Cauliflower cheese recipe
A vegetarian delight, cauliflower cheese, this classic British dish can be enjoyed as a side or even a main course. It’s a baked wonder: tender cauliflower florets smothered in a rich and creamy cheese sauce, then oven-roasted until bubbly and golden brown. It might not be the lightest dish I make, but it’s definitely the most delicious cauliflower recipe in my collection!
![Cauliflower cheese](https://allgoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1715780926397-720x1024.jpg)
Ever since savoring a phenomenal Cauliflower Cheese at a famous Sydney steakhouse years ago, a truly fantastic recipe for the dish has been on my radar!
Sure, many recipes instruct you to simply boil cauliflower, coat it in béchamel, add cheese, and bake, but that method yields a dish with a strong, unpleasant boiled cauliflower flavor (not a fan!) and risks uneven, watery sauce.
top-notch Cauliflower Cheese, ditch the boiling and roast the florets for superior flavor and a guaranteed thick sauce. Plus, don’t be shy with the cheese – embrace the “CHEESE” in the name!
![Cauliflower cheese](https://allgoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1715781439046-576x1024.jpg)
What goes in Cauliflower Cheese
Here’s what you need to make Cauliflower Cheese:
1.Roasted cauliflower
Unlike most recipes that boil or steam the cauliflower, roasting coaxes out more flavor instead of boiling it all away, making it a superior method in my opinion.
To roast your cauliflower, simply toss florets from a roughly 1.25kg (2.5lb) head (or 2 small, or 1 ½ medium) with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.
![Cauliflower cheese recipe](https://allgoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1715783213324.jpg)
2.Cheese sauce for Cauliflower Cheese
Here’s what you need for the cheese sauce.The cheese sauce, also known as Mornay sauce, is simply a béchamel (white sauce) enriched with cheese!
- Flour and butter –A roux, made by cooking flour with melted butter, thickens the Mornay cheese sauce.
- Milk and cream-For the cheese sauce, cream adds a luxurious touch (perfect for guests!), but milk works just fine for everyday use.
- Cheeses – I like to use two different cheeses in the recipe. Specifically:
- Red Leicester-Opt for a sharp English cheddar (or orange cheddar in the US, for a similar color and flavor profile) for a robustly flavored, vibrantly orange cheese sauce; you can also use any cheddar you prefer.
- Gruyère-For the ultimate indulgence, reach for Gruyère, a semi-hard Swiss cheese known for its luxurious nutty flavour and melty perfection, but for everyday dishes, Swiss cheese (a more affordable option in the style of Gruyère), Jarlsberg, cheddar, Colby or your favourite melting cheese will do just fine.
- nutmeg-While freshly grated nutmeg is the best option, don’t worry about skipping the classic touch of ground white pepper in your béchamel sauce – it enhances the creamy flavor, and whole nutmeg for grating is a budget-friendly way to get a much superior taste that lasts forever!
🇦🇺 PRO CHEESE TIP for fellow Australians:Skip “Tasty cheese” for cream sauces like cauliflower cheese – it tends to split and doesn’t melt smoothly.
How to make Cauliflower Cheese
- Prepare to roast –For cauliflower cheese, break the cauliflower into bite-sized florets, toss them with oil, salt, and pepper, and spread them on a large tray. Avoid making the florets too small, as they’ll cook too quickly, become mushy, and release water that can thin out your sauce.
- Roast-Roast the cauliflower for just 20 minutes at 220°C/430°F (200°C fan) until it’s mostly cooked through with a bit of color and firmness, as it will finish softening in the sauce.
- Heat milk and cream-Heat the milk using your preferred method, either in a saucepan on the stovetop or in a jug in the microwave, as warming the milk first helps achieve a silky smooth sauce with less whisking required.
- Make sauce-Keep the heat low to prevent browning (we want a white sauce!), then slowly whisk in the hot milk continuously to avoid lumps. Stir the sauce constantly over low heat for about a minute as it thickens rapidly.
- add cheese-Adding the cheese will significantly thicken the sauce, eliminating the need for lengthy cooking times often required with béchamel-based recipes.
- Coat cauliflower-Gently fold in the cauliflower florets to coat them evenly in the creamy cheese sauce.
- Transfer to baking dish- the mixture to a baking dish and sprinkle the top with shredded cheese.
- Bake 30 minutes-Bake until the top is bubbly, golden brown, and utterly irresistible.
The vibrant golden color comes from Red Leicester cheese, worth seeking out for this dish (though cheddar offers a similar effect for our US friends!).
![Cauliflower cheese recipe](https://allgoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1715783809801.jpg)
What to serve with Cauliflower Cheese
This cauliflower side dish is an unapologetically decadent homage to the luxurious sides served at high-end steakhouses and lavish Sunday roasts.
With that in mind, here are some perfect main course pairings for this decadent cauliflower side:
- steak-The steak is cooked using a restaurant-worthy technique of basting it with garlic and thyme-infused butter.
- prime rib-This recipe showcases the creme de la creme of beef roasts, but fear not if you have a more economical or lean cut!
- Roast chicken- For a different twist, slather it in herb and garlic butter, try a brined version, use your slow cooker, or opt for Crispy Herb Roasted Chicken pieces.
- Roast Pork – With a crispy crackling to die for!
