Broccoli and cauliflower are generously coated in a creamy white sauce, topped with cheese and bread crumbs, then baked until bubbly, melty and golden brown. This cheesy broccoli cauliflower bake is sure to be a favourite veggie side for Sunday supper or special occasion meals. So easy and ultra comforting!
Are you a fan of veggies?
How about cheese?
Well, this vegetable au gratin recipe is for you!
“Au gratin” all the things, I say!
Au gratin is just a fancy way of saying covering something in bread crumbs and cheese and baking. Ain’t nothing wrong with that, if you ask me.
I mean, veggies are delicious on their own, but cover them in a creamy, cheesy sauce, top with more cheese and panko and bake until bubbly, melty and golden brown? Oh yeah!
This broccoli cauliflower au gratin (or broccoli cauliflower bake) is technically a veggie side, but I could honestly devour a whole bunch and call it dinner (just like scalloped potatoes).
Why We Love This Broccoli Cauliflower Bake
- It’s simple to prepare and made with some humble ingredients.
- It’s chock-full of cruciferous veggies.
- This veggie side is such a great way to get people to eat their veggies, especially since it’s covered in a yummy cheese sauce!
- Of course, it tastes delicious!
How To Make It
Full details are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:
- Start by steaming your florets just to take a little of the bite (crunch) out of them. You definitely don’t want them fully cooked here.
- Meanwhile, make your flour roux (similar to the one you’d make when preparing cod au gratin or mac and cheese). In a saucepan, melt some butter, whisk in flour to form a paste and cook for a little.
- Gradually whisk in milk and cook until everything is nice and thick and easily coats the back of a spoon. You can add your seasonings at this point too.
- Off heat, mix in some shredded cheese.
- Coat the florets with your sauce mixture.
- Pour into a greased baking dish.
- Cover with more cheese and some panko bread crumbs.
- Bake until bubbly, melty and straight-up delicious!
Once everything is baked, crack into that melty, crispy top layer and dig in.
Serve yourself a big portion and maybe go back for seconds (I know I do). This broccoli cauliflower bake is quite hard to resist!
Tips and Variations
- A mixture of cheese is used in this broccoli cauliflower bake. You can use a good quality store-bought shredded cheese blend or, even better, grate your own. For convenience, the shredded blend allows you to use a variety of cheese without having to purchase a full block of each. However, if you prefer to grate your own you can use a combination of your favourites or all mozzarella or provolone, for example.
- Use what cheese you enjoy best. Just pick a good melting cheese (or cheeses), liked cheddar, low moisture mozzarella, provolone, asiago and/or Gouda. You can also add some parmesan for extra flavour.
- Cut your florets into roughly equal-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
- If you have slightly more broccoli than cauliflower (or vice versa), no worries. You basically want about 8 to 9 cups of florets or about 1.5 pounds worth.
- The florets still have a little texture after everything is cooked. If you want them to be a little softer, you can steam them a little more before baking.
- Instead of steaming, you can easily boil the florets. If boiling, give them a little shock in cold water afterwards (to stop the cooking process before they’re baked).
- Garlic powder and onion powder are used here but you can totally cook some garlic cloves and minced onion instead.
More Veggie Side Dishes
If you make this vegetable au gratin recipe, please leave a comment below!
Broccoli Cauliflower Bake (Vegetable au Gratin)
Ingredients
- 4 to 4.5 cups broccoli florets, about 1 small head or ¾ pound
- 4 to 4.5 cups cauliflower florets, about half a large head or ¾ pound
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, divided (5 tablespoons)
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 6 ounces shredded mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan, Asiago and/or cheddar, divided, about 1.5 cups (see "Notes" below, Point "1")
- 2 to 3 tablespoons unseasoned panko bread crumbs
- Chopped chives or green onion, garnish to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Meanwhile, place broccoli and cauliflower florets in a steamer basket (one that will fit over the pot that you will be using). Next, place a few inches of water in a pot and place the steamer basket over it. Bring water to a boil, cover veggies with the steamer basket lid and steam veggies for 6 to 8 minutes or until just tender crisp. Set aside.Note: The veggies will soften a little as they bake, but still have a little bite/crunch. If you want them more well done, steam for a little longer before baking.
- Then, in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, melt ¼ cup (or 4 tablespoons) of butter.
- Whisk in flour to form a paste and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes.
- About ¼ cup at a time, whisk in milk. Keep stirring/whisking until thickened and the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Don't add more milk until the previous batch has thickened. This could take about 8 to 10 minutes until your sauce is made.
- Stir in garlic powder, salt, onion powder, black pepper and nutmeg.
- Off heat, stir in ½ cup (2 ounces) of the shredded cheese and mix until incorporated.
- Stir in broccoli and cauliflower florets, stirring to coat in the sauce.
- Grease a 9 to 10-inch baking dish (or a baking dish of roughly the same size) with remaining 1 tablespoon of butter.
- Pour in broccoli/cauliflower mixture and spread out into an even layer.
- Top with remaining 1 cup (or 4 ounces) of shredded cheese and bread crumbs.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese has melted.
