This smokey bacon-cauliflower au gratin with a cheese sauce is a hearty aspect for the vacations. Baked to melty perfection and topped with recent thyme, it takes festive consolation meals to the following degree.

Why You’ll Love This Cauliflower Recipe

This easy cauliflower au gratin with melty cheese, herby thyme, and bacon is a go-to for the vacation season.

• Prep-friendly. Boil the cauliflower and make the cheese sauce prematurely to save lots of prep time.
• Versatile. Make it vegetarian, spice it up, prime it with crispy panko, or add juicy floor turkey if you happen to desire.
• Good for the vacations. This recipe is a cauliflower twist on a basic vacation aspect.
• Nice for leftovers. You’ll be able to add totally different sorts of leftover cheese, roasted cauliflower, and even cauliflower Alfredo sauce.

What You’ll Want

Crispy bacon and herby thyme steadiness out the sauce’s creamy richness. Scroll to the recipe card on the backside of the submit for precise quantities.

• Bacon – Use common or thick-cut bacon.
• Cauliflower – Be sure you take away any giant, thick stems from the florets.
• Unsalted butter – Cut back the salt in the remainder of the recipe if you happen to use salted butter.
• Flour – You should use cornstarch as an alternative.
• Milk – Go for two% or complete milk, they each work for this. Keep away from plant-based milk as a result of it’s water-based.
• White cheddar – I like Tillamook model, however add your favourite.
• Thyme – Be at liberty to make use of recent or dried.
• Salt and pepper – Kosher salt and freshly-cracked pepper are finest.

Can I Use Frozen Cauliflower?

Completely! Frozen cauliflower is a good swap for recent cauliflower on this recipe. It also needs to prevent prep time as a result of it’s already lower into florets. In case you use frozen cauliflower, simply be sure that it’s fully thawed and drained.

How To Make Bacon Cauliflower Au Gratin

The key to this cauliflower au gratin casserole is whisking the sauce so nicely you take away any giant clumps in it. Scroll to the underside of the submit for the complete recipe card.

• Cook dinner the bacon. Preheat the oven to 400F. Place a skillet over medium-high warmth. Add the bacon and prepare dinner it for 3-4 minutes or till crispy. Take away it from the warmth and set it on a paper towel-lined plate. Discard all of the bacon fats from the skillet.
• Boil the cauliflower. Carry a big pot of water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and boil it for 4-5 minutes or till simply tender. Take away it from the warmth and pressure nicely. Switch it to a 13×9″ baking dish.

• Make the cheese sauce. Place a medium-sized pot over medium-high warmth. Soften the butter and add the flour. Whisk constantly for 3 minutes. Slowly pour within the milk, stirring and bringing the combination to a boil. Cut back it to a simmer. Let it prepare dinner for 6-8 minutes, whisking often. Take away it from the warmth. Whisk within the cheese, thyme, salt, and pepper till easy.
• Assemble it. Pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower. Gently combine the sauce and cauliflower collectively till fully coated. Sprinkle with bacon, extra thyme, and cheese.
• Bake it. Pop it into the oven for 20 minutes or till the highest is barely browned and the cheese is melty. Take away it from the warmth. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve and luxuriate in!

Suggestions & Variations

This tender cauliflower au gratin is an easy approach to make use of up leftover roasted cauliflower, Alfredo sauce, and cheese.

• Line it. Cut back clean-up by lining the baking dish with parchment paper. It additionally helps forestall sticking.
• Use leftovers. Skip the boiling of cauliflower and use leftover Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower or Cauliflower with Smoky Maple Spice as an alternative. You can even combine Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce into the cheese sauce to cut back meals waste.
• Spice it up. Tossing the boiled cauliflower in 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoons paprika, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper provides the aspect dish extra depth.
• Shred them. Seize all of the leftover bits of melty cheese laying round in your fridge and grate them to create your individual mix. You should use mozzarella, Gouda, cheddar, Muenster, and so forth.
• Add protein. Mixing 2-3 cups floor turkey or shredded rooster into the casserole makes it heartier.
• Make it vegetarian. Skip the bacon within the recipe or use a vegan “bacon” various to make this recipe vegetarian.
• Add garnishes. High the freshly baked cauliflower with chopped parsley, crispy panko, or deep fried shallots for extra taste and texture.

Serving Recommendations

This tacky cauliflower au grain is a fast baked aspect on your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners. I like serving it with my Thanksgiving Turkey, Maple Smoked Turkey, or Garlic Herb Turkey Breast. In case you desire steak, go for my Herb Crusted Tenderloin or Grilled Filet Mignon. Aspect concepts embody my Air Fryer Inexperienced Beans, Cranberry Sausage Stuffing, and Kale Salad with Cranberries.

How To Retailer Cauliflower Au Gratin

Maintaining a batch within the freezer will make the vacation season approach simpler in your kitchen.

• Fridge: Place it in an hermetic container for as much as 4 days. Tightly overlaying the baking dish with foil works too. Discard instantly if it tastes bitter or bitter.
• Freezer: This methodology works for the cooked or uncooked (however assembled) casserole. Cowl the baking dish with plastic wrap. Switch to a freezer bag. Thaw it in a single day within the fridge and reheat/bake as common.
• To reheat it: Microwave it in 20-second intervals, stirring between every one till heat. You can even use the oven at 300F for 30-35 minutes.

Extra Straightforward Veggie Sides To Attempt

Print