliflower florets 1 large head or 2 small
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

for the sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 large shallot or 1 medium onion
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 1/2 cups (150g) Gruyere cheese divided

for the Panko parmesan topping:

  • 3 tablespoons (45g) butter
  • 3/4 cup (50g) Panko breadcrumbs not fine breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup (45g) grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

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.
    3 pounds (1350g) cauliflower florets
  • 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.
    1/4 cup olive oil
  • Take out of the oven and transfer to a 9x13-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.

Make the Panko parmesan topping:

  • Melt the butter in a small pot, 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

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, 5 cloves garlic, 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 1/2 cups (150g) Gruyere cheese
  • Melt the butter in a large frying pan, add the shallots, and cook over low heat for about 2 minutes or until softened.
    2 tablespoons butter
  • (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.
    1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
  • 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
  • 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.

Assemble:

  • Add the sauce to the cauliflower. Stir until evenly coated. Top with the remaining 1/2 of Gruyere, then sprinkle breadcrumb parmesan topping over the sauce.
  • Bake for 25 minutes or until the topping is golden and the casserole is hot and bubbly.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

Calories = 1 serving (1/8 of the recipe). This is only an estimate!

Nutrition

Calories: 385kcal