Baked Cauliflower Cheese Recipe with Béchamel

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Baked Cauliflower Cheese Recipe with Béchamel

This delicious Baked Cauliflower Cheese is made with a classic béchamel sauce base with a mix of cheeses to make a smooth, creamy and perfectly cheesy side dish. With these full step-by-step instructions and photographs, you'll be able to make the best cauliflower bake in town.

5 from 4 votes

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 35

Total Time: 45

Servings

Author Chloe

Equipment

Chopping Board - Plastic

Sharp Knife - Large

Measuring Scales

Measuring Spoons

Measuring Jug - Large

Ingredients

100 g Double Gloucester Cheese
35 g Grated Mozzarella
50 g Cream Cheese
30 g Salted Butter
30 g Plain Flour (All Purpose)
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
375 ml Milk
1 tbsp Sea Salt Flakes
750g g Cauliflower - prepared
2 tsp Fine/Table Salt

Instructions

Make the Cheese Sauce

Note - If you are intending to make and bake this straight away, skip to the preparing the cauliflower stage and then make the cheese sauce while it's boiling.
Prepare your cheeses. I used 100g Double Gloucester Cheese, 35g Grated Mozzarella and 50g Cream Cheese.
If the hard cheeses are not already grated/shredded, do this now. Set aside roughly 50g of the hard cheeses for the topping
Add 30g Salted Butter and 30g Plain Flour to a medium saucepan. Melt the butter and store in the flour over a medium heat.
Add 2tsp Dijon Mustard and mix to a thick paste.
Add 375ml Milk a small amount at a time.
Give the milk a moment to warm in the pan before beating it into the butter/flour mix.
Keep adding more milk once each addition is fully absorbed.
Continue until all the milk is added and the sauce is smooth and lump free.
Add the cheeses and stir until they are all melted and fully combined, (Don't forget to reserve some of the cheese for the topping - it is easy to add by mistake).
Add 1tbsp Sea Salt Flakes a little at a time. Keep tasting the sauce until the seasoning is to your taste. Remember that the flavour will be mellowed slightly by the addition of the cauliflower so over rather than under season.
If you are making the sauce in advance, pour it into an airtight container and cover with clingfilm. Make sure that the clingfilm is touching the sauce to prevent a skin forming. Allow to cool and then refrigerate.

Prepare and Cook the Cauliflower

Put a full kettle onto boil.
Prepare a roughly 1.1kg Cauliflower by using a sharp knife to slice off the root. Remove the outer leaves as you go.
Continue slicing (at an angle if needed) and pull of the leaves until they're all removed.
Use the tip of the knife to cut the rest of the root out.
You will now see the florets from the inside.
Use your hands to tear the florets apart from the inside. By doing this, you won't end up with lots of debris where you've ended up cutting through the flowers.
For any larger chunks, you can use the knife to cut the stalk before finishing tearing the floret apart.
Stop once all of the florets are small and roughly of equal size. You should have ended up with around 750g Prepared Cauliflower.
Put the florets in a medium saucepan along with 2 tsp Fine Salt and cover with boiling water from the kettle.
Put the pan on the heat and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until a the cauliflower is tender all the way through. Test this with a sharp knife.
Once cooked, drain the water from the pan and allow the cauliflower to sit and steam dry in the pan.

Assemble & Bake the Cauliflower Cheese

Preheat the oven to 200c fan/200c/390f.
Pour around ¾ of the warm cheese sauce over the drained cauliflower florets.
Gently stir until all of the cauliflower is coated in the sauce,
Transfer the mix into the baking dish.
Spoon over the remaining sauce, trying to keep it even.
Sprinkle over the reserved cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes until piping hot all the way through and the top is golden.
If you have made this in advance and cooking from room temperature, cook at a slightly lower temperature for 25-30 minutes.
Serve hot!

Nutrition (Approx)