Artificial Food Coloring Free Classic Cauliflower Gratin
Bubbling, golden, and deeply comforting, this cauliflower gratin is the kind of baked side dish that earns a permanent spot in your dinner rotation. A silky homemade béchamel — built from butter, flour, and whole milk — gets loaded with nutty Gruyère and poured over tender blanched florets before the whole thing goes into a hot oven. The panko and cheese topping bakes into a shatteringly crisp crust that gives way to creamy, savory sauce underneath. Every single ingredient here is straightforward and naturally free of synthetic dyes, which is more than you can say for a lot of packaged side dishes and boxed gratins that sneak in unnecessary additives. Making the sauce from scratch means you control exactly what goes in, and nothing on this ingredient list should raise any flags. A finishing scatter of fresh parsley keeps the color honest and the flavors bright. This is the kind of dish that looks impressive enough for a holiday table but is genuinely easy enough for a weeknight.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 1 large head cauliflower (about 2 lbs), cut into 1 ½-inch florets
- 1 tsp salt, plus more for the blanching water
For the béchamel
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 cup gruyère cheese, finely grated (about 3 oz), divided
For the topping
- ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
For serving
- 1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower florets and cook for 4 minutes, until just barely tender when pierced with a knife but still holding their shape. Drain in a colander and let steam-dry for 2 minutes.
- 2
Melt 3 tbsp butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk constantly for 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture turns a pale golden color and smells faintly nutty.
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