- Roast Lamb-Complement this dish with your choice of lamb leg, slow-roasted shoulder, or herb-marinated rack (either crusted or simply infused with rosemary and garlic).
Or for something a little speedier, try:
Pair this dish with juicy pan-seared marinated pork chops, quick, crispy garlic chicken thighs, crispy pan-fried fish fillets, or (YES!) garlicky prawns, or lamb chops drizzled with rosemary gravy
While traditionally a side, this dish’s decadence makes it a main course contender, especially for vegetarians who will rejoice (and honestly, who could resist a big bowl of this!)
![Cauliflower cheese recipe](https://allgoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1715784651568-720x1024.jpg)
people also ask
is cauliflower a healthy veg?
Rich in vitamins C and K, and a good source of folate essential for cell growth and pregnancy, cauliflower is also fat-free, cholesterol-free, and low in sodium. A one-cup serving packs only 25 calories, 5 grams of carbohydrates, and 2 grams of dietary fiber.
Is cauliflower cheese a main meal?
Cauliflower cheese, a traditional British dish, can be enjoyed as a side or even a satisfying main course.
Is cauliflower gluten-free?
A gluten-free, low-calorie powerhouse with 2 grams of protein per cup, cauliflower readily absorbs the flavors you infuse it with.
PrintCauliflower cheese
In the video above, I show how to make a classic British dish that most people relegate to the sides, but trust me, it’s delicious enough to be the main course!
Ditch the boring boiled cauliflower! Roast it for superior flavor, then smother it in a luxuriously cheesy sauce made with my favorite combo of Red Leicester and Gruyere (although any melty cheese will do!). See the post for all the details on this flavor bomb.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hours
- Total Time: 1 hours
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Ingredients
ROASTED CAULIFLOWER:
- 1kg / 2 lb cauliflower florets (1 very large, 1 1/2 medium or 2 small cauliflower heads, Note 1)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
CHEESE SAUCE (MORNAY SAUCE):
- 60g / 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3½ tbsp flour , plain / all-purpose
- 1 cup milk (full fat best)
- 1 cup cream (or more milk)
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt (kosher salt)
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg powder (freshly grated is best)
- 1 cup Red Leicester cheese (or cheddar), grated (Note 2)
- 1/2 cup gruyère cheese , grated (or other melting cheese of choice, Note 2)
TOPPING:
- 1/2 cup Red Leicester cheese (or cheddar), grated (Note 2)
- 1/2 cup gruyère cheese , grated (or other melting cheese of choice, Note 2)”
Instructions
Roasted coulflower
- Preheat your oven to 220°C (430°F) or 200°C for a fan oven.
- Toss the cauliflower florets with oil, salt, and pepper, then spread them out on a large baking tray.
- roast for 20 minutes without turning, until the cauliflower is slightly firm and browned, then remove from the oven and reduce the heat to 180°C/350°F.
CHEESE SAUCE (MORNAY SAUCE):
- Heat milk:Heat the milk and cream until hot, on the stove or in the microwave.
- Make roux:Melt butter in a large saucepan or small pot over medium heat, then whisk in flour and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add milk:Gradually whisk in half the milk while stirring constantly, then let the roux thicken before whisking in the remaining milk. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens enough to coat a wooden spoon.
- Add cheese:With the heat off, remove the pot from the stovetop momentarily, then stir in salt, nutmeg, and both cheeses. As the cheese melts, it will thicken the mixture to a creamy sauce consistency.
- mix in cauliflower:Gently fold in the cauliflower florets to coat them evenly in the creamy cheese sauce.
BAKE:
- Fill baking dish:Pour the mixture into a 2L / 2qt baking dish (approximately 30 x 20 x 5cm / 12 x 8 x 2″).
- Top with cheese:Top with a sprinkle of Gruyère cheese, followed by Red Leicester cheese.
- Bake at 180°C/350°F for 30 minutes until the cheese is melted, and cauliflower is bubbly and golden.
- Serve:For a final touch, sprinkle with fresh parsley (optional) and let it stand for 5 minutes before serving!
Notes
- Culflower:Choose a large cauliflower, around 1.25kg/1.5lb, to yield 1kg/2lb of florets. Pro tip: Check out this guide for cutting cauliflower with minimal mess! (link can be added after “guide”)
- cheese:For the best flavor and smooth sauce texture, grate your own cheese instead of using pre-shredded varieties that contain anti-caking agents. If using cups for measurement, tightly pack the grated cheese into the cup to ensure accurate portions.
- Red Leicester cheese, a sharp orange English cheddar with excellent flavor and color, can be substituted with your favorite cheddar (virtually the same in the US), Swiss cheese, Jarlsberg, Colby, or another melty cheese. For Australian cooks, skip the Tasty cheese as it won’t melt well in this sauce.
- Gruyère, a prized Swiss cheese boasting a nutty flavor and exceptional melting, can be replaced by any of the previously mentioned options or other Alpine cheeses like Emmental or Comté.
- storage:Enjoy leftovers within 3-4 days in the fridge; freezing is not recommended.
- make ahead:Once cooked, let the cauliflower cool completely, then toss it in the sauce and store in a container. To reheat, warm the mixture slightly to coat the cauliflower again, transfer it to a baking dish, top with cheese, and bake following the recipe instructions.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5-6 as a side
- Calories: 604 kcal
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 876mg
- Fat: 52g
- Saturated Fat: 30g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 199
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 148mg
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