Cauliflower Au Gratin Recipe

When it comes to super-healthy vegetables, cauliflower is basically a super food. According to Healthline, cauliflower can help reduce your chances of getting various diseases, including cancer and heart disease, which is all the more reason to eat a ton of it! The amazing vegetable also boasts plenty of nutrients, and it's high in fiber. So, it's pretty clear that cauliflower is loaded with health benefits, but when consumed as is, it's not the tastiest thing in the world. Well, thanks to this cauliflower au gratin recipe, you can reap all of the benefits of cauliflower in a cheesy, delicious way!

Recipe developer Christina Musgrave of Tasting With Tina came up with this fantastic recipe that would make a great side to pretty much any protein. "This recipe is super easy and so comforting," Musgrave raves. "I love gratin recipes with any vegetable. I really love cauliflower, so mixing the two was perfect." If you want to add a little cheesy goodness to your next dish, give this cauliflower au gratin recipe a try.

To make this recipe, you'll need a head of cauliflower, butter, flour, whole milk, salt, pepper, shredded Gruyere cheese, and grated Parmesan cheese.

Since you need to use your oven for this recipe, go ahead and set it to 375 F. As you wait for the oven to preheat, you can cook the cauliflower. Grab a large pot and fill it with water and a little bit of salt. Place it on your stove and crank up the heat, so the water comes to a boil. Add the cauliflower florets and boil for about four to five minutes. "The cauliflower will continue to cook as it cooks and then bakes in the oven, so it won't be completely tender, and that's [okay]," Musgrave says of the quick boiling time. Drain the cauliflower and set it to the side.

It's sauce time! Grab a saucepan and place it on your stove. Kick the heat to medium-low and add 2 tablespoons of butter. Next, add the flour and whisk until it's well-combined with the butter. At this time, you can also dump in the milk and whisk everything together. Continue whisking as the sauce comes to a boil, and it should thicken up.

Remove the saucepan from the stove and add 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper, and 1 cup of shredded Gruyere cheese, which will round out the "savory, mild, and cheesy" sauce, as Musgrave describes it. "Swiss or Gouda are good substitutions," Musgrave notes about possible cheese subs.

Take out a steep baking dish and pour ½ cup of the sauce on the bottom. Add the cauliflower, and then pour the remaining sauce over the top. Add about ½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese and pop it in the oven for 30 minutes. It should brown and get bubbly toward the end of the cooking time. When you remove the dish from the oven, serve and enjoy. "This would be great with a pot roast or beef short ribs," Musgrave shares. And, as for leftovers, you can store them in the fridge for up to four days.