- Garnish, if desired, with freshly chopped chives. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- A mixture of cheese is used in this broccoli cauliflower bake. You can use a good quality store-bought shredded cheese blend (I used an Italian-style cheese blend, which was a combination of provolone, mozzarella, parmesan and asiago) or, even better, grate your own. For convenience, the shredded blend allows you to use a variety of cheese without having to purchase a full block of each. However, if you prefer to grate your own you can use a combination of your favourites or all mozzarella or provolone, for example.
- Use what cheese you enjoy best. Just pick a good melting cheese (or cheeses), liked cheddar, low moisture mozzarella, provolone, asiago and/or Gouda. You can also add some parmesan for extra flavour.
- Cut your florets into roughly equal-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
- If you have slightly more broccoli than cauliflower (or vice versa), no worries. You basically want about 8 to 9 cups of florets or about 1.5 pounds worth.
- The florets still have a little texture after everything is cooked. If you want them to be a little softer, you can steam them a little more before baking.
- Instead of steaming, you can easily boil the florets. If boiling, give them a little shock in cold water afterwards (to stop the cooking process before they’re baked).
A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
© Girl Heart Food Inc. Photographs and content are copyright protected.
Tried this recipe?
If you do make this recipe, thank you!! It would mean so much if you could leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed it, and it helps other readers too!
Stephanie says
DELICIOUS! The cheese I used was 6oz extra sharp cheddar and 2oz of fresh mozzarella cubed and added a little Italian and smoked paprika along with the seasonings you used.
Thank you!!
Dawn | Girl Heart Food says
Thank you so very much, Stephanie!!
Lori Pappas says
Fabulous! Made this for a pre-Easter holiday dinner. My vegetable-resistant husband and adult son had 2nd and 3rd helpings!
Dawn | Girl Heart Food says
Thank you very much, Lori! I’m delighted to hear that you and your family enjoyed the recipe. Happy Easter!
Cheryl Lynch says
Very tasty and crunchy topping.
Dawn | Girl Heart Food says
Thank you so much, Cheryl!
Cris O says
I made this recipe into a one dish meal I sautéed onions carrots and ground turkey meat and mixed in the cheese topping and put that on top of veggies in the last step with the bread crumbs on top of the meat. Was delish.
Dawn | Girl Heart Food says
Sounds like such a hearty and yummy meal! Love the twist! 🙂
Jean says
Yummy,cheesy goodness! And definitely cold bath your vegetables or the broccoli gets a little overdone.
Marie says
Can you prepare a day ahead and bake the next day?
Dawn | Girl Heart Food says
Hi Marie! If you want to prep the broccoli cauliflower bake a day ahead, just make it up to the point before baking, allow it to cool, and then tightly cover it with plastic food wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate. The next day when you are ready to bake, take it out of the refrigerator and remove the plastic food wrap or aluminum foil while you preheat the oven. Bake according to the recipe but, if necessary, add on another 5 to 10 minutes or so until it’s bubbly and the cheese has melted. I hope that helps. Love to hear how it turns out for you if you do give it a try. 🙂
Colleen says
This recipe has become a favourite side dish for my family ! I love adding our own touches , like chicken stock to the sauce , and gluten free flour to please everyone . Thanks for sharing this recipe 🙂
Dawn | Girl Heart Food says
That is so wonderful to hear, Colleen! Thank you kindly!
Karen says
Absolutely delicious! And so easy to make. There’s just the two of us but we finish it all up in two days. I’m going to try the cod au gratin next. Love your recipes
Dawn | Girl Heart Food says
Thank you very much, Karen, for the kind words!! That means a lot! I hope you enjoy the cod au gratin recipe as well. 🙂
Ana says
This was soooo good. It seems like many steps but it’s so worth it. I added a bit of smoked paprika in while making the white sauce.
If anyone knows what the nutritional info of this dish would be, pls let us know!!
Thank you for the recipe, Dawn.
Dawn | Girl Heart Food says
Thank you very much, Ana!! Smoked paprika sounds like such a yummy addition. 🙂
Michelle says
Delicious! Had some leftover broccoli and cauliflower from Easter dinner and was able to use these in recipe. Halved the ingredients because that was the leftovers and also there were only three of us. Tween loved it. Used some jack cheese and swiss cheese as that’s what we had on hand. Will be making this one again.
Dawn | Girl Heart Food says
Thank you very much, Michelle! I’m so happy you enjoyed it! What a great way to use those leftover veggies. 🙂
Del says
Made without adding the salt due to hubby’s sodium restriction and only used half mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Very tasty although those of us who are not sodium restricted just added salt as needed. Will make again.
Del says
Made without salt due to husband’s low sodium diet and and cut the cheese measurement in half for same reason. Tasty dish of veggies!
Dawn | Girl Heart Food says
Thank you so very much! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Ruthie says
Can’t wait to make this for my family dinner on Sunday . Everyone loves broccoli and cauliflower so I’m sure Thay will love this !! Thank you for this recipe. 😊
Andrea says
I have made this about five times and the flavor is great!! My biggest issue was the vegetables were always overcooked. This time I did NOT precook them and it was perfect.
Dawn | Girl Heart Food says
Yay, I’m so happy you enjoy the recipe, Andrea! Thank you very much!