Cauliflower Cheese

thetipsyhousewife
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A British Dish Comes Stateside

Cauliflower Cheese

Cauliflower Cheese is a traditional British dish that can be eaten as a side dish or a main course. My version is slightly Americanized but still delicious.

Maybe even more delicious!

It is roasted cauliflower topped with a very easy homemade cheese sauce poured over and baked until bubbly and brown. I have made it a few times and my new favorite way to eat it is over a crispy baked potato.

This is a great vegetarian dish that even cauliflower haters will love.

I am not claiming to be an expert on this recipe. I follow lots of British cooks on Tik Tok and they all make this so I came up with my own version.

There is much better cheese from other countries for this dish, but this is my Americanized version of this British Classic.

The full, printable recipe is on a card at the end of this post. You can hit the print button under the picture on the recipe card and it will come up on one page with no ads so you can print or screenshot it.

There is also a Pinterest button on the top of the card you can use to pin this to your Pinterest page to save it. If you would like to follow me on Pinterest, you can find me at The Tipsy Housewife.

Baked Cheesy Cauliflower with a metal ladle in it
Cheesy Cauliflower over a crispy baked potato
I like to serve this cauliflower cheese on a perfectly baked potato.

Baked Potatoes

I love to make this Cauliflower Cheese and put it on top of perfectly baked potatoes.

If you would like my baked potato method, I have written about it elsewhere on the site.

I also have a great recipe for TWICE BAKED POTATO BUTTER BALLS. This has so much buttery goodness but it’s so easy to make.

Cauliflower cheese over baked potatoes is not low calorie meal, but it is a great vegetarian meal.

Two packages of cauliflower florets
I use these bags of already prepped cauliflower to make this dish even easier to make.
Cheese sauce in a pan with a whisk in it

Cheese Sauce

The cheese sauce may seem intimidating to make as a first timer, but just go slow and take your time and it will come out perfectly.

In this instance, even if the sauce is slightly too thick it will still bake up lovely with the roasted cauliflower. You cannot mess this recipe up!

A finished baking dish full of cheesy cauliflower being held by a hand with wash cloth

If you’re someone who claims not to like cauliflower, then I challenge you to try this dish and see what you think going forwards.

Yield: 10 Servings

Cauliflower Cheese

Cauliflower Cheese

Cauliflower Cheese is a traditional British dish that can be eaten as a side dish or a main course. My version is slightly Americanized but still delicious. It is roasted cauliflower topped with a very easy homemade cheese sauce poured over and baked until bubbly and brown. I have made it a few times and my new favorite way to eat it is over a crispy baked potato. This is a great vegetarian dish that even cauliflower haters will love.

Ingredients

  • 6 cups of Cauliflowers (approximately) I used 2 ten ounce bags of already cut cauliflower, this doesn't have to be exact, you can use less or more
  • 3 tablespoons of oil of your choice, I used olive oil
  • Salt and Pepper
  • For The Sauce
  • 5 tablespoons of butter
  • 3 heaping tablespoons of flour
  • 2 cups of whole milk
  • 1 cup of heavy cream
  • 3 cups of cheese of your choice, I used Gruyere cheese and some white cheddar
  • Black pepper about a 1/2 teaspoon
  • 1/4 teaspoon of dry mustard
  • Salt about a 1/2 teaspoon
  • finger pinch of paprika, like 1/4 teaspoon
  • 1/2 teaspoon of dried parsley

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 450 degrees, toss the cut cauliflower florets in the olive oil, tossing well to coat. Spread on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown and slightly crispy.
  • In a skillet you are going to melt the butter. When it is melted but not quite sizzling, sprinkle the flour all over the pan on top of the butter and whisk until it is combined with the butter. Let it brown slightly but do not let it burn. Season this with the pepper, salt, paprika and dry mustard.
  • Next, slowly add in the heavy cream and whisk until smooth and then slowly add the 2 cups of milk until the whole mixture is bubbling and smooth. This is the only slightly tricky part of the recipe, you want this to simmer and thicken but not get too thick. Have it on a very low simmer. It should be the texture of tomato soup when it is ready to add the cheese.
  • If it is too thick, you can add in a little more milk to thin it out. Then slowly add your shredded cheese a little at a time. Whisk this in until it melts and you have your cheese sauce.
  • Mine sometimes gets too thick but I have still used this in this dish and it comes out great after it is baked.
  • When your cheese sauce is done, add your roasted cauliflower to a casserole dish and then pour the cheese sauce over. You can add more shredded cheese to the top, but I never do. I season the top with some salt and pepper and the dried parsley.
  • Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown and bubbly, in my oven this took about 20 minutes. All ovens are different so keep a close eye the first time you make this.
  • This is a great side dish to any meats, I like to bake up some potatoes and serve this on top of the potatoes as a complete meal.
    • © thetipsyhousewife

    For another delicious veggie dish, try the Best Brussel Sprouts ever!

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