This creamy cauliflower au gratin recipe smothers cauliflower in a rich cheese sauce for a decadent side dish that’s perfect for the holidays. It’s a low-carb spin on the much-loved potato gratin but just as creamy and delicious.
Today we’re making some creamy cauliflower au gratin which is a worthy substitute for potato au gratin during Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas dinner. Blanched fresh cauliflower is smothered in a rich and cheesy bechamel sauce made lovingly from scratch and finished with a crunchy breadcrumb topping and a drizzle of melted butter.
Au gratin basically means the casserole is topped with a crusty layer of breadcrumbs and cheese. Despite its fancy name and obvious French origins, it tastes just as comforting and down-to-earth as a regular home-cooked meal.
Even if you are not particularly fond of cauliflower or generally indifferent towards it like me, you will love this! It’s even had meat-eaters ask me when I was gonna make this again. It makes people want to eat their veggies! Why? Because it’s creamy and cheesy. So let’s start cooking!
CREAMY CAULIFLOWER AU GRATIN RECIPE TIPS
Do you see that cheese? That sauce is a combination of two types of cheese on top of the bechamel sauce. Think of it as a cauliflower version of mac and cheese.
Simply whip out that casserole dish, blanch some cauliflower florets for five minutes until al dente and work on the sauce for another ten or so. The sauce is what will take up most of your time at the stove. Layer it in the casserole and top with the crusty breadcrumb mixture then bake! I make it sound so easy and it truly is.
The only thing you’ll need to be careful of is not to curdle the milk while making the sauce by not cooking it over high heat. So be patient and it’ll come out nicely. I know it’ll seem like it’s taking forever for that milk to thicken but it will. I promise! So just keep stirring or whisking until it does. And then you will have made a bechamel sauce. Tada!
Then remove it from the heat and add in your cheese, nutmeg and seasonings. The cheeses will thicken it up some more to this yummy, creamy, cheesy sauce full of delicious goodness.
One word of advice is to dry that blanched cauliflower until it’s bone dry. Any excess liquid will make your casserole watery! I’ve made this mistake before so take it from me. Bring out that colander and drain that cauliflower! You can even take that extra step and pat them dry with some paper towels.
And that’s about it. Despite the labor of love needed to make a roux and bechamel sauce from scratch, it’s well worth it in the end. So take the time and enjoy this cauliflower au gratin recipe. Let me know how you liked it, what substitutions you made and what you paired it with in the comments below!
MORE SIDE DISH RECIPES TO TRY
- Baked Mac and Cheese
- Mashed Potato Puffs
- Garlic Butter Mushrooms
- Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes
- Creamed Corn
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Creamy Cauliflower Au Gratin
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4-6 1x
Description
This creamy cauliflower au gratin recipe smothers cauliflower in a rich cheese sauce for a decadent side dish that’s perfect for the holidays.
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup Gruyere/Swiss cheese, grated and divided
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Over medium-high heat, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the cauliflower florets for 5 minutes or until al dente. Drain completely and set aside.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pot over medium-low heat.
- Add flour and whisk constantly for 2 minutes to make a roux.
- Pour in milk and bring to a simmer, whisking continuously to remove lumps until the sauce thickens, about 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste, nutmeg, 1/2 cup Gruyere/Swiss and Parmesan cheese.
- Pour 1/3 of the sauce into a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Top with the cauliflower and pour the rest of the sauce over it.
- Combine breadcrumbs with the remaining Gruyere/Swiss cheese and sprinkle on the cauliflower.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter and drizzle over the casserole.
- Bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes or until the top has browned.
- Allow it to cool slightly before serving.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Drain the blanched cauliflower completely and pat it dry with paper towels if needed. You will want the cauliflower bone dry so the casserole doesn’t end up watery.
- Scroll up to RECIPE TIPS for more useful tips, suggestions and ingredient substitutions.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
Comments & Reviews
Hi Farah,
I made this at Thanksgiving last yr and EVERYONE raved about it. So DELICIOUS!!
I’m making again Easter, but with doing all the cooking… I need to know if I can make the Bechamel today (day early) I don’t want it to separate. Also, will blanching cauliflower early be okay too?
Thank you for your time and appreciate the fantastic recipes!
(My family is going to be SOOO excited when they see I’ve made this again😊)
Glad to hear it was a hit with everyone and you’re very welcome 🙂 You should be able to able to make the bechamel in advance. Just make sure to reheat in a pan over low heat so the sauce does not separate. Add more milk if needed in small increments until it’s the right consistency since it tends to thicken up when cooled. I’ve never blanched the cauliflower in advance but you should be able to do it as long as it’s stored properly in an airtight container. I would drain it completely so it doesn’t get soggy while in the fridge.
