Description
This creamy cauliflower au gratin recipe with crispy bacon, thyme, and homemade cheese sauce is an easy, veggie-packed holiday side.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 strips of bacon, diced
- 2 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 1/2 tablespoon flour
- 1 1/2 cups 2% milk
- 1 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons Tillamook Sharp White Cheddar Cheese, shredded
- 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme (plus more for garnish)
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Bring a small skillet to medium high heat. Add the bacon and saute until crispy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Remove bacon from the skillet and place on a paper towel lined plate to let the grease drain out. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Add the cauliflower florets to the pot and cook for 4-5 minutes, until the cauliflower is just tender.
- Pour cooked cauliflower into a colander and drain all the liquid. (Be sure all liquid is gone, so you don’t end up with a watery casserole)
- Pour drained cauliflower into a 13×9 inch baking dish.
- In the meantime, heat a medium saucepan to medium high heat.
- Add butter to sauce pan and melt. Then add flour to pan. Whisk the flour and butter together, continue to do so for at least 3 minutes.
- Then slowly pour in the milk, whisking the entire time. Bring milk mixture to a boil. Reduce to simmer. Let the milk mixture simmer for about 6-8 minutes to thicken up. Whisking occasionally.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add in the 1 1/4 cup shredded cheese, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Whisk until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth.
- Pour cheese sauce over the cauliflower.
- Using a spoon, gently mix the cheese sauce and cauliflower together.
- Sprinkle the top of the cauliflower with bacon, additional fresh thyme, and 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese.
- Place baking dish in the oven and bake for 20 minutes until slightly browned.
- Remove from oven and serve.
