Cauliflower Cheese is one of my favorite classic British side dishes: tender cauliflower baked in a rich, homemade cheddar sauce until golden and bubbling. It needs a handful of everyday ingredients and about 50 minutes, and you can make it up to 3 days ahead.
Serve it next to a Sunday roast, or with crusty bread as a vegetarian main.
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In the US, this dish often goes by baked cauliflower with cheese or cheesy cauliflower bake. In Britain, it is simply cauliflower cheese.
Why This Recipe Works?
- You can put it together ahead of time and bake it later. That helps a lot on Christmas Day, when the oven is full.
- The sauce is a homemade cheddar béchamel. The béchamel section below covers the rules that keep it smooth.
- I make this almost every weekend in winter next to a roast, and it never comes out watery or mushy. Parboil the florets al dente and drain them well; there is a fix in the FAQs if yours ever goes wrong.
- I use mature cheddar and freshly grated nutmeg in the sauce. I think they make all the difference.
- The cheese and panko topping goes golden and crispy in the oven.
How to Make the Perfect Béchamel?
Béchamel is one of the five basic sauces of French cooking, and i use it in recipes such as Easy Lasagna Recipe, Moussaka Recipe (Musaka), Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese (Baked), and Easy Fish Pie.
The sauce is simple to make, and a few rules keep it smooth:
- Stir constantly - Melt the butter and stir in the flour until it forms a roux, then whisk as you add the milk. Move the whisk around the sides and across the base of the pan so nothing catches.
- Use equal amounts of butter and flour for the roux - Add the milk gradually until the sauce is as thick as you want.
- Pour the milk in small additions - If it all goes in at once, the roux turns lumpy.
- Add the cheese off the heat - Stir the grated cheddar in after the pan comes off the hob; in a sauce that is too hot, the cheese turns gritty instead of melting smooth.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, the complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
- Head of cauliflower - Use fresh cauliflower with tight white florets for the best results. You can use half broccoli and half cauliflower for this recipe.
- Butter - Use good quality unsalted butter. To make the bechamel, make sure it is totally melted before adding the flour.
- Milk - I use whole or semi-skimmed (2%) milk for the bechamel sauce. Add it slowly in small batches to the butter and flour mixture for a velvety sauce.
- Nutmeg - It is the perfect spice for the bechamel sauce. I use freshly grated nutmeg for a more intense flavor and freshness.
- Cheddar Cheese - Mature or extra mature cheddar adds a bit of kick to the sauce. You can substitute it with gruyere or gouda.
- Breadcrumbs - I use panko breadcrumbs for extra crispness but you can use any type of breadcrumb you have in hand. Crushed cornflakes work instead if that is what you have. Just blitz it in a food processor before using the cornflakes.
How to Make Cauliflower Cheese?
Parboil the Cauliflower
Trim the whole cauliflower head and then cut it into bite-sized florets.
In a large saucepan, bring enough water to boil and cook the florets for 6 to 8 minutes, until firm but tender. Put the florets in a colander and let them drain. Prepare the cheese sauce in the meantime.
Prepare the Cheese Sauce
Preheat the fan oven to 180° C - 356° F. To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan on medium heat and stir in the flour.
Mix well using a wooden spatula or a whisk and cook for two minutes, stirring all the time.
Whisk in a little of the warm milk at a time, stirring continuously until you have a smooth, velvety sauce. Cook on low heat for a few minutes, stirring all the time until the sauce has thickened and the flour taste has disappeared.
Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the salt, nutmeg, and 1 cup (100 g) of the shredded cheese.
Although this cauliflower bake is traditionally made with cheddar cheese, you can replace it with any other hard cheese you like.
Combine and Bake
Place the drained cauliflower in a 9-inch (23 cm) oven dish or a casserole dish in a single layer, then pour the creamy sauce over it. Give it a quick stir to combine the cheesy sauce with the cauliflower.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese and breadcrumbs on top. Place the baking dish in the preheated oven.
Cook it for about 35-40 minutes, until it's bubbling inside and golden brown outside.
Recipe Tips From the Chef
- Cook the cauliflower al dente. Overcooked florets make the bake watery.
- Let the cooked cauliflower florets drain and make sure they are totally dry before mixing them with the cheese sauce.
- The homemade cheese sauce is the most important element of the whole recipe. The béchamel rules above and the video on the recipe card show how to get it silky every time.
- Don't skimp on the cheese; this dish is meant to be properly cheesy!
- If you parboil the cauliflower ahead of time instead of using it straight away, refresh it in iced water first. That only matters for prepping ahead; when the sauce goes straight on and the dish goes into the oven, there is no need.
- Choose a dish the florets fit snugly in. Too much spare room and the sauce spreads thin and dries out.
- For an extra-crisp top, finish the bake under the grill (broiler) for the last 5 minutes.
How to Store and Reheat Cauliflower Cheese?
You can assemble the whole dish up to 3 days ahead, keep it covered in the fridge, and bake it when you need it. Baked leftovers keep in the fridge for 3 days.
