This British staple side dish is absolutely delicious. Partially cooked cauliflower is covered in a thick, rich cheesy sauce then topped with thick breadcrumbs and more sharp cheddar cheese, then baked to golden perfection! Step-by-step photos teach you how to cook this delicious side dish recipe.

Welcome to one of my favorite recipes, this cauliflower cheese is a side dish we have always enjoyed. This is a British classic, especially around Christmas time. The beauty of cauliflower is that it takes on any flavor you want it to. That's why cauliflower has gained so much popularity in recent years, it's literally a blank canvas!
Nine times out of ten if I am having cauliflower cheese I am also enjoying some Yorkshire Puddings. There truly is nothing better than a Sunday Roast Dinner, similar to a Thanksgiving-style dinner.
Let's get to the recipe
Ingredients
For this scrumptious vegetarian dish you will need:
- Head of Cauliflower. Just a medium cauliflower head is needed. You could substitute the pre-cut cauliflower!
- Salt. Salting your water for the cauliflower to boil is key, just like when you boil potatoes or pasta, don't skip the salt!
- Salted Butter. Since butter is the base of the sauce I like to start with good quality butter, like Kerry Gold Salted.
- All-Purpose Flour. The flour is what will help thicken the white sauce.
- English Dry Mustard Powder or Regular Mustard. I prefer the flavor from using Coleman's Dry Mustard Powder but I have substituted regular mustard, as I did in the photos.
- White Pepper. You can of course use black pepper, but I grew up with white pepper in mashed potatoes and cauliflower cheese so it is my personal preference.
- Whole Milk. This is not a low-calorie dish so I prefer to use whole milk to get the true richness of cauilflower cheese. You could use low-fat milk but the sauce won't be as rich. I prefer a thick cheesey sauce, but if you prefer a runnier sauce then you can add more milk to thin it out.
- Sharp English Cheddar. The key is to use sharp cheddar and do not use the pre-shredded kind!! Trust me this makes a huge difference. I buy the Coastal Cheddar from Costco and Kerry Gold also makes a delicious sharp cheddar.
- Panko-style Breadcrumbs. You can't use the small breadcrumbs you need the thick panko-style.
When you make the white sauce and add the cheese make sure to taste the sauce and add some more salt or pepper if desired.
Instructions
If your oven takes a while to heat up then preheat it now to 425F/212C. The hot temperature is key to baking it.
We are going to start the recipe by par-boiling the cauliflower, just until you have boiling water.
Cut the cauliflower head in half and discard the green leaves and stem.
Then cut the cauliflower into florets, you'll want pieces that are roughly two bite-size florets.
Add the cauliflower to a large pot and fill it with cool water, making sure to cover all of the cauliflower with water.
Place the pot on the stove over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. When the pot comes to a boil immediately turn it off and strain the cauliflower into a colander, set aside while you prepare the cheese sauce.
In a large saucepan add the butter and cook over medium heat.
Once the butter has melted add the flour and whisk to combine, continue whisking it for 2 to 3 minutes to cook out the flour taste.
Add the mustard and white pepper and mix to combine.
Reduce the heat to low and add the milk by slowly and evenly streaming it in and whisk constantly to combine.
Keep whisking for another minute or two for the white sauce to thicken. It will thicken quite a bit.
Add ⅔ of the grated cheese and whisk until all of the cheese is melted, this may take a minute or two.
Add the cooked cauliflower to an 8 or 9-inch baking dish and pour the cheese sauce evenly over the top.
Sprinkle with breadcrumbs in an even layer then repeat with the remaining cheese.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown on top and bubbling. Set aside to cool for five minutes before serving. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
How to freeze
Due to the creamy sauce I do not recommend freezing this dish.
Can you double
You can most definitely double the recipe, you will want to press the 2X button the recipe card below and bake the cauliflower cheese in a 9"x13" dish. The bake time shouldn't shift too much, maybe 5 minutes longer.
More delicious side dishes
Roasted carrots are simple and so flavorful!!
