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Hello! I’m Anjali. I’m a board certified health coach, author, wife, mom and food lover from the SF Bay area (now living in Seattle, WA!); with a passion for delicious food and a desire to make healthy eating easy, tasty and fun! Learn more about me here and stay for a while!

Anjali Shah

Vegetable Au Gratin

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This vegetable au gratin features crisp, tender vegetables smothered in a cheesy sauce, then topped with crispy breadcrumbs and parmesan. You’re going to love this easy side dish or main course that is ready in less than an hour! Kid-friendly & vegetarian.

Baked vegetable au gratin in a baking dish.

Cheese-aholics rejoice! This roasted vegetable au gratin is jam-packed with perfectly cooked veggies in a decadent cheese sauce. Au gratin just means a dish is baked with breadcrumbs and cheese on top, which creates a golden brown, crispy exterior that complements the creamy, cheesy sauce underneath. It’s cozy, rich, and satisfying.

Latest Recipe Video!

Baked vegetable au gratin is my go-to dinner for busy weeknights. It may take 45 minutes to cook, but the prep work is a breeze! Make a cheese sauce, pour it over the veggies, top with breadcrumbs, and pop it in the oven. It’s that simple. Even my kids devour this vegetable au gratin casserole. Always a win!

This veg au gratin recipe is easy to customize too. It’s a nice “clean out your fridge” kind of recipe. Don’t let any leftover veggies go to waste, including frozen veggies. Enjoy as a perfect side dish or as a main meal with a side of garlic bread. I like to serve it for Sunday supper or at a dinner party.

👩‍🍳 Why This Recipe Works

  • Full of nutrient-dense veggies like carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower!
  • Rich and creamy with no heavy cream
  • Crispy topping from the breadcrumbs
  • Easy to make, but looks fancy and decadent
  • Kid-friendly
  • Great side dish or main meal
  • Packed with delicious flavors
  • Super customizable
  • Best vegetables au gratin ever!

🥘 Ingredients

This vegetable au gratin recipe is made with simple ingredients found at your local grocery store. Here’s what you need.

Ingredients for vegetable au gratin recipe.
  • Butter: Fat is an essential part of any roux. A roux is a cooked mixture of flour and fat that works as a thickener, in this case for the cheese sauce. If you don’t have butter, olive oil makes a good swap.
  • All-Purpose Flour: Flour thickens the milk mixture so it’s not runny.
  • Low-Fat Milk: Milk is the base of the cheese sauce. If you don’t have low-fat milk, whole, reduced-fat, or plant-based milk works great too.
  • Cheddar Cheese: I used cheddar for this veg au gratin, but any meltable grated cheese tastes delish. Try gouda, gruyere, Monterey jack, Italian blend, or a combination. If you don’t want lots of cheese, you can cut the amount in half.
  • Seasoning: Salt enhances cheesy dishes and nutmeg adds a subtle sweetness.
  • Vegetables: Broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots are a delicious combo, but any mix of vegetables work. Just remember to slice root vegetables like carrots and potatoes, so they cook through. Try adding green beans, zucchini, onion, potatoes, peas, parsnips, or spinach. Frozen veggies are also an easy and delicious option.
  • Panko Breadcrumbs: For a golden brown crusty top. Whole-grain breadcrumbs are a great option for additional nutrients.
  • Parmesan Cheese: A layer of parmesan cheese hardens as it bakes for a perfectly crisp golden brown top, and a totally delicious dish!

📖 Variations

Roasted cauliflower au gratin is easy to customize! Try one of these delicious variations.

  • Make It Gluten-Free: Swap the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend, and the bread crumbs for gluten-free breadcrumbs.
  • Make It Vegan: Use a vegan bechamel sauce, vegan cheddar and vegan parmesan to make this recipe vegan friendly.
  • Potato And Parsnip Gratin: Omit the veggies, and swap with sliced potatoes and parsnips.
  • Root Vegetables Gratin: Omit the veggies, and swap with sliced root vegetables. Try onions, potatoes, parsnips, carrots, sweet potatoes, fennel, or yucca.
  • Potato Courgette And Cheddar Gratin: Swap the veggies with sliced zucchini and potatoes. Salt the zucchini ahead of time to release any excess moisture, then pat dry.

