Baked Cauliflower with Cheddar Cheese Sauce is a flavorful side dish for those who love cauliflower. This side dish has a wonderfully rich taste. Serve with a roast, and you will have a side everyone will love.
Cheesy Cauliflower Bake
I don’t know what is it about cauliflower. Even if you live with a household of people that are not in love with vegetables, this one can turn those who don’t love vegetables into people who are asking for seconds.
This baked cauliflower with cheese sauce is a great side dish to make any time. You can make it ahead of time and serve it whenever you like. Not all side dishes reheat as well as this one does.
What Makes This Dish Special
A touch of dry mustard powder adds just the right amount of zip and zing to this classic side dish. Cheddar cheese sauce needs a touch of heat to make it just right.
I know you are going to love this way to prepare cauliflower.
Cheesy Cauliflower Recipe Ingredients
Here’s a list of what you need:
- A head of cauliflower
- Salt
- Butter
- All-purpose flour
- Milk
- Dry yellow mustard
- Shredded Cheddar cheese
How to Make Baked Cauliflower with Cheese
To make this dish, you will cook the cauliflower in boiling salted water and then pour a cheese sauce over the top. Here are the recipe steps:
- Cut the cauliflower into large bite-size pieces.
- Boil the cauliflower in a large pot of salted water.
- Cool the cauliflower until it is fork-tender, drain the cauliflower.
- Melt butter in a small saucepan.
- Whisk the flour into the melted butter and stir to combine the mixture.
- Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Slowly begin to add milk, whisking constantly until the sauce has thickened.
- Add the dry mustard and stir to combine.
- Add half of the cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Place the cooked cauliflower into a large baking dish.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the cauliflower.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Recipe Notes
You can buy cauliflower whole from the grocery store, or you can purchase bags of cauliflower that has already been cut up.
If you want to make this keto-friendly, leave out the flour and substitute heavy cream for the milk.
More Cauliflower Recipes
Favorite Vegetable Recipes
- Asparagus Casserole
- Baked Broccoli and Cheese
- Baked Red Potatoes
- Boiled Carrots
- Calico Beans
- Crock Pot Cheesy Potatoes
- Fried Okra
- Scalloped Corn
- Sliced Fried Potatoes
Check out more of my easy vegetable side dish recipes and the best low carb recipes here on CopyKat!
Baked Cauliflower with Cheddar Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 pounds cauliflower
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 teaspoon dry yellow mustard
- 8 ounces Cheddar cheese divided use
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cut the cauliflower into large bite-size pieces.
- Cook the cauliflower in a large pot of salted water. The cauliflower should be tender, but firm. The cooking time is approximately 5 to 6 minutes.
- While the cauliflower is cooking, start the cheese sauce.
- Melt two tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan.
- When the butter has melted completely, add the flour and stir to combine.
- Cook the flour for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Slowly begin to add milk, whisking constantly. With each addition of milk the sauce should thicken.
- Add the dry yellow mustard and stir to combine.
- Add 4 ounces of cheese. Stir until the cheese is completely melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Place the cooked cauliflower into a large casserole dish.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower.
- Sprinkle the remaining 4 ounces of cheese over the cauliflower.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until the cheese is slightly browned.
Mary
This looks great! Could I use frozen cauliflower in this recipe? Would I change anything if I used frozen?
Thank you!
Little Cooking Tips
Delicious recipe Stephanie!We do the same with graviera cheese and kefalotyri on top(for the gratin), and it’s delicious!Haven’t tried the mustard though, it sounds fantastic!Thank you for the yummy idea!
Panos and Mirella
Kristin
My mom makes a similar baked veggies dish and it is one of our favorite holiday sides. Yummmmm!
Mama to 6 blessings
Sounds like a nice healthy low carb dish. I bet it tastes great especially since there is cheese!
Ashley @Irishred02
I love cauliflower and cheese! This looks delicious, I’m going to have to pin this for later!
Erin
I have never tried a dish like this but I know I would love it! Cauliflower really is a crowd pleaser veggie, isn’t it? 🙂 Yum! Pinning for later!
carissa
This looks great! It’s like mac and cheese in a healthy way! My kids would love this too. I love cauliflower and with cheese, my kids will too ! Thanks !
Stephanie
I hope your kids enjoy the recipe.
MeCooks
I absolutely love this recipe. Simple and easy but delicious at the same time.
Karen Dawkins
Cauliflower is such a fabulous vegetable! We add dry mustard to most of our cheesy dishes, but I’ve never made this. Our weekly menu has mac and cheese slated for Tuesday, but I think I can swap out the noodles for cauliflower and top with some crumbled bacon. YUM!
Stephanie
I love your addition of crumbed bacon!
Rebecca
OMG I am in love with this. I do love my cheese adn anything cheese can go on. I am so making this tonight.
Stephanie
I love most things with cheese 😉
Angelina
What a terrific and healthier alternative to other potato side-dishes (such as Potatoes Au Gratin, or Scalloped Potatoes). This sounds SO delicious, and I definitely serve this as one of my sides- the next time I make a baked ham dinner. Thanks for your lovely recipes, Stephanie.
Angelina
L
Lucy
I really enjoy your site and can’t wait to try all the delicious sounding recipes. Great job you do!!