Cauliflower Gratin
Crispy cauliflower bites in a light cream sauce with crispy buttery bread crumbs coating each piece make a fantastic side dish.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter divided
- ⅓ cup bread crumbs plain or Italian work well
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more as needed, adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon granulated onion or onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large head of cauliflower, cut into small florets about 1 pound or 4-5 cups worth
- ⅔ cup freshly grated sharp Cheddar about 4 ounces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 1.5-2 quart baking dish (9-10 inch square pan will work nicely) with butter or cooking spray.
- In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Add the bread crumbs and stir quickly to coat. Saute with stirring frequently for about 2 minutes, until toasted. Remove from the heat, transfer to a plate, and let cool.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter (in the same skillet used for the breadcrumbs) over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the milk, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper and bring to a boil while whisking constantly. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring frequently until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
- While the sauce is simmering, trim the cauliflower florets as needed for small bite-size pieces. Place the cauliflower in the greased baking dish, sprinkle with half of the cheese and pour sauce over the cheese. Top with the remaining cheese and sprinkle with the toasted bread crumbs.
- Bake until lightly browned and bubbly, about 24-28 minutes. Serve warm.
Notes
If you prefer your cauliflower to be more tender, feel free to steam it for 3-4 minutes prior to layering it with cheese. Personally, we like it to remain crisp and tender after baking.
Nutrition
Calories: 159kcal · Carbohydrates: 9g · Protein: 5g · Fat: 12g · Saturated Fat: 7g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g · Monounsaturated Fat: 3g · Trans Fat: 0.2g · Cholesterol: 32mg · Sodium: 381mg · Potassium: 93mg · Fiber: 0.4g · Sugar: 2g · Vitamin A: 367IU · Vitamin C: 1mg · Calcium: 152mg · Iron: 0.4mg
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