This roasted cauliflower gratin recipe was inspired by a craving for macaroni and cheese and the desire for something a little healthier. I combined my favorite roasted cauliflower with lots of cheese and a delicious breadcrumb topping, similar to potato gratin.
It has all the indulgent flavor of a classic gratin but with a veggie-forward spin that makes it a little healthier and just as satisfying. Whether you’re planning a holiday menu, hosting a dinner party, or simply craving something cheesy and cozy, this cauliflower gratin will be a new favorite!
What is a Gratin?
You know those crispy, golden bits of baked cheese or sauce left around the edge of a casserole dish? In my family, we always fight over them. Apart from being called delicious, there’s actually a French word for it: gratin.
The term comes from the French verb gratter, meaning to scrape, because in 16th-century France, nothing went to waste. Every last browned bit was scraped from the pan. Over time, “gratin” came to describe a dish with a bubbly, browned top layer, usually created by broiling with cheese or breadcrumbs.
One of the most famous examples is gratin dauphinois, made with thinly sliced potatoes and cream. However, gratins can be made with almost anything, including vegetables, like my broccoli Idaho potato gratin and roasted butternut squash gratin, pasta, or even fruit for a sweet version.
This Roasted Cauliflower Gratin is my modern take on the French classic. Featuring roasted cauliflower tossed in a creamy cheese sauce, baked until golden, and finished with a crispy breadcrumb topping, it’s cozy, cheesy, and the perfect side dish for holidays or weeknights!
Ingredients and Notes
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the complete details!
- Fresh Cauliflower – You’ll need 2 ½ pounds of cauliflower florets for this recipe, which is about one large head of cauliflower. Save time by buying pre-chopped cauliflower, if desired. I don’t recommend using frozen cauliflower, or it’s likely to be soggy!
- Olive Oil – This coats the cauliflower, adding good-for-you fats and helping it caramelize in the oven.
- Butter – This forms the base of the cheese sauce, creating a rich flavor. Use dairy-free butter if you want to keep your cauliflower gratin dairy-free.
- Flour – All-purpose flour thickens the cheese sauce. Substitute a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour or potato starch if you need to keep this recipe gluten-free.
- Milk – I use low-fat milk to keep this recipe a little lighter, but any regular or plant-based milk will work.
- Cheese – Sharp, shredded cheese creates a bold, savory taste. Parmesan cheese or Gruyère makes for a good substitute, if preferred. For the best results, buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself. Pre-shredded varieties contain anti-caking agents that prevent them from melting as nicely.
- Breadcrumbs – I use Panko breadcrumbs, but any breadcrumbs or crushed crackers work well.
How to Make a Roasted Cauliflower Gratin Recipe
- Roast the cauliflower. Toss the cauliflower florets with oil, and spread them in an even layer on a baking sheet. Roast until caramelized and fork-tender, stirring after about ten minutes to prevent burning.
- Create the sauce. In the meantime, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, and whisk in flour, salt, and pepper to form a thick paste or roux. Slowly whisk in the milk, adding a little bit at a time.
- Thicken. Heat until the mixture thickens and bubbles around the edges, stirring frequently. Be careful not to let it boil! Whisk in the cheese, allowing it to melt completely. Then, reduce the heat, and stir frequently until you’re ready to assemble the cauliflower gratin.
- Layer. Spread the roasted cauliflower in an even layer in a baking dish, and pour the cheese sauce evenly on top. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the cheese.
- Bake. Transfer the baking dish to the oven, and bake just until the edges begin to brown and the cheese sauce is bubbly.
- Broil. Preheat the broiler, and broil the dish for just a few minutes until the top is browned to your liking. Enjoy!
Tori’s Top Tips for Success
- Roast, don’t steam. Roasting prevents watery cauliflower and adds caramelized flavor.
- Use strong cheese. Sharp cheddar, Gruyère, or a cheddar-Parmesan mix works best.
- Don’t walk away from the broiler. It only takes a minute to turn golden brown.
- Add a little spice. A pinch of cayenne, smoked paprika, or nutmeg in the cheese sauce takes the flavor to a new level of deliciousness.
Roasted Cauliflower Gratin
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds cauliflower florets (about one large 3 lb cauliflower head)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/4 cups lowfat milk
- 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, tightly packed
- 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs (I used Panko)
Gluten Free/Passover Modification Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon potato starch
- 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spread out the florets on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat (I usually use clean hands to make sure the cauliflower is evenly coated). Place them in the oven to roast for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, stir the florets with a wooden spoon. Return to the oven and roast for about 15 minutes longer till the edges brown/caramelize and the cauliflower is tender.
- While the cauliflower roasts, in a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, salt, and pepper. Stir to form a thick paste.
- Slowly whisk in the milk, ¼ cup at a time. Heat the milk mixture over medium heat for a few minutes, whisking frequently, till it thickens and begins to bubble around the edges. Do not let the sauce boil.
- Whisk in the grated cheddar cheese and stir till melted. Reduce heat to lowest setting, stirring frequently, until ready to assemble the gratin.
