Easy Peasy Cauliflower Cheese (2024)

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

Perfectly cooked cauliflower enveloped in a thick, velvety cheese sauce, topped with extra grated cheddar cheese and baked until beautifully browned – this Easy Peasy Cauliflower Cheese is quick and simple to make but will make your tastebuds very happy indeed. Perfect served as part of a roast dinner or as a vegetarian main course in its own right.

A roast dinner classic

Hands up if you just love cauliflower cheese (I have my hand up as far as it will go!) Cauliflower cheese is a wonderful classic comfort food dish – and also one of those rare unicorns of a dish that can work equally well as a side dish or as a main course in its own right.

It’s wonderful as part of a roast dinner (and is a mainstay of many Christmas dinner tables!) but it also makes a great vegetarian main course – either served with other traditional roast dinner vegetables, or served with a salad… or just a big hunk of crusty bread to mop up all that delicious cheese sauce!

A dish that can go very right (or very wrong!)

But also hands up if you have ever had a bad cauliflower cheese!?! It’s one of those dishes that can go very, very right… or very, very wrong. I’ve definitely had my fair share of bad cauliflower cheeses in my time… don’t worry, this version is the compete opposite of that!

My Easy Peasy Cauliflower Cheese features:

Perfectly cooked cauliflower (no soggy cauliflower on my watch!)
A thick and creamy… almost velvety sauce (no thin and watery sauce here!)
A generous quantity of cheese sauce (no dry cauliflower cheese, thank you!)
A good helping of cheddar cheese both in the sauce and on top (my cauliflower cheese most definitely tastes of cheese!)
A touch of Dijon mustard in the sauce (for an extra umami pop – if you’ve never tried this trick you’ve been missing out!)
A virtually foolproof recipe (so long as you follow it to the letter, it should turn out perfectly every time!)

A very easy recipe…

This dish is super simple to make – just steam the cauliflower and make a quick and simple cheese sauce (it’s much easier than you think and it won’t go lumpy if you follow my tips!) Then mix the two together, top with more cheese and bake in the oven for 20 minutes (or until brown on the top and just gently bubbling.)

The best cheese for cauliflower cheese

Without a doubt, the best cheese for cauliflower cheese is a well-flavoured cheddar cheese. You need a good melter, and cheddar is a very good melter, but you also want a cheese with enough sharpness to balance the slight sweetness of the cauliflower… and cheddar does that perfectly.

I recommend you go for a cheddar which is the same level of maturity as you like to eat. So, if you like a good strong mature (US – sharp) cheddar – like me, then that’s what you should use in this dish. If you prefer a milder cheddar to eat, then go with that.

Other cheeses will absolutely work in cauliflower cheese (blue cheese is also a good one!) – but for me, cheddar is hands down the best when it comes to cauliflower cheese!

Perfect cauliflower cheese secrets…

Cauliflower cheese is not difficult if you have the right recipe… Here are my top tips for the perfect cauliflower cheese:

Steam your cauliflower (it’s less likely to go soggy / result in a watery sauce than if you boil it.)
Steam your cauliflower until it’s almost (but not quite) done to your liking. It will cook a bit more in the oven and so achieve perfect ‘doneness’ by the time it’s baked.
Make a decent amount of thick-ish cheese sauce (don’t be mean with the cheese sauce – especially as the amount of sauce will reduce in the oven)
Follow the cheese sauce recipe to the letter and watch it like a hawk – this is not the moment to try and multi-task! If you give it your full attention it shouldn’t go wrong.
Use a mature (US – sharp) cheddar cheese if you want the sauce to taste cheesy!
Add a little Dijon mustard to your cheese sauce for an extra umami ‘pop’.
Sprinkle a good amount of cheddar cheese on top of your cauliflower cheese for extra cheesy-ness and to ensure it will go nicely brown on top.
Bake in a hot oven for a short amount of time (or else it is likely to dry out and the cauliflower will get overcooked and too soft) – see the recipe for temperature / timings.
The cauliflower should fit quite snuggly in the dish you are using (or else it is likely to dry out.)
Make plenty of it because it will be popular!!

What to serve with cauliflower cheese…

Cauliflower cheese works equally well as a main course or as a side dish. If you plan to serve cauliflower cheese as a side dish, then I recommend you serve it with a roast dinner (or as part of your Christmas dinner!) It’s wonderful with almost all roast meats (especially roast chicken, roast turkey, roast duck and roast beef.) And it also goes really well with roast salmon.