Can I gently steam the cauliflower instead of blanching in H2O?
Absolutely. Just as long as its steamed until al dente 🙂
I need to prepare at home & serve approx 2-3 hours later for Christmas. Any suggestions?
My suggestion is after baking, let it air out just a bit then cover with aluminum foil and keep it warm in the oven until then. Good luck and Merry Christmas!
This was delicious! It did turn out a little watery. I drained the cauliflower in a colander and let it set for 15 minutes. I will make this again.
Glad you liked it Kathy! Yup, I would think cauliflower is definitely the culprit for the watery-ness.
Love it! I used some fresh buttermilk I needed to use up. Didn’t add salt, the buttermilk had enough salt flavor. Also, used 3 year old sharp white cheddar instead of the swiss, it was sweet enough. This recipe can be adjusted to basically what you have on hand!
Great way to change things up to suit what you have. Thanks for trying it out, Holly!
As an amateur cook, I am always looking for simple recipes to try out and this recipe is amazing……tried it out last night and all I can say is that it’s delicious, cheesy, creamy goodness.
Although I had to use cheddar cheese instead of Gruyere or Swiss but it was still great.
Thank you so much!
You’re welcome Pooja! Isn’t it an amazing feeling when you succeed in making a nice bechamel sauce from scratch? 🙂 Cheddar cheese works too, you’ll get more of a mac and cheese flavor from it!
made it. loved it. made it again. I used kasseri cheese instead of parmesan just because I think it gives it a little more bite. I also like to sprinkle a little sweet paprika on top to add color. I skipped the nutmeg which I think works great if you are using swiss cheese (brings out the sweetness).
That’s fantastic! I’ve never tried kasseri cheese before, but it’s always fun to hear people’s customizations!
This sounds awesome, but what kind of milk to use for the white sauce? 2% or whole?
You can use either although using full fat milk will give you a thicker, richer sauce compared to the low fat version. Good luck, Andrew! Bechamel sauce is awesome. 🙂
Maybe a silly question, but do we use the gruyere & the swiss cheese; or just one or the other? If it’s one, which is your fav? Thanks so much!! Can’t wait to make it.
It’s either Gruyere or Swiss. I included both options because Swiss is easier to find, at least for me! 🙂 I’m not much of a cheese connoisseur, but I kinda like Swiss simply because it’s more accessible! Good luck making it!
A great way to get kids to eat more vegetables! I just wanted to let you know that I have a food photo submission site (Simply Creative Recipes) and I am linking to this post if you don’t mind. You are welcome to submit your recipes to my site if you’d like.
I don’t mind at all Alyssa 🙂 Thanks for the link love! And yep, it totally makes cauliflower bearable, at least for me.
This will be a winner with my sons. here. It looks incredibly good. I will have to try this recipe this fall.
I love this au gratin! It’s been so long since I made it so when I had the leftovers the next day, I was wowed with how great it tasted. Sometimes you tend to forget!
This is so creamy and dreamy…..gratin is the BEST! I have a theory that everything can be made in gratin form and I would happily eat it! Love the photos – so rustic and moody! YUM! Also tres impressed that you make the white sauce the proper way!
Merci, Nagi! It’s definitely a fun white sauce but needs a lot of patience!
I’m not so fond of vegetables only because I feel there is not much to do with them as in cooking, but then a recipe like yours come up and makes me get my vegetables ready 🙂 … The clicks are amazing Farah!
Thanks, Muna! I’m seriously not much of a cauliflower fan either. In fact, this is probably the only way I eat it!
Hi Farah,
I have seen quite a few of these cauliflower casserole recipes but have not tried one yet but you do make it look easy enough. Thanks for some much needed inspriation today!
Most welcome Bill. I hope the semi step by step pics helped some!
Can this be made ahead of time is day before? If so do I prep the sauce and keep seperate to the cauliflower or do I finish it and just pop in the oven to cook?
Yes you can make it a day ahead. I would separate the sauce like you suggested just so the cauliflower isn’t super soggy if left to sit in the sauce for too long. Good luck!
I am a massive gratin fan.. I can never resist a good bowl of it’s cheesey deliciousness. I have to try your cauliflower version, it looks amazing.
It heats up well too. It’s been so long since I made it…but I was happy to find out how great it tasted the next day!
It’s great with just a touch of horseradish! Try it the next time you make this.
I can imagine it would. Just a touch though, too much and your’re breathing fire through your nose! I only have experience with horseradish mustard and french dip sandwich and I’ve been victim a couple times to a little overzealous spreading of it.