Potato And Cauliflower Bake

This Potato And Cauliflower Bake or also called Cauliflower Au Gratin is an easy comfort food recipe that has quickly become one of the favorites in my house. It creamy, cheesy and such a delicious side dish for holidays as well as for Sunday night dinner.

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As you have probably noticed I'm obsessed with French food and particularly Gratins. Recently I've been making them non-stop.

My Eggplant Gratin, Potato Zucchini Gratin or Chicken, Potato and Bacon Gratin are among my most popular recipes at home for a reason.

Jump to:

• 📋 Ingredients
• 🔪 Instructions
• 🧀 Cheese suggestions
• 💭 Top tip
• 🍴 Pairing suggestions
• ♨️ Storing And Reheating
• 📖 Recipe

Whenever I have some kind of celebration at my house, I make sure to prepare one of those Gratins and they always disappear quickly.

Baked to their bubbly and crispy perfection, gratins are so satisfying and make a perfect side dish for any occasion.

My today's recipe of Potato And Cauliflower Bake is inspired by Ina Garten's Cauliflower Au Gratin.

I first made it a few years ago and immediately fell in love with the simplicity of preparation process and the excellent taste of the dish.

I love Ina's original version of the recipe but I decided to add potatoes for more volume and nutrition.

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📋 Ingredients

• cauliflower - make sure to cut into the even-sized florets and wash really well before cooking
• potatoes - although original Ina Garten's recipe doesn't have potatoes, I found that they make this vegetarian dish even more satisfying hence suitable for serving as a main dish
• butter - we'll need it for the roux
• flour - also needed for the roux. If you're on Gluten-Free diet, you can substitute with All-purpose GF flour
• milk - I used whole milk
• cheeses - my favorite combo is Parmesan and Gruyere. See below for other cheese suggestions
• nutmeg - we'll use just a pinch of it, but it will contribute to a delicious nutty flavor of this casserole
• Panko breadcrumbs - for the crunchy top layer. You can use GF breadcrumbs if you want

🔪 Instructions

1. Precook the vegetables

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, cauliflower florets and potatoes and cook on a medium heat for 7 minutes. Drain.

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2. Prepare the white sauce

In a medium saucepan and over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter, add flour and whisk to combine until no lumps remain.

Add warm milk, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens.

Remove pan from the heat. Add the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt, pepper, ¼ cup of Gruyere cheese, Parmesan and nutmeg. Give it a whisk. Give sauce a taste and add more salt if needed.

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At this point you should have a silky smooth white sauce that works great in so many recipes.

3. Assemble Gratin

Transfer cooked cauliflower and potatoes into the 8 by 11 inches baking dish. Cover with a white sauce and carefully mix to combine the ingredients.

Sprinkle Panko breadcrumbs, drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoon of melted butter and sprinkle ¼ cup of Gruyere on top of the gratin.

4. Bake

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until vegetables are tender.

Turn on the broiler and bake for 2-3 minutes until top of the gratin is golden brown. Yum!

🧀 Cheese suggestions

For this cauliflower potato cheese bake, I really recommend Swiss Gruyere cheese. It has a wonderful nutty aroma and texture and works great in any recipe.

If you can't find Gruyere, any other hard cheese with distinctive flavor will work. Here are some of my suggestions:

• Parmijiano-Reggiano
• Grana Padano
• Aged Gouda
• Aged Cheddar
• Aged Provolone

💭 Top tip

What I really like about this cauliflower potato bake or any other gratins is that you can make them ahead of time, which is very convenient for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Just assemble everything in a baking dish, cover with a foil and store in a fridge for a few hours or even overnight until you're ready to bake it.

🍴 Pairing suggestions

• Greek Lemon Oregano Chicken - dish with minimal ingredients but so much flavor
• Pork Tenderloin With Seared Peaches - perfect for busy weeknight meal
• Steak Chateaubriand - French classic ready in under 30 minutes

♨️ Storing And Reheating

This creamy cauliflower and potato casserole should be stored covered in a refrigerator for 1 or 2 days.

To reheat, preheat the oven to 350F. Pop Cauliflower Au Gratin in the oven and bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes until it's hot throughout.

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If you make my healthy vegetarian Cauliflower Casserole, snap a photo and post it on Instagram with a hashtag #lavenderandmacarons. I'd love to see your creations.

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📖 Recipe