If you plan to serve cauliflower choose as a vegetarian main course, you could serve it with a simple side salad or all your favourite roast dinner vegetables… or simply a big chunk of crusty bread to mop up all that delicious cheese sauce!

What to drink with cauliflower cheese…

Cauliflower cheese goes surprisingly well with both red and white wines. If you are serving the cauliflower cheese as a side dish for roast meat or fish, then I recommend you pick something that goes with the main event. But if you are serving the cauliflower cheese as a main course in its own right, then I recommend serving it with a lightly oaked Chardonnay… something from France, Chile or California would be great here. If you prefer reds, then I recommend either a Valpolicella from Italy or a red from Bordeaux – especially a St Emilion.

Can you reheat cauliflower cheese?

Yes you can, and it will taste fine… But just be aware that it will dry out a little and the cauliflower will be a little bit softer… not a deal breaker, but definitely not as good as fresh!

Simply place any leftover cauliflower in a lidded container and refrigerate. It will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat, place in an oven-proof dish in an oven set to 220C (200C fan / gas mark 7 / 425F) for 15 minutes or until piping hot all the way through. (You may wish to cover the dish with foil for the first 10 minutes to prevent the cauliflower cheese from drying out too much.)

(I do not recommend reheating this in the microwave, however – it won’t be nearly as good!)

Can you freeze cauliflower cheese?

I definitely do not recommend this! Freezing will negatively affect both the consistency of the sauce AND the texture of the cauliflower (it will become much more mushy!) This is definitely a dish best eaten fresh.

If you like this recipe…

…you might also like:

Easy Dauphinoise Potatoes
Easy Homemade Parmentier Potatoes
Super Simple Macaroni Cheese
Plain Cauliflower Rice
Perfect Roast Parsnips

Print Pin

5 from 11 votes

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine British

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Ingredients

Metric - US Customary

1 large cauliflower (or 2 small cauliflowers), leaves and stalk removed and cut into florets
50 g butter
50 g plain flour (US – all purpose flour)
500 ml milk
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (less/none if you are not a fan of strong flavours)
Black pepper to taste
100 g cheddar cheese grated (I love strong cheesy flavours, so I tend to use an extra mature one here - my favourite is Davidstow Classic Mature Cheddar. But if you prefer milder flavours, choose a milder cheddar.)

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 220C / 200C fan / gas mark 7 / 425F.
Steam the cauliflower florets for 7 minutes or until almost – but not quite – done to your liking. Tip into an oven-proof dish. (The cauliflower should fit snuggly in the dish.)
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a wide saucepan over a low heat. Add the flour and stir until it is mixed in fully. Continue to cook over a very low heat for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not allow it to burn!
Add the milk VERY slowly – a little splash at a time, stirring constantly until you have a smooth sauce. If your sauce goes lumpy, use a whisk to beat out the lumps. (Keep an eye on your sauce the whole time… if you don’t, it can very quickly go wrong!)
When you have a nice thick and velvety white sauce, turn the heat off and stir in first the mustard and the the black pepper, then 50g (1¾oz) of the grated cheddar cheese.
Pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower in the oven-dish, then sprinkle with the remaining 50g (1¾oz) of grated cheddar cheese.
Bake in your preheated oven for 20 minutes or until brown on top and bubbling.

Video

Notes

Not suitable for freezing.
Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

Nutrition Facts

Easy Peasy Cauliflower Cheese

Amount Per Serving

Calories 234Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Fat 14g22%

Saturated Fat 9g56%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 4g

Cholesterol 42mg14%

Sodium 254mg11%

Potassium 564mg16%

Carbohydrates 18g6%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 11g22%

Vitamin A 461IU9%

Vitamin C 68mg82%

Calcium 255mg26%

Iron 1mg6%

* % Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet

Tried this recipe?I'd love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comments below.

Pin Easy Peasy Cauliflower Cheese for later

FREE 4 Week Easy Dinners Meal Plan

Have you got your hands on a copy of my meal plan yet? If not CLICK HERE to download a copy of my FREE 4 Week Easy Dinners Meal Plan today!

Don’t want to miss a thing?

Follow me onTwitter,Facebook andInstagram. Or why not subscribe to myblog and get delicious, stress free recipes straight to your inbox every week?

