Cauliflower Au Gratin or Cauliflower “Mac & Cheese”
This is a great low carb/high fat side dish to bring to gatherings, especially in the late fall and winter months. The roasted cauliflower acts as our “macaroni,” while the cauliflower puree stands in for a more traditional bechamel sauce. Regardless of the switcheroo, this recipe will have people who typically turn their nose at cauliflower asking for more!
Note: On its own, the cauliflower puree is an excellent base layer for a plate of roasted vegetables (such as delicata squash, brussels sprouts, and carrots), and also doubles as a fantastic soup base- just add some stock to thin it out.
Note 2: This dish, when all components are room temp (or cooler) can be mixed all together, portioned, and frozen for meal prep.
Serves at least 10-15 people - really great for holidays
Start to munch: about 1 hour - 1 hour 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 large heads cauliflower, or 3 smaller heads
2 ½ - 3 cups heavy cream
1 tbs olive oil or higher heat cooking oil
4 oz Gruyere (Swiss cheese), shredded
2 oz cheddar, shredded
2 oz Parmesan, shredded
1 tsp black pepper, divided
2 tsp kosher/sea salt, divided, plus more to taste
¼ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
¼ cup fresh chives, thinly sliced
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
Immersion/stick blender or other type of functional blender (a magic bullet or ninja will work as well)
2 quart pot
Apprx. 3 qt baking dish
METHOD
Preheat your oven to 425. Cut the florets off of one of the big heads of cauliflower (or 1 ½ of the smaller ones) into quarter sized pieces. In total, the florets should amount to about 3 ½- 4 cups.
Toss the florets with 1 tbs EVOO, 1 tsp salt, and half of the black pepper. Roast the florets on a baking sheet, moving them around every 10-15 minutes until they’re golden brown in most spots and are fork tender. Remove from the oven and set them aside. NOTE: save the core and non-woody stem of the de-floretted head. Details to follow.
In the meantime, make the sauce. With the other head of cauliflower, cut the florets off, and take both the trimmed stems and cut them into smaller pieces (about the size of the florets, these do not have to be exact!). Place into the 2 qt. pot. Cover the cauliflower with the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Don’t walk too far away from this-it can bubble over if it gets too hot. Add 1 tsp salt, nutmeg, and the rest of pepper.
The cauliflower should simmer for about 20-30 minutes. It’s ready to be blended once it’s breaking apart with a light touch.
Using a stick blender, puree the cauliflower until it becomes a smooth consistency.
Add the roasted cauliflower and cut chives to the puree and mix until everything is coated. Add ½ the mix to the dish. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, form an even-ish layer. Sprinkle ½ of the cheese over the top.
Repeat this by spooning the rest of the sauce/floret mix and covering with cheese.
Bake at 425 in the middle of your oven until the cheese is bubbly and the dish is heated through, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Enjoy thoroughly.
