Cauliflower Gratin with ground beef and Bechamel Sauce

Cauliflower gratin recipe with ground beef, Béchamel (French white sauce) and cheese. It’s a complete and balanced meal. Plus, you can make it ahead !

Cauliflower gratin with ground beef and béchamel

One of my favorite ways to cook cauliflower: French Cauliflower Gratin !

Most kids don’t like cauliflower. A gratin is one of the best recipes if you are trying to get your kids to eat cauliflower.

You can make this dish in many different ways, using what you have in your fridge. I’m giving you some ideas below.

Today, I’m sharing a version of cauliflower gratin with ground beef, Béchamel sauce and cheese.

It’s a complete and balanced meal for the whole family. Gluten free and low carb!

This recipe is similar to the English Shepherd’s pie or cottage pie and the French Hachis parmentier. The main difference is that the mashed potato topping the ground beef mixture is replaced by cauliflower and Béchamel sauce.

Cauliflower Gratin with ground beef Recipe Ingredients

This gratin has 3 layers: a ground beef mixture + pre-cooked cauliflower + Béchamel sauce. The last layer is sprinkled with shredded cheese.

Ground Beef mixture Ingredients:

I use the same base in my Shepherd’s pie recipe.

• Ground beef : you can use any ground meat, lamb, veal, turkey …
• Onion
• Carrot
• Celery
• Flour to thicken the mixture. Use corn starch for a gluten free dish.
• Beef broth, or chicken / vegetable broth.
• Spices and aromatic herbs to taste: ground nutmeg, thyme and/or rosemary fresh (or dried), parsley.
• Salt and pepper.
• A little vegetable oil to cook the vegetables.

Cauliflower – Bechamel and cheese Ingredients:

For the Béchamel:

• Butter + flour or Corn starch (for gluten free sauce): to make a roux to thicken the sauce.
• Milk: whole or low fat. Use vegetable milk if you like.
• Ground nutmeg: Optional. I like this spice. I think it pairs well with cauliflower.
• Salt and pepper.

Cauliflower : white or colored cauliflower (orange, purple or green). choose a firm cauliflower.

Shredded cheese : Gruyère cheese, comté, Emmental or parmesan. In the US, these are less expensive: Cheddar, Monterey Jack an Mozzarella.

How to make cauliflower gratin with ground beef?

Here is how to make this gratin step by step. It’s so easy! And once you learn how to make it, you can tweak it to your liking by replacing or adding other ingredients.

STEP 1: Cook cauliflower for a very short time

Remove the outer leaves from the cauliflower head. Using a sharp knife, remove the stalk. Then remove the florets by cutting them from the core.

If florets are too large, cut them into smaller pieces.

Soak florets in salt water (or vinegar water) for few minutes. Drain.

Cook the florets for a very short time using your preferred method. Don’t overcook. They should remain crisp.

There are many ways to cook cauliflower. Choose one:

• Microwave : place cauliflower florets in a large microwave safe dish. Add a little salted water. Cook on high 1 or 2 minutes.
• Steaming : add water to the pot, about 2 inches. Bring the water to full boil over high heat. Place cauliflower florets in the steamer basket. Place the steamer over the pot. Cover and cook for about 3 minutes.
• Boiling : add salted water to a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Add cauliflower florets to boiling water and cook for about 2 minutes.

Make sure to drain your cauliflower florets in a strainer.

STEP 2: Cook ground beef and vegetable mixture

Heat a little vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion, carrot and celery. Cook stirring from time to time, until softened, about 15 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium and add ground beef. Cook stirring, and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, to brown evenly. About 10 minutes.

Spoon off any fat.

Add a little flour (or corn starch for a gluten free dish). Cook stirring for about 2 minutes.

Add broth.

Add spices, herbs, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Let it cool.

STEP 3: Béchamel (French white sauce)

Use your own method to make béchamel sauce. You can use store bought, but nothing beats homemade ! Plus it’s cheaper!

For beginners, this is the easiest way to make it. In a saucepan, combine milk, melted butter, flour or cornstarch, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Whisk until mixture is smooth.

Place saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Cook stirring until béchamel is thickened.

STEP 4: Assembling the gratin

Pour meat meat mixture in a baking dish. Place drained cauliflower florets over the top.

Cover with béchamel sauce.

Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

STEP 5: Baking

Bake in a preheated oven (400°F | 200°C), until top is browned, about 25 minutes. Let cool slightly then serve directly from the baking dish.

Notes

• Maybe you are wondering why pre-cook cauliflower if it is going to cook a second time in the oven? This is to ensure cauliflower florets are perfectly cooked: not too crisp but not overcooked. Do not skip this step!
• To make cauliflower more digestible, choose the boiling method and add a pinch of baking soda in the cooking water.
• Don’t forget to preheat the oven to 400°F | 200°C before baking. This step is important in all gratin recipes.

Cauliflower and ground beef gratin – recipe variations

As I mentioned above, this cauliflower gratin is very flexible. Please, feel free to customize it however you like!

Other vegetables: I like substituting half the cauliflower for broccoli florets or potatoes cut in small pieces and pre-cooked. Sweet potatoes or yam are also good to add some carbohydrates to the gratin.

And feel free to use cauliflower florets or mashed cauliflower (mixed with mashed potatoes if you have any leftover).

Other meat: use other meat instead of beef, for example ground lamb, turkey or veal. You can also use cooked meat leftovers (roasted chicken).

Béchamel sauce: substitute milk for cream if you like. You can also use Mornay sauce instead of Béchamel. Mornay sauce is Béchamel with cheese.

