Creamy Cauliflower and Peas
Creamy Cauliflower and Peas is a deliciously cheesy side dish. Combine cauliflower and green peas with a gouda and white cheddar cheese sauce and top it all with a buttery cracker crumb topping for a side dish that can be served with seasoned steaks, pork chops or fried chicken.
We love cauliflower! But let’s be honest, it doesn’t have tons of flavor on its own. We like it best when it’s used in Cauliflower Fried Rice, Cheesy Cauliflower Soup, or made as an appetizer in Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower.
We also like it in a creamy vegetable casserole paired with other vegetables. This favorite side dish combines cauliflower with frozen green peas and a delightful cheese sauce to make a delicious accompaniment to fish, chicken, beef or pork. You can’t go wrong with adding it to almost any meal.
How to clean and cut cauliflower?
- Remove the cauliflower from the plastic wrapping. Using a sharp knife, cut through the core and carefully slice the head in half.
- Rinse the cauliflower and make sure to allow water to run in between each stem. Lay the two halves on a kitchen towel to dry for a few minutes.
- On a cutting board, cut the stems away from the core. Cut the cauliflower into the desired size for the recipe you are making. When using in soups, add chunks of cauliflower to the food processor and pulse it until chopped fine. This adds a nice, creamy texture to the soup. When cooking it in the air fryer, leave the cauliflower in 1-inch pieces for easy eating.
- For this recipe, cut the cauliflower into 1/2 pieces, while leaving some just a bit bigger. In vegetable casseroles you want to try to keep the vegetables all the same size so they all cook through in the same amount of time. Adding frozen green peas to this recipe literally gives the dish a bright, fresh pop of flavor.
Creamy Cauliflower and Peas Recipe
What’s needed?
CAULIFLOWER– This is the foundation of the dish and soaks up the flavors of the cheese sauce and becomes soft and creamy.
FROZEN PEAS– Provides a fresh pop of flavor and adds color to the dish.
GOUDA CHEESE– A great melting cheese, gouda has a mild flavor and a creamy texture.
WHITE CHEDDAR CHEESE– This is also a great melting cheese and blends well with GOUDA in this recipe.
DIJON MUSTARD– Adds a slight tanginess to the vegetables and a more robust flavor.
CRACKER CRUMB TOPPING– Ritz crackers and parmesan cheese is used to make a crispy, crumb topping that gives some crunch to this cream side dish.
How to make Creamy Cauliflower and Peas?
- Rinse and chop cauliflower into 1-inch pieces. Blanch the cauliflower in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and place in a 2-quart baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Add frozen peas and chopped onion to the dish.
- In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add two tablespoons of flour and stir for one minute to make a roux. Add milk slowly and continue stirring until roux has dissolved and milk begins to thicken.
- Stir in shredded gouda, white cheddar cheese and mustard. Continue stirring until cheese have melted and sauce has thickened. Add salt and pepper.
- Pour the sauce over the vegetables in the baking dish. Combine the melted butter, crushed crackers and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the casserole. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes until bubbly and slightly golden. Remove baking dish from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving. Recipe makes 8 servings.
For more vegetable side dishes, check out these delicious recipes:
- Cheesy Potatoes
- Squash Casserole
- Sheet Pan Sweet Potatoes and Green Beans
- Sheet Pan Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Creamy Cauliflower and Peas
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 cup green peas, frozen
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 cup Gouda cheese, shredded
- 2 cups white cheddar, shredded
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 12 Ritz crackers, crushed
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Rinse and chop cauliflower into 1-inch pieces. Blanch the cauliflower in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and place in a 2-quart baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Add frozen peas and sliced onion to the dish.
- In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add two tablespoons of flour and stir for one minute to make a roux. Add milk and continue stirring until roux has dissolved and milk begins to thicken.
- Stir in shredded gouda, white cheddar cheese and mustard. Continue stirring until cheese have melted and sauce has thickened. Add salt and pepper.
- Pour the sauce over the vegetables in the baking dish. Combine the melted butter, crushed crackers and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the casserole. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes until bubbly and slightly golden. Remove baking dish from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving. Recipe makes 8 servings.
Equipment
- 1 2-quart baking dish, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray
Notes
- Remove the cauliflower from the plastic wrapping. Using a sharp knife, cut through the core and slice the head in half.
- Rinse the cauliflower and make sure to allow water to run in between each stem. Lay the two halves on a kitchen towel to dry for a few minutes.
- On a cutting board, cut the stems away from the core. Cut the cauliflower into the desired size for the recipe you are making. When using in soups, I add chunks of cauliflower to the food processor and pulse it until chopped fine. This adds a nice, creamy texture to the soup. When cooking it in the air fryer, I leave it in 1-inch pieces for easy eating.
- For this recipe, I cut the cauliflower into 1/2 pieces, leaving some just a bit bigger. In vegetable casseroles you want to try to keep the vegetables all the same size so they all cook through. Adding frozen green peas to this recipe literally gives the dish a bright, fresh pop of flavor.