Cauliflower Au Gratin With Bacon

About

If anything can make a meal better, it’s two things: cheese and bacon! Cheesy potato au gratin is a delicious side dish, but potatoes can rack up the carb count pretty quickly. Thankfully, cauliflower is here to save the day! With a creamy cheese sauce filling, and a little crunch from the crispy bacon, you won’t mind this cauliflower alternative at all.

– Jessica L

Ingredients

3 ounce bacon
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic raw
2 cup beverages almond milk unsweetened shelf stable
1 teaspoon spices paprika
1 teaspoon spices, mustard seed, ground
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 ½ cup, shredded shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup, shredded fontina cheese
1 pound cauliflower
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. In a large pan, cook the bacon until it’s very crispy. Set the bacon aside to cool and then roughly chop. This will be used later.
In the same pan, drain the fat. Melt the butter over medium heat and deglaze the pan. Cook the minced garlic for thirty seconds in the fat without letting it burn.
Gently pour in the almond milk. Stir in the paprika and mustard powder, and bring the mixture to a simmer.
Remove about a half cup of the hot liquid, and stir in the cornstarch. Return the thickened liquid to the main pot, and allow the liquid to simmer for a few minutes to thicken lightly.
Finally, shred the cheddar and fontina cheese if necessary. Stir the cheese into the sauce in ½ cup additions until the mixture is smooth and velvety. Set the sauce aside to cool and thicken slightly.
For the cauliflower, remove the core from a large head. Cut the head in half and slice the florets in wide slices about ½-inch thick. If the florets break apart slightly, this is okay. Arrange the slices of cauliflower in a baking dish, like you would a potato au gratin.
Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the top of the cauliflower. Then, arrange the chopped bacon over the top. Finally, pour over the cheesy cream sauce, making sure all the cauliflower is well covered.
Lightly cover the baking dish with foil, and bake it in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake the uncovered dish for an additional 30 minutes. Serve hot!