This Roasted Cauliflower Cheese is a proper game changer! Roasting the cauliflower instead of boiling helps prevent that dreaded watery cauliflower cheese, while bringing out its natural sweetness and nutty flavour. Smothered in a rich, creamy cheese sauce and topped with Parmesan for a beautifully golden finish. The whole dish can be made ahead and frozen for up to 6 weeks, then baked straight from frozen, it's the perfect accompaniment to a Sunday roast or Christmas dinner.
If you've ever made cauliflower cheese only to find a watery sauce pooling at the bottom of your dish, then this recipe is for you.
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For years, boiling cauliflower was the standard way I prepared cauliflower cheese. But when I discovered the difference roasting makes, I knew I wouldn't be going back!
Not only does it improve the flavour, but it also helps prevent the cauliflower from releasing excess water into that lovely rich cheese sauce. And when you've taken the time to make a proper homemade cheese sauce, the last thing you want is for it to become diluted!
I also love a recipe that makes life easier, particularly when preparing a big Sunday roast or Christmas dinner. Much like my Sausage Meat Stuffing Balls, this cauliflower cheese can be prepared in advance, stored in the fridge or freezer and finished in the oven when you're ready to serve.
The Biggest Tip: Roast Your Cauliflower (So It's Never Watery)
It was Chef Thom Bateman who shared a recipe on his Instagram where he roasted his cauliflower and I have not looked back since! The flavour of the cauliflower is increased tenfold with a simple change of cooking method.
Boiled cauliflower soaks up water, and that water leaks into the cheese sauce in the oven. That's why so many cauliflower cheeses end up thin, watery and a bit bland. Roasting drives the moisture off instead and brings out a caramelised nuttiness, so the sauce stays thick and the flavour stays strong.
Small steps like this can make a massive difference when cooking. Our cooking education never truly ends; always learning, always developing and always eating!
Why I Love Oven Roasted Cauliflower Cheese:
- Super simple and easy to make, but it packs a punch of extra flavour.
- It's never watery, thanks to roasting the cauliflower first.
- You can make it ahead (the day or two before) or freeze it for up to 6 weeks, then bake it before serving.
- It's a great way to use up milk that is getting close to its best before date.
Suitable for the whole family:
Suitable from approx. 6 months old with some substitutions and considerations:
- Use unsalted butter to reduce salt content.
- Ensure cauliflower is soft enough to be ‘squashed’ between thumb and forefinger if BLW.
- Ensure dairy and wheat allergens have been tested
Ingredients
- Cauliflower: the 1kg weight is approximate as obviously cauliflowers vary in size and weight. However, 2 whole cauliflowers should be sufficient to make the dish, so stick with that as a guide.
- Butter: I prefer to use salted butter as it seasons the dish from the beginning but if you’d prefer to control salt content (if also serving to a baby) then use unsalted butter and add salt as necessary to portions later on.
- Flour: plain flour / all purpose flour - this is used to thicken the sauce
- Cloves: an optional aromatic, but make sure to remove from the cheese sauce before adding in the roasted cauliflower and baking in the oven.
- Nutmeg: an optional aromatic
Other optional aromatic/flavourings are garlic or mustard
- Milk: it’s best to use whole (full fat) milk if you can, but semi-skimmed will work as well.
- Cheddar Cheese: I personally use extra mature cheddar as it has the strongest flavour, but you can use Mature Cheddar if you like a milder taste.
- Parmesan: or more specifically, Parmigiano Reggiano (which is the full, legally protected name of the true italian cheese, which is what I use). Grand Padano is a suitable alternative.
How To Make Oven Roasted Cauliflower Cheese
Preheat oven to 180C fan / 200C conventional, 400F or Gas Mark 6. Break up cauliflower into florets and place in a lined baking tray with oil, salt & white pepper. Roast raw cauliflower in the oven for 30 mins.
Melt salted butter in a pot then add in cloves and ground nutmeg, stir to combine.
Add plain flour and mix to make a roux. Cook for 1 minute on medium heat to remove the floury taste from the roux. Start adding whole milk, a little at a time, whilst whisking to start to thicken the sauce.
Once the sauce has thickened and you have a smooth white sauce, ensure you remove the cloves. Next, add extra mature cheddar cheese (grated).
Add roasted cauliflower to cheese sauce, mix through and transfer into an oven proof dish for baking (or a freezer-safe container for storage), then sprinkle parmesan on top.
To cook:
Pre-heat oven to 200C fan / 220C conventional, 425F or Gas Mark 7.
Bake in preheated oven, from:
- room temperature - 30 minutes
- refrigerated - 40 - 50 minutes
- frozen - 50-60 minutes
How To Prep Ahead For Christmas
This freezable cauliflower cheese can be prepared ahead of time and either:
- Refrigerated (3 days)
- Frozen (up to 6 weeks)
Then follows a secondary roasting time element at 200C, 400F or Gas Mark 6 varying from:
- warm/room temperature - 30 minutes (i.e. cooked straight away)
- refrigerated - 40 - 50 minutes
- frozen - 50-60 minutes
Reheating: either cook directly from frozen/refrigerated or re-heat (if stored pre-cooked) in oven (as microwaving it will split the cheese sauce).
