Easy Cauliflower Cheese (No Flour or Butter!)
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This cauliflower cheese recipe is made up of the most luxuriously creamy cheese sauce made with a three cheese blend. And the best part? . . . You don’t even have to make a roux! It is the perfect, easy crowd pleaser you can make for any occasion.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Quick- If you’re like me, your heart might sink slightly when you see that a recipe calls for a roux. You’ll be relieved to hear that we don’t need to go through that effort in this recipe! The cauliflower cheese sauce is thickened with cornflour.
- No roux needed! – Whip everything up in 10 minutes before popping in the oven. There is minimal prep for this recipe- you just need to grate some cheese and slice your cauliflower into florets!
- Luxurious cheese blend: This comforting 3 cheese blend is the perfect combination of extra mature cheddar, red leicester, and american cheese, producing the perfect balance of flavour and texture for your cauliflower cheese.
- Crowd pleaser – Serve this at Christmas, as a side for Thanksgiving, at Sunday roast, or even meal prep it for yourself as a low carb main.
- Only 77p per serving – the absolute best part of this cauliflower cheese is the price per serving! Not only is it delicious, but you can feed your family or a crowd on a budget while still making something everyone will enjoy.
- Gluten free- Cornflour is naturally gluten free, so this cauliflower and cheese can be enjoyable by all!
Satisfy your cravings with these other yummy creamy recipes this week! Steak Pasta with Creamy Sauce, Creamy Parsnip Soup , Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Pasta
What is cauliflower cheese?
This delicious concoction consists of making a cheese sauce for cauliflower, and then dredging that cauliflower in the cheese sauce to create a perfectly delicious and creamy taste sensation.
Where it originates
Cauliflower cheese is a British dish that was originally a way to use leftover cheese sauce from other dishes. It has evolved over time into a beloved comfort food, especially in the UK. It’s often served alongside meats and is particularly popular in traditional Sunday roasts.
Variations/Adaptations
- Additions: This cauliflower cheese can create a versatile base for so many types of loaded cheese dishes. You could top with crispy bacon, sour cream, and hot sauce to have a southern-style cauliflower cheese, or add tomatoes, peppers and coriander to pivot and have a tex-mex cauliflower cheese.
- Different cheese: You can get creative with the additions of cheese- gruyere also works amazingly in a cauliflower and cheese dish (I omitted due to its price); parmesan, brie, and wensley dale are other great options.
- Different veggies: If you want to add some greens to this dish, you could have a mix of broccoli and cauliflower. It’s a fab way to up the nutrients and add this into your weeknight routine.
- Dairy Free/Vegan: Make this dish without cheese and without milk for a dairy free and vegan option by subbing out the cheese for vegan cheese and the cow’s milk for oat, almond, or coconut milk.
Ingredients
Cauliflower
As this cauliflower bake recipe serves 8-10 servings, I recommend getting a large cauliflower, around 800g or around 6 cups of cauliflower florets
Red Leicester
I love the flavour and colour that this adds in a cauliflower cheese. It’s the primary cheese in this dish.
Extra mature cheddar
By using extra mature cheese, a little goes a long way in terms of flavour profile to make your recipe for cauliflower cheese perfect.
American cheese
Cauliflower cheese sauce becomes thick and dreamy when you add American cheese due to the stabelisers and emulisifiers it contains.
Cayenne pepper
Take this cheese cauliflower to the next level by adding a little kick. This also helps to balance the richness of the sauce.
See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and quantities.
How to make cauliflower cheese
Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F.
- Chop cauliflower into florets on a cutting board (Image 1).
- In heavily salted boiling water, add the cauliflower florets. Boil for 5-6 minutes, then drain and set aside to allow the steam to evaporate (Image 2).
3. Grate the cheeses (Image 3).
4. In the same pan that you cooked the cauliflower, add the whole milk and cheeses. Whisk the two together to help the cheese melt (Image 4).
4. Add cayenne pepper, garlic granules, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper, then whisk together (Image 5).
5. Add the cornstarch slurry to the pan and cook over low to medium heat while whisking until the mixture thickens (Image 6).
5. Distribute the cauliflower across a baking dish (Image 7).
6. Then pour the cheese sauce on top. Stir to combine (Image 8).
7. Top with the reserved shredded red Leicester cheese (Image 9).
8. Pop the dish in the oven for 20 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbly (Image 10).
For a more filling meal, try adding one of these delicious mains: Slow Cooker Gammon Joint, Crispy Bone-in Chicken Thighs, Garlic Butter Chicken
Tips for the best results
- Heavily salt your cauliflower boiling water, the florets are only in there for 5 minutes so extra seasoning is necessary here to make sure the florets are not bland and tasteless..
