You know those crispy bits of tasty baked cheese or sauce left around the edge of a casserole? We fight over them in my family. Who can resist scraping up that last bit of crunchy goodness? The French actually have a word for it – gratin. It was originally derived from another French word, the verb “gratter” meaning “to scrape.” In 16th century France, the bits were scraped (graté) from the pan so that no amount of food was wasted. The term “le gratin” has also been used in France as a unique term describing the “upper crust” of society.
Since the 19th century, the meaning of the word has changed somewhat. Now we associate gratin or au gratin with dishes that have a crispy, baked top layer. This is usually created by placing the dish under direct heat. In the past, the cooking tool used for achieving a brown, crisp crust was called a salamander. The salamander, a rod with an attached iron disc, was heated in coals. When the disc became red hot, it was passed back and forth over the top of the dish until the top layer was brown and crisp. Nowadays we can achieve a similar result with the help of a broiler.
An antique Parisian salamander, ca. 1920
Cheese or breadcrumbs are often thought to be an essential component of gratin dishes. While they certainly help to create the desired top layer, one of the original gratin dishes, the gratin dauphinois, was made simply with thinly sliced potatoes and heavy cream and baked in a pan rubbed with butter and garlic. The dish is native to the former Dauphiné region of France, the same area responsible for creating the puff-like dauphine potatoes or “pommes dauphine.”
Gratins aren’t limited to potatoes; they can be made with anything from pasta to asparagus. And they don’t always have to be served as a savory dish. When prepared with fruit and cream and topped with sugar, a delicious crispy dessert can be made. Just like torching the sugar on top of a crème brulée, the broiler will melt and harden sugar on top of your gratin.
Gratins have been around for a few centuries, and most of us have tried them in some form. What makes the dish so fun is that it has very little restrictions in terms of ingredients. It can be re-invented over and over. Simply choose any of your favorite vegetables or fruits, add butter or cream, and turn up the heat. Or, you can make it with roasted cauliflower and cheese sauce, like I did!
I created this Roasted Cauliflower Gratin over the weekend. I’ve been on a roasted cauliflower kick lately—roasting the veggie caramelizes it, giving it a sweet and smoky flavor. I blame The Pioneer Woman and the mouthwatering Cauliflower Soup that she posted earlier this week for getting me into a cauliflower frame of mind. On Sunday I was in the mood for macaroni and cheese, but I wanted something healthier—something I could indulge in without feeling super guilty. I roasted up some cauliflower, then thought about topping it with grated cheddar cheese. I suddenly remembered a potato gratin my mom used to make for Thanksgiving—cheesy potatoes with rich cheese sauce and a brown, crispy top. Totally decadent. I started with her gratin sauce recipe and modified it a bit. Then I put the roasted cauliflower into a small baking dish, topped it with breadcrumbs (I used panko, but any type of crumbs will do), and baked it. I broiled it for the last minute or two to brown the top.
The result? Cheesy, creamy, amazing. The cheese sauce was perfection, the browned crumbly top created a lovely texture and crunch. The secret here is roasting the cauliflower, which gives it so much flavor. That, combined with the cheese sauce, makes for one heck of a delicious recipe—and the best part is, it’s much lighter than gratins made with heavy cream. Plus, you’ve got the added benefit of this being a vegetable dish, which takes some of the guilt out of indulging in all this cheesy deliciousness.
I also posted a tested gluten free modification below, I tried it out and it works great. Enjoy!
Recommended Products:
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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
NOTES
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 8x8 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.
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
Research Sources
Davidson, Alan (1999). Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press, USA.
Herbst, Ron and Sharon Tyler (2009). The Deluxe Food Lover’s Companion. Barron’s Educational Series, Inc., Hauppauge, NY.
Saint-Ange, Madame E. (1927). La Bonne Cuisine. Translation copyright 2005, Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA.
patricia says
ROASTED CAULIFLOWER GRATIN—- I have a family reunion shortly & plan to take this yummy recipe. . In order to save time, is it possible to roast & brown the cauliflower the day before, chill it over night for safety,then make the roux & finish it the next day? I need to get as much done the day before as possible. Thanks for any help…
Tori Avey says
Hi Patricia– yes, you can definitely roast the cauliflower ahead of time. The gratin may take slightly longer to bake through if the cauliflower is chilled straight from the fridge.
carol says
call me silly but I really appreciate that you always cite your recipes.
