Baked Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole

5 from 4 votes

Baked Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole

If you are looking for a simple, quick yet extremely delicious side dish for your Sunday roast or Thanksgiving dinner, this Baked Cheesy CauliflowerCasserole (or Cauliflower Cheese) recipe is perfect for you.

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Total Time50

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: british, English

Diet: Halal, Vegetarian

Servings: people

Calories: 493kcal

Author: Ayla Clulee

Equipment

Ingredients

1 large cauliflower (around 800 grams)
½ stick butter (60 grams)
½ cup all-purpose flour (60 grams)
2 ¼ cups whole milk or reduced fat milk (550 ml)
½ teaspoon salt
pinch of nutmeg
1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese (150 grams)
¼ cups breadcrumbs

US Customary - Metric

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 (360° 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 23 cm Ø 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 fleurets 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 delicious 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.

Nutrition