Cauliflower Cheese
Roasted cauliflower baked in a creamy Gruyère and Red Leicester cheese sauce until bubbly and golden.
By Cookin' Kitchen
- Total: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Servings: 5 servings
Recipe
Cauliflower Cheese
Roasted cauliflower baked in a creamy Gruyère and Red Leicester cheese sauce until bubbly and golden.
Cookin' · https://cookin.club/recipes/cauliflower-cheese
- Prep
- 10 minutes
- Cook
- 1 hour
- Total
- 1 hour 10 minutes
- Servings
- 5
Ingredients
For 5 servings
Roasted cauliflower
Cheese sauce (Mornay sauce)
Topping
Equipment
- Oven
- Large tray
- Large saucepan or small pot
- Wooden spoon
- 2 L / 2 qt baking dish
- Microwave
Instructions
Roasted cauliflower
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 220°C / 430°F (200°C fan).
Step 2: Toss the cauliflower with the oil, salt, and pepper. Spread it on a large tray.
Step 3: Roast for 20 minutes without turning. The cauliflower should still be a little firm and have some colour. Remove it from the oven.
Step 4: Turn the oven down to 180°C / 350°F.
Cheese sauce (Mornay sauce)
Step 5: Heat the milk and cream until hot, either on the stove or in the microwave.
Step 6: Melt the butter in a large saucepan or small pot over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring regularly, for 3 minutes.
Step 7: While stirring, pour in half the hot milk mixture. Once the roux has dissolved into the milk and the mixture thickens, stir in the remaining milk mixture. Keep stirring over the heat for 1 minute, until the sauce is thick enough to coat a wooden spoon.
Step 8: Turn off the stove, leaving the pot on the turned-off stove. Stir in the cooking salt, nutmeg, Red Leicester, and Gruyère. The cheese will thicken the mixture into a thick sauce.
Step 9: Add the cauliflower and toss to coat it in the sauce.
Bake
Step 10: Transfer the mixture to a 2 L / 2 qt baking dish (30 x 20 x 5 cm / 12 x 8 x 2 inches).
Step 11: Sprinkle the Gruyère over the top, followed by the Red Leicester.
Step 12: Bake at 180°C / 350°F for 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the cauliflower is bubbly and golden.
Step 13: Sprinkle with parsley if desired. Let stand for 5 minutes, then serve.
Notes
Make-ahead and storage
To make ahead, cool the cauliflower fully, toss it with the sauce, and store the mixture in a container. When ready to bake, warm the mixture slightly so the sauce coats the cauliflower, transfer it to the baking dish, add the cheese topping, and bake as directed.
Refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days. Freezing is not recommended.
Cheese and cream options
The cream can be replaced with more milk. Cheddar can replace Red Leicester; Swiss cheese, Jarlsberg, Colby, cheddar, or another melting cheese can replace Gruyère. Grate the cheese yourself when possible; if measuring by cups, grate it first and pack it tightly into the cup.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 604 kcal
- Fat
- 52 g
- Saturated fat
- 30 g
- Carbohydrates
- 19 g
- Sugar
- 7 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Protein
- 20 g
- Sodium
- 876 mg
- Cholesterol
- 148 mg
Estimated values; they will vary with the exact ingredients and brands you use.
About this recipe
Roasted cauliflower and a creamy cheese sauce make this British bake a rich side dish that can also be served as a main. Roasting the florets adds flavour and helps avoid a watery sauce.
Red Leicester and Gruyère give the sauce its flavour and colour. Cheddar can replace Red Leicester, and other melting cheeses can stand in for Gruyère.
Serve it straight from the oven, or make it ahead by cooling the cauliflower before coating it in the sauce.
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