The BEST Cheesy Cauliflower Bake Recipe - Simply Stacie (2024)

FAQs

Why does cauliflower cheese go watery in the oven? ›

Cauliflower cheese can go watery if the cauliflower is overcooked. Overcooked cauliflower releases water, which will seep into the rest of the dish. So even if your sauce was thick when it went in the oven, if its in there too long, the water from the cauliflower will cause it to go watery.

Cauliflower is blanched for a few minutes, before being baked in the oven smothered in cheese sauce. So gooood. What is this? It pairs really well with salty meats, especially roast ham, gammon steaks and bacon.

Keep The Cauliflower White. The pigments in white vegetables like cauliflower and onions will stay white with the addition of an acid such as lemon juice to the cooking water (as long as they are not overcooked).

Drain well

Make sure you drain the cauliflower really well after it's boiled up and before you add it to the dish, otherwise it will end up too watery.

In a covered Dutch oven, heat the extra-virgin olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. Cut the core away from the cauliflower and set the head into the pot and add the stock. Cover and steam until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove and separate the cauliflower into florets.

If you're planning to roast the cauliflower whole or slice it into steaks, slice off the thick stem at the base. Drop the whole cauliflower head upside-down into cool, salted water. Let it soak for 10 to 15 minutes to remove dirt, residue and bugs.

When blanching or cooking cauliflower, keep it white by adding 1 cup of milk. The milk will also give the cauliflower a sweeter flavor.

It can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to cook. It is possible to freeze cauliflower cheese but unfortunately the sauce can sometimes turn thin and sligtly watery on defrosting, so we prefer not to freeze the dish if at all possible.

Unfortunately, cauliflower is a no-go when it comes to a low FODMAP diet. This is because cauliflower contains high levels of mannitol, a common FODMAP within vegetables. FODMAPS are carbohydrates which your small bowel cannot digest. Instead, the bacteria in your large bowel ferment them, result in gas production.

Overcooking is the main reason cheese sauces split. The béchamel sauce only needs to be hot enough to melt the cheese, which you should add gradually, mixing gently until it is fully incorporated.

How do you keep cheese from getting watery? ›

Wipe the cheese dry, wrap in parchment or wax paper and place in an airtight container. Store in your vegetable drawer or if you have one, the shelf compartment specifically designed for cheese. This is a more temperature stable area and cheese seems to last better when placed here.

The trick with cauliflower is: Don't cook it till is too soft. just 4 or 5 minutes but taste to be sure. then drain into a colander, (sieve with big holes) and leave to drain for a few minutes, asking every minute. tap dry with a little kitchen paper or a clean tea towel.

Transfer the riced cauliflower to the center of a clean dish towel. Arrange the towel filled with cauliflower over a small bowl, then squeeze as much liquid as you can out of the cooked cauliflower. It might not feel like there's excess moisture at first, but you may be surprised by how much liquid is released!