Rich and creamy, keto cauliflower au gratin is the most versatile side dish you can make. It goes with any meal – and fills you up!

What Does Au Gratin Mean

You might have heard of – or even indulged in – au gratin potatoes. It’s a very common side dish. I took this classic idea and made it keto-friendly!

Au gratin describes any dish that is topped with lots of cheese, some breadcrumbs, and then crisped under a broiler.

Obviously, potatoes and bread crumbs are not keto-friendly. It only took a few modifications to create this rich and tasty keto cauliflower au gratin.

Cauliflower Au Gratin

There are literally just 5 simple ingredients in this delicious low-carb side dish. I used cauliflower florets instead of potatoes and crumbled bacon instead of bread crumbs.

I love how the bacon adds the perfect amount of crunch and salty goodness to the cauliflower. If you wanted to, you could use crumbled pork rinds instead of bacon. It will resemble bread crumbs a little closer. Just make sure that you use unflavored plain pork rinds.

Low-Carb Cauliflower Au Gratin

If you are worried about which side dishes to make for the holidays, put this on your list! Everyone is going to love it!

You can even make it ahead of time. Seal the casserole dish completely and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Then, reheat it in the oven until the cheese melts and it becomes slightly crispy again.

This is also perfect for your meal prep too. Mix in some shredded rotisserie chicken and it is a complete meal for lunch. It’s so easy.

Broccoli and Cauliflower Au Gratin

This recipe is really easy to change up. If you want to serve even more people (or just make it taste differently) then add some broccoli florets. Remember to use only the florets from both the cauliflower and broccoli.

The stems are not as delicious and distract from the overall experience.

Save yourself prep time and buy a bag of cauliflower and broccoli florets from the produce department of your local grocery store. When you add broccoli, you might want to top it with a little more cheese, since it will soak up more of the creamy sauce.

Try this recipe with different types of cheese. Some pepper jack cheese will make the dish taste a bit spicier. Adding parmesan cheese on top will help it taste a little crispier.

Keto Cauliflower Au Gratin

This is the perfect side dish because it goes with almost anything. It will taste perfect with keto baked ham. The flavors are mild enough that they won’t distract from the ham’s glaze.

The rich cheesy flavors also mix really well with low-carb hot chicken salad. Together they are cheesy perfection! It also tastes amazing with red meat too. Add the keto cauliflower au gratin to the side with some keto garlic butter steak. It will be a restaurant-quality dinner.

Don’t forget to garnish the cauliflower au gratin! I like to sprinkle some sliced green onions on top, along with some more crumbled bacon.

Easy Keto Cauliflower Au Gratin Recipe

Here a list of ingredients that you’ll need to make this simple keto cauliflower au gratin. Exact measurements and instructions are located in the printable recipe card, just a little bit further below.

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

Cauliflower
Unsalted butter
Heavy cream
Sharp cheddar cheese
Bacon
Green onions

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9×13 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Fill a large stockpot with water to three-quarters full. Add about 1 teaspoon salt. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the cauliflower florets and cook for 10 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain the cauliflower well and place in the casserole dish.
3. Sprinkle half of the bacon over the cauliflower and tuck into the cauliflower florets.

4. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. When the butter is melted, add the heavy cream and bring to a boil, stirring often. Allow simmering for 10 minutes. Stir in 2 ½ cups of the cheese and stir until melted. Allow sauce to simmer, stirring often, for an additional 3 to 4 minutes or until the sauce coats the back of a spoon and begins clinging to the sides of the skillet.

5. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower and bacon. Top with the remaining cheese and bacon.

6. Bake for 45 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the cauliflower begins to brown.

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Keto Cauliflower Au Gratin

Rich and creamy, keto cauliflower au gratin is the most versatile side dish you can make. It goes with any meal - and fills you up!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Course Side Dish

Servings 6 people

Calories 315 kcal

Equipment

9x13 casserole dish
Large Pot

Ingredients

2 large Heads of Cauliflower stems removed, separated into evenly-sized florets
1 cup Unsalted Butter 2 sticks
2 cups Heavy Cream
3 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese divided
1 1/2 cups Bacon cooked and crumbled

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x13 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Fill a large stockpot with water to three-quarters full. Add about 1 teaspoon salt. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the cauliflower florets and cook for 10 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain the cauliflower well and place in the casserole dish.
Sprinkle half of the bacon over the cauliflower and tuck into the cauliflower florets.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. When the butter is melted, add the heavy cream and bring to a boil, stirring often. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in 2 1⁄2 cups of the cheese and stir until melted. Allow sauce to simmer.