It freezes well, assembled or baked, for up to 3 months. Defrost it overnight in the fridge, then bake at 200° C - 400° F for 20-25 minutes, until piping hot.
Reheat leftovers in the microwave for 2 minutes on medium heat, or in a preheated oven for 10 to 25 minutes, until piping hot. Cover the dish with foil or a lid to stop it over-browning.
Serving Suggestions
Cauliflower cheese belongs next to a roast dinner. We eat it with our Sunday roasts all through winter, and it is a classic on British Christmas tables.
Serve it with Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder, Dutch Oven Whole Roast Chicken, or Braised Chuck Roast.
On the side, we usually have Duck Fat Roasted Potatoes and Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips.
For a meatless dinner, add some warm Bazlama and a bowl of Gavurdagi Salad - Turkish Tomato Walnut Salad.
A glass of lightly oaked Chardonnay goes really well with the cheese sauce.
Recipe Variations
- Add crispy bacon pieces to the cauliflower and cheese mixture.
- Combine cauliflower and broccoli florets for a colorful and nutritious bake.
- Replace some of the cheddar with Parmesan cheese and sprinkle with fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary.
- Brown and crumble sausage and layer it between the cauliflower and cheese for a heartier bake.
- Swap a third of the cheddar for Red Leicester. It deepens the golden color and adds a slightly sweeter, nuttier flavor.
- For a flourless, gluten-free version, skip the béchamel: layer the parboiled florets with heavy cream and grated cheddar in the dish, season, and bake as usual.
Recipe FAQs
The usual cause is overcooked cauliflower. Keep the parboil short so the florets stay al dente, and make sure they are fully drained and dry; wet florets keep releasing water into the sauce as it bakes.
Both work. Parboiling is the traditional way and keeps the florets tender and juicy, which is how this recipe does it. Roasting drives off more water and adds a nuttier flavor, so if your bakes tend to come out watery, roast the florets at 220° C - 430° F for about 20 minutes instead.
A well-flavored cheddar makes the biggest difference, and grating it from a block matters more than the brand. Beyond the cheese, a pinch of mustard powder in the bechamel sharpens the flavor without making it taste of mustard.
Related Recipes
For more British recipes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious Cheesy Baked Cauliflower Casserole as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
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Cauliflower Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 large cauliflower (around 1¾ lbs - 800 g)
- ½ stick butter (60 g)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (60 g)
- 2 ¼ cups whole milk or reduced fat milk (550 ml)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- pinch of nutmeg
- 1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese (150 g)
- ¼ cups breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Cut the cauliflower into florets and cook in boiling water for 6-8 minutes, until firm but tender.
- Put the florets in a colander and let them drain while preparing the cheese sauce.
- Preheat the fan oven to 180° C - 356° F.
- To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan on medium heat and stir in the flour.
- Mix well using a wooden spatula or a whisk and cook for two minutes stirring all the time.
- Whisk in a little of the warm milk at a time stirring continuously until you have a smooth, velvety sauce.
- Cook on low heat for few minutes stirring all the time until the sauce has thickened and the flour taste has disappeared.
- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the salt, nutmeg and 1 cup (100g) grated cheddar cheese.
- Place the drained cauliflowers in a 9-inch (23 cm) oven dish and pour the cheese sauce over. Give it a quick stir to combine the cheese sauce with the cauliflower.
- Sprinkle the ½ cup (50 grams) of grated cheddar cheese and breadcrumbs on top of the cauliflower.
- Place the oven dish in preheated oven and cook for about 35-40 minutes, until it's bubbling inside and golden brown outside.
Video
Notes
- Cook the cauliflower al dente, overcooked cauliflower makes the Cauliflower Cheese watery!
- Let the cauliflower florets drain and make sure the are totally dry before adding them to the cheese sauce.
- The cheesy béchamel sauce is the most important part of the whole recipe. Read the tips above and watch the video in the recipe card to learn how to make perfectly silky béchamel sauce each time!
- Don't skimp on the cheese, this British side dish is meant to be cheesy!
- You can make the cauliflower cheese one or two days in advance and keep it in the fridge until you want to bake it.
- Although this dish is traditionally made with cheddar cheese, you can replace it with any other hard cheese you like.
- If you parboil the cauliflower ahead of time instead of using it straight away, refresh it in iced water first.
- Add the cheese off the heat; in a too-hot sauce it turns gritty instead of melting smooth.
- For an extra-crisp top, finish under the grill (broiler) for the last 5 minutes.
Dana says
Made this tonight and served as side dish. The family enjoyed it. Such an amazing winter dish.
Ayla Clulee says
Thank you Dana for your lovely comment, I am glad to hear that!
Ayla x
Sue says
This recipe was excellent. Creamy and a great taste and easy to follow directions…. and makes great leftovers also!
Ayla Clulee says
Thank you Sue, I am glad you loved it!
Annabel says
I love cauliflower-cheese ! as a side or main, works either ways.
aylaclulee says
Hi Annabel
I can't agree more. It is such a simple dish yet satisfying 🙂