“What is this, potatoes?” asked HH
“No, it’s cauliflower, do you like it?”
“It tastes just like scalloped potatoes! It’s really good!”
Yep, probably something to do with the Gruyere cheese, butter and fresh bread crumbs…
Cauliflower has really become trendy, and I admit, I have only cooked it a handful of times. I started by roasting it
After roasting you could simply eat it as is, very tasty!
But I really wanted to try it as a gratin, in other words baked in a white cheese sauce
Thoroughly incorporating the flour into the melted butter and cooking for several minutes ensures a smooth sauce later
I used 2% milk instead of cream to make this a little less sinful. Heat the milk in the microwave for 1-2 minutes before adding and the sauce will come together faster
Once the sauce has thickened, stir in the cheese and seasonings. Fresh nutmeg makes all the difference
Spoon a layer of sauce in the bottom of a greased casserole dish
Top with roasted cauliflower*
*roast cauliflower until softened but still a little firm. It will finish cooking when baked
Cover with a blanket of cheese sauce
Fresh bread crumbs really take no time and taste sooo much better than canned…I used about 1/2 of a bakery french bread roll
Sprinkle cauliflower with bread crumbs and Parmesan, then pour melted butter over all. At this point you can cover and refrigerate dish for up to 36 hours before baking
Bring to room temperature and bake uncovered 30 minutes, or until heated through and golden
Roasted Cauliflower Gratin
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower
- 2 cups milk
- 3 T flour
- salt pepper
- olive oil
- fresh nutmeg
- 3 oz Gruyere cheese grated
- 3 oz shredded Parmesan cheese divided
- fresh bread crumbs [about 1 cup]
- 4 T unsalted butter divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400. Cut cauliflower into large florets, discarding tough stems. Spray a foil lined baking sheet with cooking oil spray and spread florets out in an even layer. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast cauliflower for 30 minutes, it should be partially cooked, but still a little firm.
- While cauliflower is roasting make the sauce. Melt 2 T of butter in a medium sauce pan. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add milk and bring to boil stirring occasionally. Once mixture boils, cook one more minute then remove from heat. Add Gruyere and 2 oz of Parmesan, and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir and set aside to thicken.
- Spray an 8″ x 8″ casserole dish with olive oil spray. Cover the bottom with 1/3 of the sauce. Top with an even layer of cauliflower and then cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and additional Parmesan cheese. Season lightly. Melt remaining 2 T butter and pour over all. Dish can be covered and refrigerated at this point.
- Bring to room temperature and bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Makes 4-6 servings
We had it with BBQ chicken, but it would be great with pork or beef too~
Enjoy!
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