Not done with cauliflower recipes yet! One more plant has a giant head still growing, so more recipes to tackle and share in the coming days.
When I stumbled upon this particular recipe, I knew I had to give it a try–mainly because our backyard explosion of cauliflower needed some variety of cooking. However, we also love potatoes and we love cheddar cheese, so it sounded like a perfect dish to explore.
I learned from this combo of ingredients that thyme complements cauliflower. That’s how I knew the Cauliflower Frittata recipe I posted last week would work out well, too, because it also uses thyme.
The original title for this dish uses the word “bake” rather than “gratin,” but somewhere in my mind the word “gratin” popped up. I looked up the meaning: it’s actually a French cooking technique in which food cooked in a shallow dish is topped with browned bread crumbs, grated cheese, or both (along with some egg and/or butter). The dish is then baked to form a golden crust. You learn something new everyday, huh? Hence, I renamed the recipe.
The gratin includes a combo of ingredients I would not have thought of on my own, yet I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. So now I have a new way to cook up cauliflower rather than our previous dull method of simply steaming it.
Cauliflower, Potato, & Cheddar Gratin
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes (about 6 medium), peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 head small cauliflower (about 2 pounds), sliced 1/2-inch thick
- 1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped plus more for garnish
- 1 1/2 cups (about 6 ounces) cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/3 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Spray or butter six 12-ounce gratin dishes or a 2-quart casserole dish or even a 9×13 baking pan.
- Peel potatoes. Slice into 1/2-inch thick slices. Place in large pot and cover with cold, salted water until water is two inches above potatoes. Bring to a boil.
- While pot is coming to a boil, slice cauliflower into 1/2-inch thick slices. When potatoes begin to boil, add cauliflower, reduce to a simmer, and cook for about 10 more minutes or until potatoes are cooked through and cauliflower is tender yet still crisp.
- Drain water from pot and allow potatoes and cauliflower to cool for several minutes.
- Divide the potatoes and cauliflower among the gratin dishes, followed by a sprinkle of pepper and thyme and then cheese. If you use a single dish, create a couple of layers of the potatoes and cauliflower with the pepper, thyme, and cheese.
- Pour broth over the potatoes and cauliflower and cheese. Dot with butter.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese is golden brown and bubbling. Garnish with additional thyme, if desired.
(I just had a thought: some bread crumbs sprinkled on top would make a heavenly crunch addition!)
SOURCE: Rachel Cooks via Everyday Food