🔪 Instructions

This broccoli cauliflower gratin is ready in less than an hour! Here’s how to make it with step-by-step pictures.

Preheat Oven, Melt Butter, Cook Roux: First, preheat the oven to 340 degrees Fahrenheit. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, continuously stirring, for about 2 minutes.

Roux being made in a large pot on the stove.

Add Milk & Cheese: Add the milk 1/4 cup at a time, stirring after each addition to ensure there’s no lumps. Once all the milk is added, cook for 2 more minutes to thicken. At this point you have a tasty bechamel sauce. Add the cheddar cheese, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to the pot. Stir for a couple more minutes until the cheese is melted and well combined. Remove cheese sauce from the heat.

Cheese mixed into bechamel sauce on the stove in a large pot.

Cover Veggies: In a large casserole dish, add the vegetables in an even layer. Pour on the creamy sauce, then stir until the veggies are evenly coated.

Cut broccoli, cauliflower and carrots in a baking dish.

Top With Breadcrumbs: Sprinkle the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese evenly over the veggies.

Carrots broccoli and cauliflower gratin in a casserole dish topped with cheese.

Bake Veg Au Gratin: Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cheese melts, the top has a golden crust, and the veggies are tender. If the veggies aren’t done, cover the pan with aluminum foil and cook 5 more minutes. Enjoy immediately!

Broccoli and cauliflower gratin in a casserole dish.

❓ Recipe FAQs

What is au gratin?

Au gratin is a classic French dish that refers to any dish that has a lightly golden, baked crust with breadcrumbs and cheese or any other crumbly savory mixture! It’s comfort food at its best!

What vegetables go with cheddar?

There are so many options! Carrots, sweet corn, broccoli, potatoes, parsnips, green beans, peas, onions, cauliflower, zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, and spinach all taste great with cheddar cheese.

What is the preferred cheese for au gratin cooking?

This is more of a preference thing. For best results, use a meltable cheese like cheddar, gruyere, gouda, mozzarella, Italian, Swiss, Monterey jack, or fontina. Or for even more flavor, try a combination of cheeses.

How should I store leftover broccoli cauliflower au gratin?

Store leftover broccoli and cauliflower gratin in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to four days. To freeze, simply freeze the leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to four months. Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees until warmed through.

💭 Expert Tips

  • Avoid watery veggies: In general, you want to avoid vegetables that have a high water content. Root veggies and cruciferous veggies are great options. If you choose to use sliced zucchini, it’s best to salt it beforehand. This releases excess moisture which you can then pat dry. Doing this ensures the au gratin won’t get watery.
  • For a lighter version: For a lighter dish with less fat, reduce the amount of cheese by half or use reduced-fat cheese.
  • To ensure a perfect roux (bechamel sauce), the ratios of flour, butter and milk need to be exact, so make sure to measure carefully. If you have too much milk, your roux will be runny; but if you have too much flour, your roux will be thick and lumpy. You know the flour is cooked properly when it smells a little nutty after cooking in the butter for 1-2 minutes. Then, make sure to incorporate the milk slowly as you whisk to keep the sauce lump free!
  • Cutting your veggies: Try to cut the vegetables into similar sizes so they cook evenly.
Vegetable au gratin with cheese in a baking dish.

🍛 More Casserole Recipes to Try!

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🎥 Watch How to Make It

https://youtu.be/71gEAw0Pe8o
Baked vegetable au gratin in a baking dish.
Print Recipe
5 from 11 votes

Cheddar Vegetable Au Gratin

This vegetable au gratin features crisp, tender vegetables smothered in a cheesy sauce, then topped with crispy breadcrumbs and parmesan. You're going to love this easy side dish or main meal that is ready in less than an hour! Kid-friendly & vegetarian.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Italian
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 251kcal
Author: Anjali Shah

