Keep an eye on your oven so you know when it’s reached the correct temperature. Most models will sound an alert or flash a light to let you know that they’re preheated.
While a knife makes cutting the large florets into small ones easier, you can often use your fingers to snap the florets into smaller pieces as well.
It’s a good idea to add some salt to the water before boiling to help season the cauliflower. Mix in 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons (8. 5 to 11 g) before turning on the heat.
Cutting the butter into pieces can help it melt more quickly. Keep an eye on the butter as it melts. It can burn very easily.
When you’re whisking the flour and butter together, make sure to blend until the mixture is as smooth as possible. Continue to whisk the flour and butter mixture while it’s cooking to ensure that it doesn’t scorch.
You can swap cayenne pepper for the black pepper if you prefer. Just add 1 to 2 pinches of the cayenne depending on how much heat you want to add to the dish.
Whole milk will help create the creamiest sauce for the dish, but you can use a low-fat milk if you prefer.
Once you’ve added all of the cheese, it’s a good idea to taste the sauce and see if you need to add any more pepper or salt before assembling the casserole.
Make sure that your baking dish is ovenproof or it may crack when placed in the oven to bake.
You can customize the topping to your taste. For example, you might omit the breadcrumbs if you prefer and use only cheese.
If you want to add a garnish to the casserole, you can sprinkle chopped chives or flat-leaf parsley over the top once it comes out of the oven.
