CAULIFLOWER GRATIN WITH BREADCRUMBS

Cauliflower Gratin With Breadcrumbs image

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 11

2 heads white cauliflower about 3 pounds
3 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour or gluten-free 1:1 flour blend
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper can use white if you don't want black specks
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup Gruyere grated
2 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs see notes

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 400°F
Remove the green leaves from the cauliflower and cut the florets from the core. Be sure they are all about the same size so that they cook evenly. Put them in a large sauce pan with a small amount of water, cover, and bring to a boil. Steam until the florets are just barely starting to soften.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the flour, then whisk over low heat for about a minute, taking care not to let it start browning. Add the milk and cream while continuing to whisk. Increase the heat to medium and stir constantly while the mixture starts to thicken. When the mixture is the right thickness, add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Remove from the heat and add the Gruyere. Stir till it melts.
Pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower florets and coat them generously. Put the coated cauliflower florets in a baking dish, top with Parmesan cheese, and fresh bread crumbs.
Bake for 20-30 minutes. This generous gap of timing is to allow for the size you cut the florets and how long you steamed them. You don't want to overcook the cauliflower in the steaming step because they need to bake long enough for the cheese sauce to start browning while baking.