suemunzlinger's Recipe

Cauliflower Gratin

Category: Side dish

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups hot milk
3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese** see note
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 large head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
3 tablespoons bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add a pinch or two of salt, followed by the cauliflower florets. Let them cook for five to six minutes – you want them to be tender but still firm. Drain the cauliflower and set aside.
While the cauliflower is cooking, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon for about two minutes. Then, add the hot milk and stir everything until it starts to boil.
Whisk the milk for about a minute, until it thickens, and then take it off the heat. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, cayenne, Parmesan cheese, and 1/2 cup of Gruyere. Stir everything together until blended well.
Spray an 8x11 baking dish lightly with cooking spray, then add about 1/3 of the sauce mixture to the dish. Then, add all of the drained cauliflower, followed by the rest of the sauce.
Mix the remaining Gruyere cheese with the bread crumbs and sprinkle the mixture on top of the dish. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the top as well.
Sprinkle salt and pepper over top and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned.
Note: Use Swiss cheese if preferred.