- Remove roasted cauliflower florets from the oven and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Place the roasted florets in an even layer in a 2 qt gratin dish or 8×8 inch baking dish.
- Pour the cheese sauce evenly across the top of the cauliflower florets.
- Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly across the top of the cheese sauce.Place the assembled gratin into the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes till edges begin to brown and the cheese sauce is bubbly.
- Remove the gratin from the oven and turn on your broiler. When broiler is hot, place the gratin back in the oven and let it brown under the broiler for 1-2 minutes, watching it carefully, till the top is browned to your liking.
- Serve hot. If you’re like to try a spicy modification on this recipe, substitute cayenne pepper for the black pepper, and add another pinch of cayenne to the sauce.
NOTES
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
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FAQs
This dish is extremely versatile. If you’re keeping kosher, it can serve as a lighter main dish or dairy side dish. It’s also great with seared salmon or poached fish filets. If you’re not worried about keeping kosher, it works well with a variety of roasted meats like honey herb roasted chicken, roast turkey, or braised beef brisket.
For a vegetarian meal, serve the cauliflower alongside black-eyed pea burgers or oven roasted root vegetables. On holidays, it fits right in with classic sides like slow cooker stuffing, olive oil mashed potatoes, and orange cranberry sauce.
Yes! You can assemble the gratin up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate it, tightly covered. When you’re ready to bake, remove it from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 15–20 minutes. Then bake as directed, adding an extra five to ten minutes to account for the chill.
You can also bake the cauliflower gratin completely, refrigerate it for up to 3 days, and reheat it in the oven at 350°F until warm and bubbly.
excellent, we all loved it, highly recommend
I have made this recipe as is on many occasions. I think what sets it apart is the step of roasting the cauliflower, versus just steaming or blanching it. One of my families favorites. Taste decadent without spending a lot as most of the ingredients you have on hand. I like to add a bit of mustard powder to it as well as it brings out the flavors of the cheese. You cannot go wrong with this recipe.
I prepared this to serve 4. I did not need to do any tweaking of the recipe. It is very delicious. I will make this for our next family and church gathering.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Ohh yummy. I used Smoked Gouda and some Horseradish Cheddar. Also part kefir for milk.bc thats what I had . lovely..so easy. Much better than pasta dish. Good for getting kids excited for vegetables!Thank You!
That sounds like some delicious modifications!
Fantastic winter veggie dish (yes it is winter … in Australia!) … added some fresh ground nutmeg to the cheeses sauce and included some steamed broccoli … sensational!
Fabulous! Made this tonight following the recipe right down the line. In place of macaroni and cheese, I paired this dish with leftover baked ham and pan-roasted brussel sprouts. It was so satisfying I didn’t even miss the carbs in the mac and cheese. This is a winner of a recipe!
So glad you enjoyed Merrie!
This is a great alternative to mac and cheese if you’re trying to eat lower carb. This recipe is my husband and mine new favorite thing! We used half and half instead of low fat milk (which we don’t use) and it made it so rich, creamy and simply scrumptious!
Is it possible to substitute a different cheese other then cheddar or parmesan? My family really likes a milder cheese like mozzarella, muenster, american and such.
Hi Tobi– you can omit the parmesan. For the sauce you could use Muenster if you prefer.
HI! Thank you for the recipe. It was very tasty and delicious. Totally elevated the cauliflower. One thing that happened to me was that the amt of milk relevant to the ingredients seemed to be too much. Maybe the measuring utensil I used was not good. Otherwise, I will be making this dish much more. Loved it. Got me interested in Au-gratin potatoes now as well.
Hi Shawn! Glad you enjoyed. I’ve made this recipe dozens of time and never had an issue with it being too milky, so my guess is your utensils might be different. I am slowly upgrading my recipes site-wide to a new system that shows metric measurements too, hoping that will help!
You have to mix the milk in a little at a time each time you put in 1/4 cup, stir it till thick and then add the next 1/4 cup and then again and again until you have a thick gravy like appearance.
This is delicious! I made it for (Canadian) Thanksgiving 2 weeks ago and I’m making it again tomorrow for a dinner party. So good and also convenient that you can prep it in advance.
Made this for Easter and everyone loved it. I added cayenne pepper for and added kick. Very delicious recipe.
Great recipe. I kicked it up a notch and added 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon coriander, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.
Made this tonight, although there was some steps involved, it was delicious. The cheese sauce was so good, probably the best augraten Ive ever hah. Will make again.
Thanks for the good report!
I make this about twice a week (no exaggeration) and add chicken (rotisserie or skinless/boneless breast) when I want a whole meal. Absolutely delicious. Fantastic recipe for the cauliflower lover in me.
Got it in the oven right now. Couldn’t help licking the spoon and bowl,,,the sauce is so good. Can’t wait to taste it baked on the cauliflower. Thank you for sharing.
Made this tonight. Mixed grilled chicken in to turn it into more of a main course. Served with a light salad. Perfect and super-hearty meal without being heavy. Thanks for the recipe!
Glad you enjoyed it Leah!
Mother of God; that was fantastic!
Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed it Stacy! 😉
This was delicious!