Meat mixture: add other vegetables in your meat mixture, for example peas, spinach or chard, kale, zucchini or eggplant…

Breadcumbs: before baking, sprinkle with seasoned breadcrumbs for a crispy topping.

How to store and reheat cauliflower gratin ?

If you have leftovers, cover the dish with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Or store in a container with a lid. Keep in fridge for up to 5 days.

You can also freeze the gratin for up to 3 months.

Thaw in the fridge and reheat in oven at 350°F | 180°C. To reheat small portions, use the microwave.

How to make ahead ?

For a quick and easy weeknight meal, you can cook cauliflower florets, beef mixture and/or Béchamel sauce a day or two before, even a little longer. Keep everything in the fridge. Then assemble and bake less than 40 minutes before serving.

Other cauliflower recipes

Soon on the blog :

• Oven roasted cauliflower
• Cauliflower fritters
• Cream of cauliflower
• Cauliflower soup
• Cauliflower salad
• Cauliflower quiche
• Cauliflower rice
• Cauliflower pizza crust

Other Gratin and casserole recipes

Soon on the blog:

• Scalloped potatoes
• French potato gratin (Gratin dauphinois)
• Moussaka (Greek eggplant gratin)
• Squash gratin
• Pommes boulangères
• Cottage pie
• Mac n cheese
• Pasta gratin

Print

Cauliflower and ground beef gratin recipe

Cauliflower gratin recipe with ground beef, Béchamel (French white sauce) and cheese. It's a complete and balanced meal. And you can make it ahead. Don't skip precooking cauliflower for a very short time. This will ensure that it will be cooked perfectly: not too crisp and not overcooked. You can do this in 3 ways: steaming, boiling and microwave. See notes below.

Course Main Course

Cuisine French

Keyword Béchamel, cauliflower, ground beef

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

For the cauliflower:

• 1 cauliflower head about 2 lbs
• Salt
• Water

For the ground beef mixture:

• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion peeled and chopped
• 1 carrot peeled and chopped
• 1 celery stalk chopped
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 Tbsp flour or corn starch for a gluten free gratin
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried
• A pinch of ground nutmeg
• Salt and black pepper to taste

For the Béchamel sauce:

• 500 ml milk
• 2 Tbsp butter 30 g
• 4 Tbsp flour 30g, or use corn starch for gluten free béchamel
• 1 pinch of nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cheese:

• 200 g of shredded cheese about 2 cups, see notes

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F | 200°C.

Cut cauliflower into florets :

1. Remove the outer leaves from the cauliflower head. Using a sharp knife, remove the stalk. Then remove the florets by cutting them from the core.

   If florets are too large, cut them into smaller pieces.

2. Soak florets in salt water (or vinegar water) for few minutes. Drain.

Cook cauliflower florets for a very short time:

1. Use your favorite method. To steam : add water to the pot, about 2 inches. Bring the water to full boil over high heat. Place cauliflower florets in the steamer basket. Place the steamer over the pot. Cover and cook for about 3 minutes. (See notes below for boiling or microwave).

2. Don't overcook. They should remain crisp.

Cook the ground beef mixture:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion, carrot and celery. Cook stirring from time to time, until softened, about 15 minutes.

2. Increase the heat to medium and add ground beef. Cook stirring, and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, to brown evenly. About 10 minutes. Spoon off any fat.

3. Add flour or corn starch. Cook stirring for about 2 minutes.

4. Add broth, spices, herbs, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Let it cool.

Make béchamel sauce:

1. In a saucepan, combine milk, melted butter, flour or cornstarch, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Whisk until mixture is smooth.

2. Place saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Cook stirring until béchamel is thickened.

Assemble the gratin :

1. Pour meat meat mixture in a baking dish. Place drained cauliflower florets over the top.

2. Cover with béchamel sauce.

3. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Baking:

1. Bake in a preheated oven (400°F | 200°C), until top is browned, about 25 minutes.

2. Let cool slightly then serve directly from the baking dish.

Recipe Notes

RECIPE VARIATIONS:

Other vegetables: I like substituting half the cauliflower for broccoli florets or potatoes cut in small pieces and pre-cooked. Sweet potatoes or yam are also good to add some carbohydrates to the gratin.

And feel free to use cauliflower florets or mashed cauliflower (mixed with mashed potatoes if you have any leftover).

Other meat: use other meat instead of beef, for example ground lamb, turkey or veal. You can also use cooked meat leftovers (roasted chicken).

Béchamel sauce: substitute milk for cream if you like. You can also use Mornay sauce instead of Béchamel. Mornay sauce is Béchamel with cheese.

Meat mixture: add other vegetables in your meat mixture, for example peas, spinach or chard, kale, zucchini or eggplant...

Breadcumbs: before baking, sprinkle with seasoned breadcrumbs for a crispy topping.

Shredded cheese : Gruyère cheese, comté, Emmental or parmesan. In the US, these are less expensive: Cheddar, Monterey Jack an Mozzarella.

PRE-COOKING THE CAULIFLOWER:

Two other methods to cook cauliflower:

• Microwave : place cauliflower florets in a large microwave safe dish. Add a little salted water. Cook on high 1 or 2 minutes. Drain in a strainer.
• Boiling : add salted water to a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Add cauliflower florets to boiling water and cook for about 2 minutes. Drain in a strainer.

MAKE AHEAD:

For a quick and easy weeknight meal, you can cook cauliflower florets, beef mixture and/or Béchamel sauce a day or two before, even a little longer. Keep everything in the fridge.

Assemble and bake less than 40 minutes before serving. Don't forget to preheat your oven to 400°F | 200°C.