While I love mashed potatoes our families favorite are roast potatoes!! They are extra crispy on the outside and perfectly buttery and fluffy on the inside.
Fresh dinner rolls are always welcome at any of my meals!!
My friend Ari's green beans with walnuts looks absolutely stunning, I can't wait to try them!
★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!
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Cauliflower Cheese
This British staple side dish is absolutely delicious. Partially cooked cauliflower is covered in a thick, rich cheesy sauce then topped with thick breadcrumbs and more sharp cheddar cheese, then baked to golden perfection! Step-by-step photos teach you how to cook this delicious side dish recipe.
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 Medium Cauliflower Head
- ½ Teaspoon Salt, more to taste
- 2.5oz (5 Tablespoons) Salted Butter
- 2.5oz (73 Grams or ½ Cup + 1 Tablespoon) All-Purpose Flour
- 2 Teaspoons English Dry Mustard Powder or Regular Mustard
- ½ Teaspoon White Pepper, more to taste
- 2 cups Whole Milk, low-fat will work the sauce just won't be as rich
- 5oz (1 ¼ Cup) Sharp English Cheddar, divided
- 30 grams (½ Cup) Panko-style Breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F/212C.
- Cut the cauliflower head in half and discard the green leaves and stem. Then cut the cauliflower florets into two bite-size pieces. Transfer cauliflower to a large pot and fill it with cool water, making sure to cover all of the cauliflower with water. Place the pot on the stove over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. When the pot comes to a boil immediately turn it off and strain the cauliflower into a colander, set aside while you prepare the cheese sauce.
- In a large saucepan add the butter and cook over medium heat. Once the butter has melted add the flour and whisk to combine, continue whisking it for 2 to 3 minutes to cook out the flour taste. Add the mustard and white pepper and mix to combine. Reduce the heat to low and slowly and evenly stream in the milk and whisk constantly to combine. Keep asking for another minute or two for the sauce to thicken. Add ⅔ of the cheese and whisk until all of the cheese is melted. Taste the sauce at this point and add more salt or pepper, if desired.
- Add the cauliflower to an 8 or 9-inch casserole dish and pour the cheese sauce evenly over the top. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs in an even layer then repeat with the remaining cheese. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown on top and bubbling. Set aside to cool for five minutes before serving. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Equipment
Notes
*This recipe produces a thick, cheesy sauce, but if you'd like a runnier sauce feel free to add more milk, I'd start with ¼ cup until you reach your desired consistency.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: English
Keywords: how to make cauliflower cheese, english cauliflower cheese, the best cauliflower cheese recipe
Carol Anne says
Oh my gosh this is to die for, I could eat the whole thing, thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Thank you so much for coming back to rate and review the recipe Carol Anne. I am glad to hear you enjoyed the cauliflower cheese, it's a family favorite!! Take care. XX Liz
K says
Yes. I added a tetch of Tapatío before serving
K says
Are nutritional values available? Thanks
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
So glad you liked it and came back to leave a review and rating K! I do not have nutritional values but if you paste in the ingredient quantities there are plenty of free tools on Google that will calculate for you! Take care. XX Liz
Kat says
Made these for Thanksgiving and it did not disappoint! My mom said this cheesy cauliflower was her favorite thing on her plate which is HUGE since she’s so hard to please! Definitely will be making this every year! Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Yay so happy to hear your mom loved it the most!! Thank you so much for coming back to rate and review the recipe Kat! Take care XX Liz
Rinky Barnhart says
The Best
★★★★★
Sandra says
Could you use frozen cauliflower in this recipe?
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Sandra, thanks for reaching out. I don't see why frozen wouldn't work. Just boil the cauliflower until just tender, not mushy! Please let me know how it works out! Take care. XX Liz
amy zollinger says
I made this for my family’s Thanksgiving dinner and it was the perfect side. Every last bite was eaten. Unfortunately I had to skip the mustard ingredient but it was still great, I can’t wait to make it again with the mustard!
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Yay, so glad you were able to make it work without the mustard and everyone enjoyed it!! Thank you for the lovely review! XX Liz