- After draining the cauliflower, add it onto the baking tray and evenly distribute. This will help the steam to evaporate and dry out whilst you make the cauliflower cheese sauce.
- Season to taste, once your sauce is thickened- taste to see if you want to add anymore cayenne pepper, salt or pepper.
- If your oven gets hot spots, rotate the baking dish once halfway through to encourage even browning.
Can you make cauliflower cheese in advance?
One of the best things about cauliflower cheese is that you can make the sauce and prepare the cauliflower ahead of time.
Make ahead cauliflower cheese sauce:
If you’re storing the sauce separately, follow the same steps from the method below, then add the cauliflower and cheese sauce to separate containers. Let both containers come to room temp then pop them in the fridge.
When it’s time to eat, reheat the sauce over the hob and add an additional splash of milk if it’s looking dry. Then follow the steps of the recipe.
Super prep:
I love to prep this ahead of time in the baking dish, especially if we are having a gathing. You can whip this up in the morning by following the steps, pouring the cauliflower and sauce into the dish and adding the topping of cheese. Cover with foil and allow to cool, then pop in the fridge.
As you’ll be removing the cauliflower from the fridge at a cooler temperature than making it straight away, you might need to add 5-10 minutes onto the oven cooking time.
Serving Suggestions
Cheesy cauliflower pairs perfectly with so many dishes.
As a side dish, serve cauliflower cheese alongside roasted meats such as sauteed chicken breasts, any beef recipe, or pork chops for a comforting meal. Or pair with grilled or air fried salmon or white fish for a delicious seafood dinner.
As a part of a festive spread, enjoy this crowd pleaser for Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Sunday Roast. And some less obvious serving suggestions are on a toastie, as a part of a warm salad, as a dip or stuffing vegetables with it.
Leftover Storage and Reheat Instructions
Refrigerator: You can keep cauliflower cheese in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Make sure to store it in an airtight container to maintain freshness and prevent odors from other foods.
Freezer: If freezing before cooking, you can freeze cauliflower cheese for up to 3 months. Remember to place it in a freezer-safe container or wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn.
Reheat: To reheat, just place a bit on a microwave safe plate and heat in short intervals until heated through.
Recipe FAQ’s
If you’ve added too much milk or the cauliflower was retaining too much moisture, then the sauce will be watery. To prevent this happening, ensure that the sauce has thickened before combining it with the cauliflower. The sauce should cover the back of the spatula, meaning it should be thick enough to leave a clear trail when you run your finger through it.
If by soak you mean boil, this vastly reduces the overall cook time of the dish. If we were to roast the cauliflower from scratch, it’s would take 45+ minutes in the oven.
Of course! You could see it as a low carb/keto friendly version of mac and cheese.
If the end result of your cauliflower cheese is too watery, you can pivot the dish and combine it with your favourite carb! You could make cauliflower mac and cheese by combining with macaroni, or you could add some rice and mix to form a loaded cheesy rice dish.
If you tried this Cauliflower Cheese Recipe, it would mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
Easy Cauliflower Cheese
Ingredients
- 100 g extra mature cheddar, coarsely grated (£2.55/2 = £1.27)
- 150 g red Leicester, coarsely grated (£2.55/2 = £1.27)
- 4 slices American cheese, roughly torn (£0.80/2)
- 1 large head of cauliflower, sliced into florets (£1.80)
- 500 ml whole milk £0.85
- Fresh parsley, finely chopped to serve (£0.60)
Cupboard Essentials
- Salt
- Pepper
- 2 tbsp cornflour + 4 tbsp cold water, for slurry
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp garlic granules
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
Method
- Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F.
- In heavily salted boiling water, add the cauliflower florets. Boil for 5-6 minutes, then drain and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the whole milk, cheeses (reserve 50g of the red leicester), cayenne pepper, garlic granules, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Cook over low to medium heat.
- While the cheese melts, prepare the cornflour slurry by mixing the cornflour with cold water until smooth.Stir in the cornflour slurry. Continue cooking until the sauce thickens.
- Distribute the cauliflower across a baking dish, then pour the cheese sauce on top. Stir to combine, and top with the reserved red leicester. Pop in the oven for 20 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
- Leave to stand for 5 minutes. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley before serving. Dig in!
Notes
- Salt the boiling water generously for the cauliflower; boil florets for only 5 minutes to ensure they’re well-seasoned and not bland.
- Drain the cauliflower and spread it evenly on a baking tray to allow steam to evaporate while preparing the cheese sauce.
- Taste the sauce once thickened; adjust seasoning with cayenne pepper, salt, or pepper as desired.
- Rotate the baking dish halfway through cooking if your oven has hot spots to promote even browning
Nutrition
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