Baked Cauliflower with Cheddar Cheese Sauce

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.

Baked cauliflower with cheddar cheese sauce in a white casserole dish


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:

  1. Cut the cauliflower into large bite-size pieces.
  2. Boil the cauliflower in a large pot of salted water.
  3. Cool the cauliflower until it is fork-tender, drain the cauliflower.
  4. Melt butter in a small saucepan.
  5. Whisk the flour into the melted butter and stir to combine the mixture.
  6. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  7. Slowly begin to add milk, whisking constantly until the sauce has thickened.
  8. Add the dry mustard and stir to combine.
  9. Add half of the cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
  10. Place the cooked cauliflower into a large baking dish.
  11. Pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower.
  12. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the cauliflower.
  13. 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.

Cauliflower with cheese sauce in a baking dish

More Cauliflower Recipes

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Baked cauliflower with cheddar cheese sauce in a white casserole dish

Baked Cauliflower with Cheddar Cheese Sauce

This cheesy cauliflower bake makes a great side dish that reheats well.
5 from 4 votes
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Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Baked Cauliflower with Cheese, Cheesy Cauliflower, Low Carb
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 276kcal

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.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 276kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 743mg | Potassium: 768mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 560IU | Vitamin C: 109.3mg | Calcium: 368mg | Iron: 1.3mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mary

    This looks great! Could I use frozen cauliflower in this recipe? Would I change anything if I used frozen?
    Thank you!

  2. Little Cooking Tips

    5 stars
    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

  3. 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!

  4. 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 !

  5. 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!

  6. 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.

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