Cauliflower Gratin with Breadcrumbs
Mom wouldn't have called this a “gratin”, nor would she have baked it. But many were the times that she coated cauliflower, broccoli, or Brussels sprouts in a cheese sauce in an attempt to get us to eat vegetables! Cheese was usually the answer. I’ve built on that, adding nutmeg to the sauce, breadcrumbs to the top, and a few minutes in the oven. Delicious!
PREP TIME: 15 minutes | COOK TIME: 30 minutes | SERVINGS: 6-8
Ingredients:
- 2 heads white cauliflower, about 3 pounds
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups whole milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ cup Gruyere, grated
- 2 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1½ cups fresh bread crumbs
Method:
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Remove the green leaves from the cauliflower and cut the florets from the core. Be sure they are all about the same size so they cook evenly. Put them in a large pot with a small amount of water, cover, and bring to a boil. Steam until the florets are just barely starting to soften.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the flour, then whisk over low heat for about a minute, taking care not to let it start browning. Add the milk and cream while continuing to whisk. Increase the heat to medium and stir constantly while the mixture starts to thicken. Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Remove from the heat and add the Gruyere. Stir till it melts.
Pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower florets. Stir to coat them generously. Put the coated cauliflower florets in a baking dish, top with Parmesan cheese, and fresh bread crumbs. Bake for 20-30 minutes. This generous gap of timing is to allow for the size you cut the florets and how long you steamed them. You don't want to overcook the cauliflower in the steaming step because they need to bake long enough for the cheese sauce to start browning while baking.
Notes:
If you have dried breadcrumbs rather than fresh, sprinkle them on just before serving.
To make this gluten-free: Use gluten-free 1:1 flour blend for the roux and make breadcrumbs from gluten-free bread, or buy gluten-free breadcrumbs. To make your own breadcrumbs, put fresh bread in the bowl of your food processor. Process until you have the size crumb that you want.
To make this dairy-free: There are lots of dairy-free options for milk, butter, and cheese in many grocery stores, but here are some other ideas.
- Use a nut milk. I think pecan, macadamia, or cashew milk would be awesome! To make your own nut milk, blend 1 cup of nuts with 2½ cups of water and a pinch of salt.
- Instead of a butter substitute, use duck fat if you're not vegetarian.
- I've never seen dairy-free Gruyere! However, a dairy-free cheddar would be delicious.
Bon Appétit!
Tammy Circeo, Freelance Recipe Writer
tammycirceo.com | IG: @cheznous_tammycirceo | FB: TammyCirceoChezNous