| Easy | Vegan
Cauliflower Gratin
INGREDIENTS
- 2 medium heads cauliflower, cut into florets
- 2 cups water + 1 tsp kosher salt (for steaming the cauliflower)
- 7 tbsp vegan butter, divided
- 5 tsp kosher salt, divided and to taste
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 8-10 cloves garlic (about 1 head), minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups plant-based cream
- ¾ cup plant-based milk
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
- ½ tsp coarse ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp nutmeg, optional and to taste
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper, optional and to taste
- 1 bag Follow Your Heart Dairy-Free Cheddar Shreds, divided
- 1 bag Follow Your Heart Dairy-Free Mozzarella Shreds, divided
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- Fresh thyme & parsley for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Steam cauliflower for 5-6 minutes until soft. To steam, add to a dutch oven or skillet with about 1/2-inch of water and about 1 teaspoon of salt. (The amount of water you need will depend on the size of your pan, we used about 2 cups). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 5-6 minutes until soft. Drain, then place the cauliflower in the prepared casserole dish, and sprinkle the cauliflower with a bit more salt.
- In the same skillet, add 4 tbsp of vegan butter and melt over medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt, and cook until starting to soften, about 3 minutes.
- Sprinkle in the flour, and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring to prevent burning.
- Add in the garlic and seasonings, and cook until garlic is fragrant, stirring often to prevent burning, for about 1 minute.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, then slowly stream in the plant-based cream and plant-based milk, stirring to combine.
- Once the milk & cream mixture is hot but not boiling, reduce the heat to low, and add in about ¾ of the Follow Your Heart Dairy-Free Cheddar Shreds, and ¾ of the Follow Your Heart Dairy-Free Mozzarella Shreds in small handfuls, stirring constantly until melted, and waiting until one handful is melted before adding another one. Reserve about ¼ of the dairy-free mozzarella and dairy-free cheddar shreds for topping.
- Adjust the seasonings to taste, then pour over top of the cauliflower in the casserole dish. Toss to coat the cauliflower completely.
- In a separate small bowl, combine the panko bread crumbs, and 3 tbsp of melted vegan butter with a pinch of salt. Set aside.
- Add the remaining Follow Your Heart Dairy-Free Mozzarella and Follow Your Heart Dairy-Free Cheddar Shreds over top of the cauliflower, then sprinkle the panko breadcrumb mixture evenly over the top of the diary-free mozzarella and dairy-free cheddar shreds and cauliflower.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown. Garnish with fresh thyme & parsley, and allow to cool for a few minutes before digging in!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. We don’t recommend freezing leftovers.
