This roasted broccoli and cauliflower cheese is ultimately delicious, serving as the perfect accompaniment to your Christmas holiday table or as a delicious vegetarian main course. Ready in 30 minutes or less, it's also a quick and easy option for busy weeknights!
About this Broccoli and Cauliflower Cheese gratin recipe
As much as I love traditional English Cauliflower cheese, we love this cauliflower and broccoli cheese gratin too. What makes it special? We roast the veggies until crispy in the oven/ air fryer, coat them in a creamy white sauce, add two cheeses, and bake to perfection.
It's cheesy, creamy, and utterly delicious, I must say!
For a comforting twist, try my secret: add cooked short pasta to the roasted cauliflower/ broccoli and cheese, pour in the white cheese sauce, and bake until melted. Just like my cauliflower mac and cheese!
Why you'll love this recipe?
- Time-efficient: Opt for the air fryer for quick roasting without lengthy preheating.
- Fast and easy: Ideal for busy weeknights with great flavoor.
- Leftover-friendly: A fantastic use for any leftover roasted broccoli and cauliflower.
- Prep-friendly: Prep components in advance, assemble, and finish 10 minutes before serving.
- Scale up / down: Ideal for serving a crowd or a small family.
- Dietary options: Suitable for vegetarians; for a vegan version, use vegan cream and nutritional flakes instead of cheddar cheese in the sauce.
Ingredients
- Cauliflower and Broccoli : Fresh cauliflower florets and broccoli florets taste best when chopped into medium sized florets and used in this dish. Make sure it is roasted well before adding it to the baking dish.
- Garlic: Adds delicious flavours to the cauliflower and broccoli while roasting. Use fresh or garlic granules.
- Olive oil: Just enough to roast the veggies.
- Cheese: Use a combination of cheeses – Cheddar Cheese and Red Leicester Cheese
- Milk: Adding milk creates the creamy texture.
- Cream: Adding cream lends the richness to the sauce.
- Plain flour: Also known as All purpose flour is used as a the thickening agent for the creamy sauce.
- Butter: You can use unsalted butter for this recipe.
- Salt & Pepper: to taste
How to make Cauliflower and Broccoli cheese in the air fryer?
Roast the cauliflower and broccoli florets: Begin by placing the cauliflower florets and broccoli florets in a dish. Drizzle olive oil, garlic, some salt and pepper. Toss together, transfer to the air fryer basket. Air fry at 180C for 10-12 minutes or until the veggies are crispy and well roasted.
Make the cheddar cheese sauce: In the meanwhile, make the white sauce.To prepare the cheese sauce, first melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Then add the flour, stirring continuously to form a thick paste. Gradually add the milk and cream, whisking until fully combined. Stir in Dijon mustard, cooking the sauce until it begins to bubble. Turn off the heat, add cheddar cheese to cut the heat through, season, and then remove it from the heat.
Transfer to a baking dish: Arrange the roasted cauliflower and broccoli florets in a baking dish and pour the cheese sauce over them to ensure they are fully covered. Sprinkle cheddar and Red Leicester cheese on top.
Air fry: Transfer the baking dish to the air fryer basket and set it to air fry at 200°C for 5-6 minutes. Your goal is to achieve a golden-brown top with bubbling sauce. Keep in mind that the exact frying time may vary depending on your air fryer’s size, so use the mentioned time as a reference.
If you are using a smaller air fryer, you may have to make them in two dishes.
How to make Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli cheese in Oven?
To make roasted cauliflower and broccoli cheese in the oven, preheat to 200°C (400°F). In the mean while, place the broccoli and cauliflower in a baking dish. Drizzle oil, garlic, salt and pepper and toss to combine. Place it in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until done.
Remove the dish from the oven. Pour the prepared cheesy cream sauce over them, scatter cheese, and bake for a further 18-20 minutes until golden. Allow the dish to cool slightly before serving. These creamy roasted cauliflower cheese will make a delicious side dish for any meal or as a main for special occasions or gatherings.
Serving Suggestions for cauliflower and broccoli gratin
Transform your festive spread with this delicious Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli Cheese—an adaptable meatless dish, perfect for elevating your Sunday roast or holiday feast, be it Christmas, Thanksgiving, or any noteworthy celebration.
Pair it with air-fried vegetables on the side, a vibrant Christmas coleslaw, or artisan no-knead bread for a balanced and satisfying meal.
Storing Leftovers
In the fridge: If you have any leftovers, don’t worry; this dish can be stored easily. Simply place the leftover cauliflower cheese in an airtight container and refrigerate it. It will stay fresh for 2-3 days.
In the freezer: For longer-term storage, consider freezing it. The cauliflower and the broccoli texture will be softer when thawed, but I can tell you they are still delicious.
To reheat: First thaw the frozen cheesy gratin in the fridge overnight or in the microwave using the defrost function. Then reheat it in the oven or air fryer to bring back that crispy texture.
Make ahead Cauliflower and Broccoli cheese
For a stress-free holiday meal on Christmas or Thanksgiving, make your Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli Cheese ahead of time. Roast the cauliflower and broccoli florets, whip up the cheese sauce, then layer them in a baking dish, topping it with more cheese.
Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours to let the flavours meld. When you're about an hour away from serving, take it out, and air fry until the cheese is bubbly and golden. This ensures a crispy finish while preserving the creamy goodness.
MORE AIR FRYER CAULIFLOWER RECIPES
Air fryer cauliflower mac n cheese
Air fryer Buffalo Cauliflower wings
Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower gratin recipe below
Ingredients
- 1 medium cauliflower broken into large florets (450g)
- 1 small broccoli broken in medium floret (250g)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¾-1 teaspoon garlic Powder
Cheese Sauce
- 42 g butter about 3 tbsp
- 36 g plain flour about 3 tbsp
- 250 ml double cream
- 250 ml whole milk
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
- 75 g mature cheddar grated
On the top
- 50 g red Leicester cheese
- 50 g cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Place the cauliflower and broccoli florets in a bowl. Drizzle olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Transfer to the air fryer basket and air fry at 180C for 9-12 minutes or until roasted.1 medium cauliflower
- Simultaneously, make a cheese sauce.Heat butter in a pan. When melted, add the flour and cook continuously in low flame to create a roux.42 g butter, 36 g plain flour , 250 ml whole milk, 250 ml double cream, salt and pepper to taste, 75 g mature cheddar
- Then add the milk and cream a little at a time first and continue to whisk until thick.
- Add the dijon mustard, and stir and cook until the sauce bubbles.Switch off the flame and add cheddar cheese.1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- Pour the cheese sauce over until fully coated. Scatter red Leicester cheese and cheddar cheese all over.50 g red Leicester cheese, 50 g cheddar cheese
Air frying
- Transfer the dish to the air fryer basket. Air fry at 180C for 5-6 minutes until the cheese has melted, bubbling and the top is brown.
Baking in the Oven
- Preheat the oven to 200C. If you would like to bake, place the the dish in the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese has melted and bubbling and the top is brown.
- Garnish with chopped chives. ( optional)
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