Three-Cheese Cauliflower Casserole
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
- Kosher salt
- 1medium head cauliflower (about 2½ pounds), broken into medium florets
- 2tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1cup heavy cream
- ¾cup grated Gruyère cheese
- ½cup grated fontina cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼cup panko or bread crumbs
- 2tablespoons pecorino or Parmesan
- 1tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1tablespoon olive oil
- Flaky sea salt, for serving (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
389 calories; 31 grams fat; 18 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 17 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 15 grams protein; 639 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 400 degrees and butter a 2-quart glass baking dish.
- Step 2
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the cauliflower until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a colander to drain and cool.
- Step 3
In a small saucepan, melt the 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour until it forms a pale-golden paste, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and bring the mixture to a low simmer, stirring frequently, until it thickens, about 2 to 3 minutes. Off heat, stir in half the Gruyère and fontina.
- Step 4
Pat the cauliflower dry then transfer it to a large bowl. Pour the creamy sauce over the cauliflower and stir to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Step 5
Transfer the cauliflower mixture to the buttered baking dish, spreading it in an even layer. Top with the remaining Gruyère and fontina. Bake until the mixture begins to bubble and the cauliflower starts to turn golden, about 20 minutes.
- Step 6
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the panko, pecorino, thyme and oil.
- Step 7
Spoon the panko mixture on top of the cauliflower and bake until the topping is crisp, about 10 minutes. Allow the casserole to cool for about 5 minutes or so, then serve. Season with flaky salt, if desired.
Private Notes
Comments
I roast the cauliflower with a touch of olive oil and garlic prior to using it in the caserole. I don't have to worry about water and the depth of flavor is wonderful.
I did a spreadsheet of ingredients to verify calorie counts: 1 cup cream, 414 calories 2 TBSP butter, 200 2 TBSP AP Flour, 56 1 TBSP Olive Oil, 120 1/4 Cup Parmesan, 110 2.5 Oz Fontina, 275 2.5 Oz Gruyere, 275 1/4 Cup Panko, 55 1 Head Cauliflower, 150 Total 1655 Calories; 275 calories if 6 servings, or 414 Calories if 4 servings
I totally cheat microwave cauliflower & let it drain until ready to use.
Steam the cauliflower instead of blanching it.
I tried to scale this up by 2x for Thanksgiving dinner - I'd recommend more than doubling the heavy cream, because you just don't have enough liquid to pour over the cauliflower. I also added a diced onion and garlic to the roux, because they added a nice flavor the the bake.
OMG--this is wonderful! I was torn between this recipe and a standard gratin, and the only thing I changed here was grating some fresh nutmeg into the cream/cheese mix (which is a standard gratin spice, and so so good!) Also, I found it a little hard to get the panko mix to brown sufficiently; I think I might brown it a bit first in a skillet before sprinkling it--but OMG, the flavors and just great! Delicious.
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