Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you.
Creamy Cheesy Cauliflower is creamy, rich and decadent with two kinds of cheese!
Creamy Cheesy Cauliflower
Normally I prefer vegetables served simply either roasted or steamed. Call me a purist, but I just love the flavor of them all by themselves with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Recently though when we were out to lunch, my entree was served with a choice of sides. I could either have mashed potatoes or creamed cauliflower. Hands down, I chose the cauliflower. Have to say although it may have beat the potatoes, it was good but not great, because as I think back I remember the best. When I was young, my mother used to serve cauliflower with this wonderful cheesy sauce and I couldn’t get enough of it. It was rich and creamy and totally satisfying. In comparison to my mother’s recipe, the restaurant version had a thick cheesy sauce, but no richness and it was way over salted. I figured I could do better.
So as I often do, I stopped at the store on the way home and picked up this gorgeous head of cauliflower and headed back to the kitchen to recreate Mom’s dish.
I’m very fortunate to still have my Mom, so I called her. She’s 96 now and hasn’t cooked in awhile, but still she remembers that cauliflower dish although she couldn’t quite give me the exact recipe.
I remembered that Mom was great at making white sauce and could whip it up in a minute, so I asked her if it included white sauce. She said she believed that was right and also told me to not forget the breadcrumbs. So, thanks to Mom, it was right the first time I tried it. Same richness, same creaminess and same cheesiness. My husband George loved it so much, he wanted it for breakfast the next morning.
Creamy Cheesy Cauliflower is creamy, rich and decadent with two kinds of cheese
- 1/2 Cauliflower Head Cut into flowerettes
- 2 Tbsp Butter
- 2 Tbsp Flour Wondra
- 1 1/4 Cup Milk
- 1/2 Cup White Cheddar Cheese Grated
- 1/2 Cup Gruyere Cheese Grated
- 1/4 Tsp Pepper
- 1/4 Tsp Garlic powder
- 3 Tbsp Bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Place cauliflower in basket steamer over pot of water and steam for 5-6 minutes until tender but still firm.
Add butter to a sauce pan over medium heat. When melted add flour and cook 1 minute stirring to blend.
Turn heat to medium low and add milk. Stir until thickened. Remove pot from heat and add grated cheeses a little at a time stirring after each addition. Stir in pepper and garlic powder.
Place steamed cauliflower in a buttered 9”x9” ovenproof dish and pour cheese sauce evenly over cauliflower. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake 20-25 minutes until lightly browned.
Hi I have had cauliflower that was like mashed potatoes.I am not familiar with the flour or the gruyere cheese. Is it like roquefort cheese or close in flavor? If so I would prefer a different cheese. Like you I like veggies roasted or steamed. This has some great benefits, but I assume the cheese makes it so fatty? Thank you for sharing, and may try it one time if I find out about the cheese.
Hi there,
Wondra is flour by Gold Metal that is so fine that it mixes easily and doesn’t cause clumps. Gruyere is Swiss type of cheese that is extremely flavorful, creamy and rich. You can substitute regular Swiss cheese, but it won’t have the same level of flavor. Hope that helps!