Baked Cauliflower Gratin

Surely you have tried the baked cauliflower gratin. And it is a very healthy dish. Cauliflower is a great source of vitamin C, fiber, folate, magnesium, potassium, and calcium. In addition, it has antioxidant properties that help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Baked cauliflower au gratin is a very easy dish to make and suitable even for those who run when someone says ‘today we eat cauliflower’. In fact, it’s a great way to get kids to eat vegetables.

The béchamel masks the taste of the cauliflower a bit and makes the dish more attractive to all those who find it difficult to include in their daily diet. Today we teach you how to make baked cauliflower gratin, ideal for any special meal, or even for a dinner with the little ones.

Baked cauliflower au gratin with bacon

We start with a recipe that has the special touch that salty bacon gives it. The result is delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1 cauliflower
• 150 g of salted bacon
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 pinch of chopped parsley
• ½ glass of whole milk
• Salt and pepper

Ingredients for the bechamel:

• 500 ml of milk
• 75 g of flour
• 75g butter
• Nutmeg
• Salt and pepper

preparation:

1. Chop the cauliflower separating the florets, leaving only a little stem (just enough so they don’t fall apart). Wash them well.
2. Bring a saucepan with water, salt and a glass of milk to boil to mitigate the unpleasant smell that cauliflower produces when cooked. When it boils, add the cauliflower and cook for 15 minutes. Drain and reserve.
3. Cut the salted bacon into small pieces and sauté it in a pan along with a minced garlic clove. Fry for 5 minutes. If the skillet is non-stick, you will not need oil, as the bacon gives off enough fat to fry in its own juice.
4. Prepare the bechamel by placing 75 g of butter in a saucepan and heat over the fire. When it becomes liquid, add the flour and stir until well integrated.
5. Add the milk little by little, stirring constantly. Once all the milk is incorporated, season and add a pinch of nutmeg. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring constantly.
6. At the end there will be a thick béchamel. If there are lumps left after cooking, you can use the hand mixer.
7. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
8. Put the cauliflower in a dish suitable for the oven, spread the bacon on top and cover with the béchamel sauce.
9. Bake at 180ºC in the middle of the oven, with heat from above and below, for 7-8 minutes, until the béchamel is golden brown.

Baked cauliflower au gratin with cheese

This second recipe is also very simple. Cheese and cream are the ingredients that give it that different and delicious touch.

Ingredients:

• ½ cauliflower
• 200 g cheese
• Grated cheese
• ½ cup cream
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1 pinch salt

preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC with heat from above and below.
2. Cut the cauliflower into medium pieces.
3. Put in a saucepan plenty of salted water (abundant means enough to cover the cauliflower later) and bring to a boil.
4. When it boils, add the cauliflower and cook until done, but not falling apart.
5. Drain the cauliflower and go through cold water to stop cooking.
6. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the cheese. When it is melted, mix it with the cream until it is homogeneous and reserve.
7. Grease a baking dish with butter and alternate layers of cauliflower with layers of cream and cheese, ending with a layer of cream and cheese.
8. Sprinkle grated cheese on top.
9. Bake at 180ºC for 10 minutes until the cheese is gratinated.

As you can see, they are two recipes for baked cauliflower gratin that are prepared in a very short time. The result will be spectacular. What are you waiting for? Give them a try!