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.

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.

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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