Tori Avey says
Not silly at all, in fact I appreciate that you noticed! A lot of research goes into these historical posts, and I always site my sources in case readers want to learn more on their own. It’s always best to give credit where credit is due. 🙂
Sarah says
I just made this recipe, and it was so yummy that my husband actually had to push the dish away so that he would stop eating it! The only change I made was to separately roast a pint of grape tomatoes, mixing them in with the roasted cauliflower right before adding the cheese sauce. Between the golden top and the red tomatoes, it was a very pretty dish.
michelle says
Hi, I am new to your site and love it! I love cauliflower as well and I do mine a little different, this comes from my father who is a Hungarian Jew. I put the slightly cooked CF in a baking dish and smother it in butter, sour cream (or yogurt/kefir if you are trying to be healthy) and the top it with bread crumbs then I bake it till the top gets brown. It is amazing and so not healthy but very addictive!!!
Sarah says
This looks amazing. Do you think it would be as tasty if I roasted the cauliflower ahead of time? Would it work to make the sauce too, ahead of time, and then assemble right before guests arrive? I would like to prep as much in advance as possible.
Tori Avey says
Hi Sarah, you can definitely roast the cauliflower ahead of time, but I would make the sauce just before you assemble it… it’s the type of sauce that will get thick and lumpy if you make it ahead. It only takes a few minutes to make the sauce, it’s super easy. Good luck! Let me know how you like it. 🙂
kristy says
This might be the only way I would eat cauliflower. It looks delicious!!!! 🙂
Magic of Spice says
That looks incredible! I am lucky, always the first to get at that crusty cheese portion 🙂
Sally @ Spontaneous Hausfrau says
I love that you first roasted the cauliflower until browned and gorgeous before smothering it in cheese sauce and baking it off. I could seriously fantasize about this gratin!
Kosher_girl says
Can this be used with frozen cauliflower? Please say yes. It’s looks delicious.
Tori Avey says
Kosher_girl, absolutely– but you won’t be able to roast the cauliflower. Roasting frozen vegetables can turn them into a mushy disaster because they have too much moisture in them. Instead, skip the roasting step. Steam the frozen cauliflower on the stovetop till just tender, but not soft (tender-crisp). Then proceed with the recipe by placing the cauliflower into the gratin or baking dish and covering with sauce. Good luck!
talya says
This looks yummy! How would you change the recipe for frozen cauliflower? Thanks!
Tori Avey says
Hi Talya! See my response to Kosher_girl for the answer to your question. 🙂
Lori Lynn says
Hi Tori – so neat to see that antique salamander. The only ones I’ve ever seen are the modern type, in restaurant kitchens.
I was roasting cauliflower this week too.
Your dish sounds delicious (as always).
LL
cookingrookie says
wow, that’s what I call comfort food! Must be so delish!
mark winslade says
im first gen. american of British parents that came to America after WWII …Cauliflower Au gratin was a staple in my home as a child it was a common side with the sunday roast and was eaten thru the week as a leftover…..my favorite was with a sunny up fried egg and a dash of hot sauce on toast for breakfast…..
a great alternative to the Cauliflower is to use Leeks instead of roasting them off saute them til just starting to brown up i also like to add Cottage Cheese and Feta to the sauce mix for a bit of extra cheesyness….
Valerie says
So many great things to do w/ cauliflower. Just roasted then a mixture of lemon juice, hot pepper flakes and olive oil stirred onto it is great. It makes a nice kugel w/ an almond-herb crust or cooked well, pureed, then shredded cheddar+sour cream or ricotta+grated parm stirred in. Yummm…
Nossi @ The Kosher Gastronome says
Thanks for the historical info, it’s always cool to know
Tracy P. says
Hi Shiksa, It’s so great to see one of your recipes at another site. I’m going to try this w/ broccoli instead. Hope all is well w/ you and yours, Tracy
Evelyn Behar says
This looks amazing! Can’t believe I never thought of this one on my own. I will be making this very soon – perhaps with salmon and asparagus…
Ber says
How do you do that!!! How do you seem to know what is going to be in my Organic Veggie Coop bags!!! This time… four heads of cauliflower! rofl… Guess what I am making tonight.
Tori Avey says
A little bird told me, Ber! teehee
Amanda @ thechallahblog.com says
Wow! That looks great. How did it reheat? (If you had any left to reheat.) Seems like it might be a great Shabbat afternoon dish during these long summer Saturdays!
Tori Avey says
Hey Amanda! Yes this is a great Shabbat dish, and it reheats very well. Just pop it in the oven at 325 degrees F for 10 minutes or so till heated through. You can also microwave it to reheat. Enjoy!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
Thanks for the gratin lesson! haha. I’ll be sure to try this 🙂
kelly says
hi i’m just wondering if when you put the sauced cauli back into the oven to bake, is it still at 425? or lower?
thanks
Tori Avey says
In the recipe instructions you’ll note that it says to reduce heat to 375 degrees F before putting back in.