I love using Pyrex's Cook and Freeze as I can store food in their dishes and place directly in the oven from the freezer - absolute game changer!
FAQs
They aren’t required, so leave them out if you don’t have them available. You could add garlic or mustard if you want to add a little more flavour.
Yes. Make it up to 3 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge, then bake for 40 to 50 minutes at 200C fan until bubbling and piping hot.
Cover it with foil and reheat at 180C fan / 200C / 400F / Gas Mark 6 for 30 to 40 minutes, until piping hot all the way through. I wouldn't reheat it in the microwave, as the cheese sauce can split. A pot on the hob also works for smaller portions.
Roast it. Boiled cauliflower holds water that leaks into the sauce and makes it watery. Roasting dries the florets slightly and adds a nutty, caramelised flavour, so the sauce stays thick and tasty.
The milk was probably added too quickly. Add it a little at a time and whisk well between each addition. If it does go lumpy, whisk hard off the heat until smooth.
Storage, Preparation
If preparing in advance, roast the cauliflower and make the sauce, then refrigerate or freeze it until needed.
It can be refrigerated at this stage for 3 days or frozen for up to 6 weeks.
When you are ready to cook and serve - simply roast in the oven for the final step as per the recipe.
I personally wouldn’t recommend re-heating in the microwave as the sauce can split slightly. So if you need to re-heat, either stick back in the oven or heat on the hob in a pot.
Other Make Ahead Christmas Recipes You Might Like
If you love this freezable roasted Cauliflower Cheese recipe and want to add some more of my Christmas favourites, then try these:
If you have any questions please leave a comment and I'll get back to you. Or I would really appreciate it if you left me a review below.
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Cauliflower Cheese (Make Ahead and Freezable)
Ingredients
- 1 kg cauliflower 2 whole cauliflower (approx)
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 90 g salted butter
- 80 g plain flour
- 5 cloves ensure you remove before adding cheese to sauce and baking in oven
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 700 ml whole milk
- 260 g extra mature cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon mustard optional
- 50 g parmesan
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 180C fan / 200C conventional / 400F or Gas Mark 6
- Break up 1 kg cauliflower into florets and place in lined baking tray with 4 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon white pepper
- Roast raw cauliflower in the oven for 30 minutes (top of florets should look slightly toasted and golden whilst retaining some firmness)
- Melt 90 g salted butter in pot and add ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg and 5 cloves
- Add 80 g plain flour and mix to make a roux (see process step by step above for photos)
- Cook for approx 1 minute on medium heat to remove the floury taste from the roux, stir to combine
- Start adding 700 ml whole milk, a little at a time, whilst whisking to start to thicken the sauce
- Once all the milk has been added and you have a white sauce, remove the whole cloves and add 260 g extra mature cheddar cheese (grated) and optional 1 teaspoon mustard
- Add roasted cauliflower to cheese sauce, mix through and transfer into oven proof dish for baking (or freezer safe oven-proof dish). Sprinkle 50 g parmesan on top. See Notes.
- Pre-heat oven to 200C fan / 220C conventional / 400F or Gas Mark 6. Bake in oven for 30 minutes then serve when piping hot.
Notes
- Refrigerated (3 days)
- Frozen (up to 6 weeks)
- warm/room temperature - 30 minutes (i.e. cooked straight away)
- refrigerated - 40 - 50 minutes
- frozen - 50-60 minutes
Mhairi says
I used to make cauliflower cheese regularly but would always be a bit watery and a bit tasteless. Then I saw Lauren’s recipe showing to roast the cauliflower in the over, genius!! So much more taste and not at all watery, perfect every time!
Holly Curtis says
Before I found Lauren's recipe for Cauliflower cheese I always boiled my Cauliflower. I cannot beliebe how much more elevated it's been since I stsrted roasting it beforehand!! I trialed this last Christmas on my family and it was a total hit with everyone. Even my brother in laws Girlfriend, who isn't a Cauliflower cheese fan, absolutely demolished it. Honestly, the best recipe i've ever made and I've made it so much now I know it off by heart. Cannot wait to to bring it again for this Christmas and all of the ones after!
Niamh says
My first time making cauliflower cheese and this recipe was so easy to follow and the results were 10/10. Unreal thank you
Valerie Bell says
Hi Lauren, made your roasted cauliflower cheese and it was sooooo good 👍.Will never go back to my old way of watery, mushy cauli cheese - as you said, game changer!!
Thanks 😊
Valerie Bell says
You have got to try this - tastiest cauliflower cheese ever!!!
Hayley says
Made this tonight as my contribution to our family’s Sunday roast and roasting the cauliflower is such the game changer! I’ve found cauliflower cheese can go watery but this was perfect! My new go to recipe, can’t wait to try more!
Moseley says
Forever will roast our cauliflower before using. Game Changer!!! The flavour is sooo much better. Thanks for that advice alone. xx