Cauliflower Gratin

This recipe combines

Cheese Sauce Béchamel

Cauliflower baked under cheese sauce until browned and bubbling. The cheese sauce (Mornay) is just a béchamel — milk thickened with a butter-and-flour roux — with an Alpine melting cheese stirred in off the heat, and this page gives you both the sauce and the gratin in one place. The cauliflower is boiled first; the oven finish is what gives the gratin its crust. The béchamel and the cheese sauce also stand on their own.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the cheese sauce (Mornay)

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups milk, warmed
• Salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg
• 4–8 oz Gruyère, Emmentaler, or Swiss cheese, shredded

For the gratin

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
• ½ cup breadcrumbs or grated Gruyère
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted, if using breadcrumbs
• Salt and pepper

Use only Gruyère, Emmentaler, Swiss, or a mix of those here — they melt smoothly and taste nutty rather than sharp. Shred the cheese yourself instead of using bagged pre-shredded, which can make the sauce grainy.

Roasting & Baking

Roasted Chicken Thighs Pan-Roasted Hot Wings Pan-Roasted Teriyaki Wings Roasted Pork Tenderloin Roasted Potatoes Roasted Ratatouille Potatoes au Gratin Baked Potatoes Twice-Baked Potatoes Mac and Cheese Croque Monsieur Lasagna Spaghetti and Meatballs

Frying in the Oven→

Method

Make the cheese sauce

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Make the béchamel: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, whisk in the flour, and cook, stirring constantly, for 1–2 minutes, until the raw flour smell cooks off — this is your roux. Slowly whisk in the warm milk, a little at a time at first, whisking out any lumps before adding more. Continue cooking, whisking often, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5–7 minutes, then season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Off the heat, stir in the cheese a handful at a time, letting each addition melt before adding more.

Cook the cauliflower

Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil, add the cauliflower, and cook until just tender, 4–5 minutes. Drain well and let it steam-dry for a few minutes — wet cauliflower will thin the sauce.

Assemble and bake

Spread the cauliflower in a buttered baking dish and spoon the cheese sauce over the top, coating the florets evenly. Toss the breadcrumbs with the melted butter and scatter them over the top, or top with grated Gruyère instead, then bake 20–25 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the top is browned.