Cauliflower Gratin Recipe …creamy cauliflower casserole

This cauliflower gratin recipe is a tasty way to add cauliflower to your diet. This French inspired recipe is basically a veggie cheese casserole. I like to put creamy horseradish sauce in my version. I also like to add a few other veggies for color. I use red bell pepper, celery, and green onion in the video, but use whatever vegetables have in the fridge; using just a little shredded carrot will add pizzazz.

What You Need To Make a Cauliflower Gratin

2 lbs CAULIFLOWER florets
1 cup chopped veggies …like:
–CELERY
–RED PEPPER
–GREEN ONION
….but use whatever you have
2 cups whole MILK (or half and half)
5 Tbsp BUTTER
5 Tbsp FLOUR
1-2 cups freshly grated CHEESE
(I like using a combo of cheeses, some of my faves are
swiss, parmesan, gruyere, gouda, and havarti)
1 Tbsp CREAMY HORSERADISH (or 2 Tbsp?…it’s good in this dish)
1 Tbsp fancy MUSTARD
2 tsp ITALIAN SEASONING
SALT and PEPPER (to taste)

How to Cook Cauliflower Gratin

• Cut the cauliflower into florets.
• I like to steam the florets for 2-3 minutes, this will make the cauliflower gratin creamier. Use a steaming basket, or just place half an inch of water in a pan, cover, and steam that way for a few minutes. If you prefer your cauliflower a little firmer in your gratin,
  you can skip the steaming.
• Lightly butter an oven safe baking dish. Check here to see current prices for a casserole baking dish on Amazon.
• Arrange the cauliflower florets on the bottom.
• Add about 1 cup of assorted, chopped veggies on top, for color and added texture.
• In a sauce pan, melt butter.
• On medium heat, add in the flour with the butter and stir for about 1 minute.
• Add in half the milk (or Half and Half), and continue stirring.
• As the mixture thickens, add in the rest of the milk and whisk smooth.
• Add in salt and pepper to taste, and dried Italian seasoning.
• Add in half of the freshly grated cheese, stir until melted, and remove from the heat.
• Evenly pour the creamy, cheesy mixture over the top of the cauliflower/veggie mix.
• Top the gratin with the remainder of the cheese (although you can reserve a bit of cheese for topping at the end, if desired)
• Bake 25-35 minutes in an oven pre-heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• When the cauliflower gratin begins to color nicely on top, it’s ready.
• Garnish with extra cheese or fresh herbs.

And that’s it. Enjoy!

For another gratin-style recipe idea, try this Baked Quinoa with Celery Root Recipe.

Definitely give this cauliflower gratin recipe a try and let me know what you think. If you liked the recipe, click a few buttons below to share it with your friends. Thanks, I appreciate it!
–Chef Buck