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 340 degrees F / 170 C.
  • Melt the butter in a medium pot over a medium-low heat.
  • When melted sprinkle in the flour and stir to combine, cook on low heat for 2 minutes.
  • Add ¼ cup of milk at a time, stirring in between each addition to ensure there’s no lumps.
  • When all the milk has been added continue to cook for another 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
  • Add the cheddar cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir for 3-4 minutes until well combined and cheese is fully melted, adjust seasoning to taste. Remove from the heat.
  • In a large oven dish add the vegetables in an even layer, cover with the cheese sauce, stirring gently to ensure the vegetables are coated in the sauce.
  • Sprinkle the panko crumbs and parmesan cheese over top of the vegetables.
  • Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes. The topping should be a lovely golden color and the vegetables should be tender.
  • If the vegetables need to be cooked a little longer cover the baking dish with foil and continue to cook for a further 5-10 minutes until completely cooked through, do not over cook.
  • Serve immediately or store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Notes

  • Any vegetables can be used in this dish however vegetables like zucchini may add extra liquid to the sauce causing the sauce to be a little watery.
  • If you’d like to reduce some fat in this dish simply ½ the amounts of cheese.
  • Gluten free flour and be used instead of all-purpose flour.
  • Any milk can be used, including plant based milk.
  • When cutting the broccoli and cauliflower into florets make sure they’re all a similar size to ensure even cooking.
  • Frozen vegetables can also be used.

Nutrition

Calories: 251kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 497mg | Potassium: 575mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g

38 responses to “Vegetable Au Gratin”

  1. How could I make this dish ahead of time for Christmas dinner? Hoping to do some steps in advance even if I have to bake it Christmas afternoon. Would it still thicken okay?

    • Hi Nicole! I haven’t made this in advance before, but I would imagine you could do the first few steps in advance (until you cover the veggies with the cheese sauce and before you add the breadcrumbs), and store it in the fridge. And then right before you bake it, add the breadcrumbs and cheese topping and bake right away. Hope that helps and I hope you love this recipe!

  2. Enjoyed this with dinner last night and it was a hit all around the table! Easy and delicious and paired perfectly with dinner! Definitely a new favorite side dish!5 stars

  3. This was the perfect side dish for dinner last night! I used half gruyere because I had some I wanted to use up and it was perfect!5 stars

  4. Thanks for this great recipe! We loved it. I had never thought about making a casserole with beans, so this was a great inspiration.5 stars

  5. This was delicious! We are trying to mange my husband’s cholesterol so he wants to eat less meat during the week so always looking for some easy to make but delicious vegetarian meals. This was great! Definitely making it again.5 stars

  6. Such a unique and unexpected casserole! Served this for dinner last night and it was a hit all around the table; the whole family loved it!5 stars

  7. So, if one wanted to use feta instead of parmesan, how much would you use? btw, love the pics – I find them very helpful. (fwiw, img_1853) isn’t displaying in my browser) thanks again for the yummy recipe!

    • Hi Patricia! I’d use the same amount – 1.25 cups of crumbled feta cheese. So glad you found the pics helpful! That’s strange about that one image – it loads for me so I’d suggest clearing your cache and trying to load it again. Hope you love this recipe when you try it! 🙂

  8. Looks absolutely delicious! That looks like it would be a great side to a turkey dinner on Thanksgiving.

    • Thanks! And yes totally!! I can definitely see this as being the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas 🙂

  9. This looks so incredibly comforting – Made it last night and it was so delicious!! Such a nice change!! You have the best recipes!!

    • Awww yay! So happy to hear that Lahoma – and I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying my recipes! Happy cooking! 🙂

  10. I love beans (my husband is looking at me weird)- he has no idea how many times he had beans in the dishes I made 🙂 Thank you for sharing.

    • Haha! That’s awesome 🙂 I love beans too Freddie! Hope you like this recipe when you try it!

  11. This looks so yummy AND healthy! Should be super simple to throw together as well. Thanks for the recipe!

  12. hah, @Elisha I was thinking the same while reading the recipe but I’ll make it for my fiance.. Just have to get done with the house cleaning marathon and off to the kitchen

  13. Awesome idea- I’m going to switch up the bread crumbs and make this for my mother. Several helpings of this + wine = perfect dinner.

    • Sounds like a great plan Elisha! Let me know how your mother liked the recipe!

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