This Cheesy Roasted Cauliflower Gratin is a delicious addition to any meal!
I think we all know someone who doesn't like vegetables.
There's one thing that will get almost anyone to eat their veggies though ... cheese. Am I right?!?
My husband eats almost anything, but there are few ingredients he likes to avoid. Olives and eggplant are at the top of the list, and so is cauliflower.
We been married for a while now, and over the years, I've gradually worked more cauliflower recipes into our meals. It's (slowly) growing on him, and this Cheesy Roasted Cauliflower Gratin is our new favorite recipe!
This Cheesy Roasted Cauliflower Gratin is rich and delicious. The recipe pairs roasted cauliflower with a mouthwatering cheddar cheese sauce, and it's sure to be loved by veggie lovers and haters alike ... guaranteed!
Although it's simple to prepare, this tasty side dish looks fancy enough to accompany any holiday or winter meal.
It's hard to describe the deliciousness of this gratin. Actually, just looking at this pictures is making me crave more.
How to Make Cheesy Roasted Cauliflower Gratin
This recipe took a little work to perfect, but it was worth it.
My first attempt involved boiling the cauliflower, and the end result was a little bland. So instead of boiling the cauliflower, I decided to roast it. Which was kind of a stroke of genius, if I do say so myself!
The second gratin turned out much more flavorful and had everyone I served it to returning for seconds. Success!
To make this Cheesy Roasted Cauliflower Gratin, you'll start by roasting the cauliflower with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. Super simple, right?
While the cauliflower is roasting, you'll make that delectable, yet easy cheese sauce. Most of the sauce's flavor comes from sharp cheddar cheese, so get the best quality cheese you can afford. Trust me on this one!
To finish the dish, you'll transfer the roasted cauliflower to a baking dish, then covered it with your amazing cheese sauce, more cheese (!), and crunchy panko breadcrumbs.
Bake everything until it's hot, bubbly, and irresistibly delicious, then dig in!
Pair this amazing Cheesy Roasted Cauliflower Gratin with almost any entree and you'll have meal that everyone will love!
Cheesy Roasted Cauliflower Gratin
Ingredients
- nonstick cooking spray
For Cauliflower:
- large head cauliflower
- 1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
For Cheese Sauce:
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- salt and pepper, to taste
For Topping:
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
Prepare cauliflower:
- Cut cauliflower into large florets and place on baking sheet.
- Drizzle cauliflower with 1 ½ tbsp. olive oil, then sprinkle with ½ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper. Mix well.
- Place baking sheet in oven and roast cauliflower until tender, about 15 minutes.
Prepare cheese sauce:
- While cauliflower is roasting, melt butter in a medium skillet over medium high heat.
- Add garlic to butter and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir flour into butter with a whisk.
- Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until flour mixture is golden, about 2-3 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in 2 cups milk.
- Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce is thickened, about 2-3 minutes.
- Stir 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese into sauce until smooth. (Reserve remaining cheese for assembling gratin.)
- Remove cheese sauce from heat, then season generously to taste with salt and pepper.
Prepare topping:
- Place panko in a small bowl.
- Drizzle with olive oil, then add salt and pepper.
- Stir together well.
Assemble gratin:
- Spray a shallow casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Add roasted cauliflower to casserole and top with cheese sauce.
- Sprinkle remaining ½ cup cheese over sauce, then top with panko.
- Place gratin in oven and bake for until browned and bubbly, about 25 minutes.
- Let gratin cool for a few minutes, then sprinkle with parsley and serve. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Love this Cheesy Roasted Cauliflower Gratin?
Make sure to try my Buffalo Cauliflower Mac and Cheese, too ... it's totally craveworthy!
What is your favorite way to eat cauliflower?
I made this last night. I added 4 oz. of pancetta and crisped it in a little butter before the roux/milk, and added a pinch of nutmeg (I can't help it- anytime bechamel is involved I have to add nutmeg). The sauce was delicious! But, there was way too much of it for just one head of cauliflower, and an entire package of mushrooms (another addition I made). I will remake this soon, but next time will probably use at least two heads of cauliflower, and maybe some brussels sprouts as well.
Hi, Kirsten! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe ... it's definitely saucy! 🙂 Love the idea of adding brussels sprouts.