3 Cheese Cauliflower Cheese
Our homemade cauliflower cheese is made with 3 different cheeses for maximum flavour! We’re finishing this with breadcrumbs, for a crispy topping.
A classic cauliflower cheese, made with 3 different cheeses for extra flavour!
This cauli cheese consists of perfectly cooked cauliflower, served in a rich 3 cheese sauce which we’re flavouring with English mustard & grated nutmeg. Then to take this to the next level, we’re topping the cauliflower with panko breadcrumbs & more grated cheese, before baking until crisp, golden & bubbling.
This stuff’s seriously tasty & makes a great accompaniment to a homemade roast dinner!
If you’re looking for more side dishes to try, you should check out our collection of side dish recipes! There’s a whole of load of roast dinner sides to make as well as chips, pickles, slaws & sauces…
Ingredient Notes
- Cauliflower – You’ll need a large cauliflower for this recipe, weighing around 1kg. You could also use 2 smaller cauliflowers.
- Cheese – For our sauce, we’re using mature cheddar, parmesan & low moisture mozzarella (this stops the same from becoming too thin). Feel free to use different cheeses if you’d prefer though.
- English Mustard – A small amount of English mustard goes a long way! If you’d prefer a more mild mustard flavour, use Dijon instead.
- Panko Breadcrumbs – These give our cauliflower cheese the crispiest topping! Regular breadcrumbs will also work.
- Grated Nutmeg – A classic cheese sauce flavouring. This is added to taste.
- Butter – Either salted or unsalted butter will work for the sauce.
- Milk – I like to use whole milk for the cheese sauce, for a richer, creamier flavour!
- Stock – Using chicken stock in the sauce gives it a more developed, richer flavour. Feel free to use veg stock if you’d prefer or milk.
How To Make 3 Cheese Cauliflower Cheese
The full, printable recipe card for this cauli cheese can be found at the bottom of this post! Here’s a quick rundown of the recipe…
Cheese Sauce
This cheese sauce is based on a classic Mornay sauce, where a bechamel is flavoured with cheese & mustard. We’re using three different types of cheese here, as well as English mustard & grated nutmeg. Here’s how to make it…
- Melt butter in a saucepan then mix in plain flour. Cook out for a minute.
- Add in half of your milk then cook out until thick, whisking regularly.
- Add in the remaining milk & cook out again.
- Next, add in half of your chicken stock & keep cooking until thick again.
- Pour in the remaining stock then keep cooking until the sauce is as thick as double cream.
- To finish, stir in grated cheese, English mustard, grated nutmeg (to taste) & plenty of salt & pepper.
Cauliflower
Once our sauce is ready, it’s time to prep & cook the cauliflower. To do this we cut the cauliflower into evenly sized florets (you might need to cut the bigger ones in half) then cook in boiling salted water for 5-6 minutes, until tender.
Next, we drain the cauliflower well then stir into the warm cheese sauce.
Cooking
To cook our cauli cheese, we tip it into a large ovenproof dish then top with panko breadcrumbs & cheese. This then gets baked at 200°c/392°f for 20-25 minutes, until the top is crisp & golden and the sauce is bubbling. Make sure to place your dish onto a tray in case some of the sauce bubbles over!
Tips & Tricks For The Best Cauli Cheese!
- Use a mix of cheeses for the best flavour & texture.
- Boil your cauliflower until it is just tender, to avoid overcooking it in the oven.
- Use low moisture mozzarella in the sauce, for the best cheese pull!
- Add English mustard into the cheese sauce, for extra flavour.
- Top the cauliflower with cheese & panko breadcrumbs, for a crispy topping.
Frequently Asked Questions
For the best flavour & texture, I find that a mix of mature cheddar, parmesan & low moisture mozzarella is best. Although you can use pretty much whatever cheese you like!
Both the sauce & cauliflower can be cooked in advance & stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. To assemble, warm the sauce back up on the stove (add a splash of water if necessary) then mix in the cauliflower. Bake in the oven as specified in the recipe.
Absolutely! To roast your cauliflower, cut it into florets then place onto a baking tray. Drizzle over veg oil, season with salt & pepper then roast at 200°c/392°f, until tender.
How To Cauliflower Cheese In An Aga
With all of my recipes, I include cooking instructions for conventional ovens, fan ovens & also Agas. Here’s how to cook this recipe in an Aga…
Cook the sauce on the simmering plate & cook the cauliflower on the boiling plate. Bake the cauliflower cheese in the roasting oven, on the second from bottom set of runners.
More Roast Dinner Recipes To Try!
- Goose Fat Roast Potatoes
- Slow Roasted Sirloin Of Beef
- Aga Roast Chicken
- Honey Roasted Carrots & Parsnips
- Caramelised Onion & Sage Stuffing
- Red Wine Gravy
- Braised Red Cabbage
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3 Cheese Cauliflower Cheese
Equipment
- Large Saucepans
- Cheese Grater
- Colander
- Large Ovenproof Dish
Ingredients
- 1 Large Cauliflower (Around 1kg)
Cheeses
- 150 g Mature Cheddar
- 150 g Low Moisture Mozzarella
- 75 g Parmesan
Sauce
- 55 g Unsalted Butter
- 50 g Plain Flour
- 500 g Whole Milk
- 350 g Chicken Stock (Or Veg Stock)
- 1 tsp English Mustard
- Grated Nutmeg (To Taste)
To Top
- 30 g Panko Breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 200°c/180°c fan (392°f/356°f).
- Next, grate the cheddar & parmesan and place into a mixing bowl. Chop the mozzarella into small pieces then add into the bowl & mix the cheeses together. Set aside for now.
Sauce
- Place the butter into a large saucepan then cook over a medium heat until melted. Stir in the plain flour then cook out for a minute, stirring constantly.
- Add in half the milk then whisk until smooth. Cook out until thick, whisking/stirring regularly. This will take 2-3 minutes over a medium heat.
- Pour in the remaining milk & keep cooking until thickened again.
- Now add in half the chicken stock & reduce the heat to medium-low. Continue cooking, stirring/whisking regularly until the sauce has thickened back up.
- Pour in the rest of the stock then keep cooking until the flour has been cooked out & the sauce has thickened for a final time. It should be slightly thicker than double cream.
- Once the sauce has cooked out, add in the mustard & two thirds of the mixed cheese. Stir until melted then take the pan off the heat.
- Season the sauce with salt, pepper & grated nutmeg, to taste. Set aside for now.
Cauliflower
- Fill a large saucepan up with water, cover with a lid then bring to a boil over a high heat. Add in a good pinch of salt once the water is boiling.
- Whilst your waiting for your water to boil, cut your cauliflower into florets. Make sure that the florets are roughly the same size! Cut them in half if they're big.
- Once your water is boiling, add in the cauliflower then cook for 5-6 minutes, until tender. Drain the cauliflower well, through a colander.
- Add the drained cauliflower into the cheese sauce, mix to combine then transfer to a large baking dish.
- Mix the panko breadcrumbs with the remaining cheese then sprinkle over the top of the cauliflower.
Cooking
- Place the dish on a baking tray then bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until the top is crisp & golden and the sauce is bubbling.Placing the dish onto a tray catches any sauce that bubbles over during cooking!
- Let the cauliflower cheese stand for 5 minutes then serve.
