Jacqueline Casey 
I made this to pair with a spiral ham along with a few other side dishes, and this was by far the best of the side dishes. It came out so well that I’ve made it a few times since. It compliments so many main dishes and although it requires a longer baking time, it only takes about 10 minutes of prep time to boil the cauliflower and make the sauce and breadcrumb topping. It’s creamy, cheesy and the perfect comfort food, but also with cauliflower. I might even like the texture of this Cauliflower Au Gratin better than a Potato Au Gratin!
Options, Tips and Substitutions!
- I’ve used both cauliflower florets and a head of cauliflower to make this. Both will work the same, but I prefer the cauliflower florets. Since you will only be using the florets, it saves the time (and mess) of removing the stems and having to chop up the cauliflower.
- Even with the florets, I found it better to have the cauliflower chopped on the smaller side so some of the larger florets needed to be cut in half and this one really large one, cut into quarters. I also removed some of the thicker bits of the stems. You’ll just want the pieces to be mostly uniform and consistent in size so that they will cook the same.
- Update** I recently used 2 bags of Cauliflower Florets that could be steamed in the microwave. This option was so quick and easy and turned out just the same as boiling/steaming the Cauliflower. If you’re looking for a short cut, pick up a bag of Cauliflower Florets that can be cooked in the microwave by slicing a hole in the top corner and then cooking for a few minutes in the microwave.
- For the milk, I used 2% which I felt was plenty creamy. You could also use whole milk for an even creamier and thicker version. Or at the opposite end, you could use 1% milk and with the addition of the cheese and flour, it would still be creamy, but just slightly thinner. I’d say it’s whatever your preference is.
- I used a block cheese and usually prefer a block cheese vs. a pre-packaged shredded cheese since it’s creamier and has a richer taste. I used my favorite cheddar/gruyere blend, but you could use any type of cheddar or swiss or even a blend like I did.
- I used seasoned breadcrumbs which give it a bit of extra flavor but you could use plain breadcrumbs and in that case just might want to add a little bit extra salt/seasoning to compensate.
- After 35-40 minutes, you can tell your Au Gratin is done when the breadcrumbs are brown and toasted and you can see the sauce around the sides is bubbling and also browned like in the pictures. For a picture comparison, this is what the Cauliflower Au Gratin looked like before baking vs after:
- This has worked perfect to serve 4 when it has been a stand alone side dish and also to serve 8 when it was one of several side dishes. Each time we’ve had this we have not had any leftovers. But if we did, I would save by keeping in the casserole dish (or probably moving to a smaller casserole dish with a cover or place an airtight wrap on top (like cling wrap or a bees wrap) then refrigerate and reheat in the oven within the next 3 days. You could reheat in the microwave, but you might loose some of the crunchiness from the breadcrumb topping.
I hope you enjoy!
Cauliflower Au Gratin
Cauliflower is baked in a creamy cheddar cheese sauce and topped with breadcrumbs for a perfect side dish worthy of many meals.
- Large Pot, Cheese Grater, Sauce pan, Casserole Dish,
- 2 12oz Bags of Cauliflower Florets ((or 1 head of Cauliflower))
- 2 Tbsp. Butter
- ¼ cup Chopped Yellow Onion
- 2 Tbsp. All Purpose Flour
- ¾ cup Milk
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Ground Mustard
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- 1 cup Shredded Cheddar or Gruyere Cheese
- ½ cup Breadcrumbs
- 1 Tbsp. Butter
Pre-heat oven to 400°
Fill large pot with water and place on high heat to bring to a boil.
If using a head of cauliflower, chop the florets off into uniform pieces. If using cauliflower florets just ensure all are about the same size. If there are very large pieces, they can be broken up into smaller pieces with hands or with a knife. Once water in pot is boiling add cauliflower and boil for 5-7 minutes. While cauliflower is boiling, prepare sauce.
Chop about half of a small yellow onion for ¼ cup chopped onion. If using a block cheese, grate cheese until you have about 1 cup of shredded cheese.
Add butter and onion to a saucepan on medium heat and sauté for about 2-3 minutes just until onions turn a little bit translucent. Add flour and stir until butter and flour form a paste. Add milk, salt, ground mustard and pepper stirring until smooth and then bring to a boil for about 1 minute stirring while sauce thickens.
Remove from heat and add shredded cheese, stirring until the cheese is fully incorporated with the sauce. Set sauce aside.
At this point, your cauliflower should be boiled enough that it is still fairly firm, but tender enough to be pierced easily with a fork or knife. Drain cauliflower and place in a casserole dish.
Pour sauce over the cauliflower and give a few stirs so all the cauliflower is covered.
Melt 1 Tbsp. of butter in a small microwave safe bowl. Add ½ cup of breadcrumbs and stir to mix. Add the breadcrumbs on top of the cauliflower in the casserole dish.
Place in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes until breadcrumbs are browned and crunchy and the sauce on the sides is bubbling and also browned.
