Cauliflower Gratin

Take the humble cauliflower to the next level with this simple cauliflower gratin! It is cheesy, comforting, and oh-so satisfying.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 362kcal

Preheat the oven to 375F.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Generously salt. Add the cauliflower and cook for about 10 minutes or just until fork tender but still firm. Drain well.
In a medium saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Whisk in the warmed milk until smooth. Bring to a boil while whisking. Remove from the heat.
Stir in 1 cup gruyere cheese and parmesan cheese until smooth. Add the pepper, nutmeg, and salt to taste. Spread about ½ cup of the sauce on the bottom of an 8x11-inch baking dish. Top with the drained cauliflower. Pour the remaining sauce over the cauliflower and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup gruyere.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small skillet. Add the bread crumbs. Cook, stirring frequently, until starting to toast and turn brown. Remove from the heat. After 20 minutes of baking, sprinkle the bread crumbs over the baked cauliflower and continue baking until the top starts to brown and the filling is very bubbly, about 5 more minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

*To make fresh breadcrumbs: Tear one or two slices of bread (I love crusty sourdough!) and pulse in a food processor until finely chopped. You can also finely chop it with a sharp knife. If you don’t have fresh bread, panko bread crumbs can also be used.
Don’t overcook the cauliflower, and drain it well. Boil the cauliflower just until it is fork-tender but still has some firmness to it. It needs to still have a bit of bite when you bake it, or it will turn into watery mush. When draining it, I like to use a colander and let the cauliflower sit for a few minutes to remove as much water as possible.
Shred the cheese yourself instead of buying the pre-shredded kind. Pre-shredded cheese has anti-clumping agents added to it, so it isn’t as melty and gooey.
Use freshly grated nutmeg if possible. Freshly grated nutmeg has a far superior flavor to pre-grated nutmeg in this cauliflower au gratin recipe.
Add more flavor to the mornay sauce. Grated garlic cloves, garlic powder, or fresh chopped herbs would be a nice addition to the creamy cheese sauce.