FAQs

Why does my cauliflower cheese sauce go watery? ›

Cauliflower cheese can go watery if the cauliflower is overcooked. Overcooked cauliflower releases water, which will seep into the rest of the dish. So even if your sauce was thick when it went in the oven, if its in there too long, the water from the cauliflower will cause it to go watery.

Learn More Now ›

How long does cauliflower cheese keep in the fridge? ›

How long can you keep Cauliflower Cheese in the fridge? Once you've put it out, ideally you should eat it within 4 hours. If you allow any leftovers to cool, make sure to refrigerate in a container with a lid and chill. You can keep leftovers of Cauliflower Cheese in the fridge for approximately 3 days or so.

Get More Info ›

Why is my cauliflower au gratin watery? ›

The dish may get watery if the cauliflower is overcooked – that's when the florets release more water – or if you haven't drained the florets well after steaming/boiling them. Make sure the florets are properly drained and that you stick to the exact instructions from the recipe.

Why do you soak cauliflower before cooking? ›

If you're planning to roast the cauliflower whole or slice it into steaks, slice off the thick stem at the base. Drop the whole cauliflower head upside-down into cool, salted water. Let it soak for 10 to 15 minutes to remove dirt, residue and bugs.

Why is cauliflower cheese good for you? ›

It's high in fibre from the pasta and vegetables, phytonutrients from the 5 different vegetables as well as calcium from the milk and cheese. It's always gobbled up. I usually use a whole cauliflower and make double the quantity (as in this video) and freeze individual portions for meals later on.

Find Out More ›

What to serve with cauliflower cheese? ›

Crusty bread, with either garlic or herbs (or even just lashings of butter), adds a comforting, savoury element and gives you something to soak up all the delicious cheese sauce with. Personally, I often serve my cauliflower cheese with both crunchy bread and a green salad to cover all of the bases.

Know More ›

Can I freeze leftover cauliflower cheese? ›

It can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to cook. It is possible to freeze cauliflower cheese but unfortunately the sauce can sometimes turn thin and sligtly watery on defrosting, so we prefer not to freeze the dish if at all possible.

Learn More Now ›

Can cauliflower cheese be reheated twice? ›

Can you reheat cauliflower cheese? Yes you can, and it will taste fine… But just be aware that it will dry out a little and the cauliflower will be a little bit softer… not a deal breaker, but definitely not as good as fresh! Simply place any leftover cauliflower in a lidded container and refrigerate.

Get More Info ›

Why is my cauliflower cheese hard? ›

Baking it, I find, has a tendency to overcook the cauliflower before the top browns. Adding the cheese sauce hot means there's no need for any further baking – the top will bubble and brown in minutes, before the cauliflower has time to soften any further.

Find Out More ›

How do you keep cauliflower from getting mushy? ›

Not Draining Excess Water. "If you want to make cauliflower rice or cauliflower pizza crust, you'll need to wring out the excess moisture using a clean kitchen towel," says Blay. If you don't, your cauliflower will be far too mushy to imitate the carbs you're trying to replace.

How do you get the liquid out of cauliflower? ›

I've done it. It really is as simple as putting the cooked and cooled cauliflower on a clean flour sack towel , wrapping it up and squeezing all the water out. I like to use flour sack towels because they're large and really thin, which makes them easy to squeeze tight and get out as much water as possible.

What is cheese sauce made of? ›

Classic cheese sauce begins with béchamel — a simple white sauce made of butter, flour, milk, and a few seasonings. Cheese is then added to the white sauce to create cheese sauce (called a Mornay sauce in French cuisine).

What is cauliflower made out of? ›

cauliflower, (Brassica oleracea, variety botrytis), highly modified form of cabbage in the mustard family (Brassicaceae), grown for its edible masses of partially developed flower structures and fleshy stalks.

Keep Reading ›

What are the ingredients in canned cheese sauce? ›

WATER, SOYBEAN OIL, AGED CHEDDAR CHEESE (CULTURED MILK, SALT, ENZYMES), MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, MALTODEXTRIN, 2% OR LESS OF CORNSTARCH, SALT, VINEGAR, NATURAL FLAVORS, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, YEAST EXTRACT, DATEM, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, EXTRACTIVES OF TURMERIC, EXTRACTIVES OF PAPRIKA, LACTIC ACID.

Learn More Now ›

Can I use self-raising flour instead of plain flour for cheese sauce? ›

Can I use self-raising flour for the Macaroni and cheese sauce? You can. You might want to adjust the flavor for the added baking powder in the flour.

Explore More ›