The best baked cauliflower cheese, layered with slices of fennel and finished in a rich, creamy cheese sauce. Topped with extra grated cheese, it comes out of the oven bubbling, golden and fragrant — pure comfort food.
Baked cauliflower cheese is the perfect comforting side dish for a roast or simply a satisfying vegetarian main.
Cauliflower cheese was a Sunday-roast staple in my house, served alongside roast beef or chicken and a selection of vegetable sides. My mum always went the extra mile, and the golden, cheesy cauliflower gratin was the family favourite.
It’s comfort food at its simplest and pairs well with most mains — and it’s delicious on its own. I’ve added a twist here by including fennel; baked cauliflower and fennel gratin is a classic in parts of northern Italy and works wonderfully in this dish.
What Can I Add To Baked Cauliflower Cheese?
- Bacon
- Spring onions
- Leeks
- Broccoli (baked cauliflower and broccoli cheese is great)
- Stronger or blue cheeses for a different flavour
- Breadcrumbs for a crunchy topping
How To Make Baked Cauliflower Cheese With Fennel – Step By Step
Trim the green tops from the fennel (reserve the fronds for garnish), slice the bulb into thick rounds and separate the cauliflower into small florets. Remove the cauliflower stalk first to make this easier.
Blanch the fennel and cauliflower in a large pot of salted boiling water for 3 minutes, then drain and set aside.
To make the bechamel-style cheese sauce: melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stir in the flour to form a thick paste and cook for 1 minute to remove the raw flour taste. Gradually whisk in 1 cup (250ml) of milk, whisking until the sauce thickens before adding the next cup. Repeat with the final cup of milk, then season with a pinch of salt, pepper and nutmeg. When the sauce begins to thicken, stir in 1 cup (110g) of grated cheese until melted, then remove from the heat.
Place the blanched fennel and cauliflower in a large baking dish and pour over the cheese sauce. Cover with foil and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 20 minutes.
Remove the foil, sprinkle over the remaining grated cheese and bake uncovered for another 10–15 minutes until the top is golden, melted and bubbling. Garnish with fennel fronds if you like and serve hot.
The Best Cheeses To Use To Make Cauliflower Cheese
For this recipe I used grated fontal, a common Italian cheese similar to Fontina. Fontina is an excellent option too, though often pricier. Other good choices include:
- Strong cheddar
- Smoked cheddar (for example Applewood)
- A blend of cheddar and a blue cheese such as Gorgonzola
- Mozzarella mixed with cheddar for a stretchy, golden topping
- Fontina or fontal
- Gruyère
- Grated Parmesan for finishing (paired with another melty cheese for topping)
If you try this baked cauliflower cheese with fennel (or any other recipe here), please rate it and leave a comment to tell me how it turned out — I love hearing from readers.
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Baked Cauliflower Cheese and Fennel
By Emily
Ingredients
- 1 large fennel bulb
- 1/2 cauliflower
- 1.5 oz (40g) butter
- 2 heaped tbsp flour
- 3 cup (750ml) semi-skimmed milk
- 2 cups (220g) grated cheese, (strong cheddar, fontina or gruyere)
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 good pinch salt and pepper
Instructions
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Trim the fennel tops (reserve fronds), slice the bulb and break the cauliflower into florets. Remove the cauliflower stalk first to make cutting easier.
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Boil the fennel and cauliflower in salted water for 3 minutes, then drain and set aside.
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Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
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To make the sauce, melt the butter over medium heat, add the flour and cook for 1 minute while stirring. Gradually whisk in the milk in three stages, seasoning with salt, pepper and nutmeg as the sauce thickens.
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When the sauce is thick, stir in 1 cup (110g) grated cheese until melted, then remove from the heat.
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Place the fennel and cauliflower in a baking dish, pour over the cheese sauce, cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
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Remove the foil, scatter over the remaining cheese and bake for 10–15 minutes more until golden and bubbling. Garnish with fennel fronds if desired and serve.
Notes
What Can I Add To Baked Cauliflower Cheese?
Try variations such as bacon, spring onions, leeks, broccoli, different cheeses or a crunchy breadcrumb topping.
The Best Cheeses To Use To Make Cauliflower Cheese
Good melting cheeses for this recipe include strong cheddar, smoked cheddar, Fontina or fontal, Gruyère, or blends with mozzarella. Use Parmesan for grating over the top if you like.
Calories from Fat 162
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I use extra virgin olive oil in recipes unless stated otherwise.
- All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise.
- Recipes are developed and tested using a fan (convection) oven.
- Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate.