This broccoli cauliflower parmesan gratin is topped with almond meal and almond milk to make it a healthy version of comfort food.

Roasted broccoli cauliflower parmesan gratin in a white dish with a spoon.
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Let’s talk about the definition of comfort.

For me, that word conjures up many things…sweatpants, chocolate, clean sheets and cheesy vegetable gratins that aren’t really all that bad for you to name a few.

We’ll get to that last one in a minute or two.

Now let’s talk about the definition of discomfort.

Prior to yesterday, I would’ve had many things on this list…allergies so bad you can’t see out of your tearing up eyes, 400m of burpees, breaking your big toe when the heaviest girl on the soccer team kicks it full force head on, stuff like that.

Now, however, I’m convinced that there is nothing that can define that word better than sitting through a 2 hour one on one sales pitch about time shares when you have absolutely no intent of buying one.

This little mini-vacation we’re on right now in Florida all started back in July when I was casually booking a Hilton hotel in Milan for a few nights for our Italy trip.

At the end of the call, they asked me to listen to their Hilton Grand Vacation packages that were available to me for being “such a loyal diamond member” and I said yes fully anticipating to listen to the quick sales pitch, say my usual “thanks, but no thanks” and hang up 500 Hilton points richer.

I’m a point whore and I’m cool with it.

But then I heard 4 nights for $150, 15,000 points and a $100 rebate and next thing you know, we’ve got a trip to Orlando booked.

Fast forward to Nov. 6 12:30pm at Mr. Porter Metcalf Jr’s desk at Hilton time share headquarters in Orlando, Florida and that “pretty good deal” is looking like it got run over by a train as I’m being assaulted to buy a timeshare.

I’m in sales.

I get the “sales pitch”, really I do.

But if someone were to tell me no, to my face, 7 (yes, 7) different times I’m pretty sure I’d say “well, thanks for your time” and move on.

Anyway, Porter was not me.

Nope.

We sat there for 2 hours, politely declining “our chance to give our future kids (which we don’t plan on having) the vacations they deserve” over and over and o.v.e.r. again.

We were brought in front of sales managers, “diamond member” managers and then closing managers as if our “no, thanks” was a “YES, YES, YES! Pretty please, we want in” and it was the most uncomfortable 2 hours of my life.

I felt like I was released from jail after a 10 year prison sentence when we got in that elevator at the end.

We both just looked at each other and all I could say was “I’m sorry, I swear I’ll never even listen for the 500 points next time”.

But comfort…comfort is good.

And broccoli cauliflower gratins are hella good.

Especially when that cheesy, crusty topping isn’t a calorie bomb that defeats the purpose of the underlying vegetables in this one.

Do comfort.

Just don’t do time shares.

A head of broccoli and cauliflower on a dish towel.

Ingredients Needed

  • head of broccoli
  • head of cauliflower
  • head of garlic
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt & pepper
  • butter
  • almond milk
  • whole wheat flour (or GF flour)
  • parmesan cheese
  • almond meal

How to Make Healthy Broccoli Cauliflower Gratin

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and cut the cauliflower and broccoli into bite size pieces. Toss in olive oil, salt, and pepper, then transfer to a baking dish.

Drizzle the remaining oil over the head of garlic and wrap it in foil. Place the garlic and veggies in the oven and roast for 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and set aside.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a saucepan.

Squeeze the cloves of roasted garlic into the butter and mash with a spoon. Add the flour and cook for 30 seconds.

Step by step process of making broccoli cauliflower gratin.

Whisk in the almond milk and stir until it thickens.

Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese.

Pour the sauce over the roasted broccoli and cauliflower. Sprinkle the almond meal on top and bake for another 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and serve!

Roasted broccoli and cauliflower parmesan gratin in a large white serving bowl with a spoon.

What to Serve with Cheesy Broccoli Gratin

This dish is super comforting and easy enough to serve with weeknight meals, but here are some of our other holiday favorites.

Broccoli cauliflower gratin in a dish ready to serve.

FAQs and Expert Tips

  • While you can store the leftovers and reheat later, gratins are best on the day you make it, so the topping is nice and crisp.
  • You can use this same recipe and swap out the veggies for something totally different. Brussels sprouts would be delish!
  • If you like, add in some ham, bacon or sliced sausage links for protein (or a one pan meal).
  • Make ahead dishes are great when you are feeding a crowd. To make this gratin beforehand, follow all of the instructions except for the topping. Whip that up just before you are ready to serve and bake it for the last 20 minutes.
  • For easy cleanup, grease your dish before you start.
  • Make sure your veggies are dry before placing them in the oven so they get nice and crispy.
  • Be sure to sprinkle almond meal on top and not almond flour. The meal is courser and gives more of the breadcrumb consistency. If you don’t have almond meal, you can coarsely pulse almonds in a food processor or blender to make your own.
  • Have leftover veggies? Try my buffalo turkey cauliflower skillet or buffalo broccoli cheddar bites.
What is a gratin?

Gratin is any dish that is baked with cheese, butter and/or breadcrumbs on top.

Can you make this broccoli gratin vegan?

Sure can! Simply swap the butter for a vegan butter. For the parmesan cheese, you can opt for a vegan cheese or nutritional yeast to get the same cheesy flavor.

Can I use frozen veggies?

For this gratin, I would not recommend frozen broccoli and cauliflower. We want them to crisp up and fresh produce works the best in this case.

MORE GRATINS TO TRY:

Cauliflower Bacon Gratin
Butternut Squash and Cranberry Gratin
Parmesan Tomato Gratin
Golden Beet Gratin

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5 from 2 votes

Roasted Broccoli Cauliflower Gratin

Servings: 4 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Total: 1 hour
This broccoli cauliflower parmesan gratin is a healthier way to enjoy a classic side dish. Great for any meal and delicious enough to enjoy throughout the holidays.

Ingredients 

  • 1 small head of broccoli
  • 1 small head of cauliflower
  • 1 small head of garlic
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • salt & pepper
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 cup almond milk
  • 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour, or GF flour
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • 2 tablespoons almond meal

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Cut broccoli and cauliflower into bite-size pieces and toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil plus salt & pepper. Transfer to a baking dish.
  • Slice off the top of the head of garlic and drizzle with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Wrap in aluminum foil and place directly in oven on rack.
  • Roast garlic and vegetables for about 30 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and set aside.
  • In a small sauce pan over medium heat, melt the butter.
  • Squeeze the garlic out of the cloves into the melted butter and mash with a wooden spoon.
  • Add the flour and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Add the almond milk and whisk until the mixture thickens.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan cheese until melted.
  • Pour mixture over the top of the roasted broccoli & cauliflower.
  • Sprinkle almond meal on top and bake again for 20 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and serve warm.

Nutrition

Serving: 1SERVINGCalories: 215kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 7gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 348mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Side Dishes
Cuisine: American
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Founder and Writer at Running to the Kitchen | About

Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.

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34 Comments

  1. mmm this looks so delicious! I love brocoli and cauilflower. If there are leftovers from thanksgiving i’m so making this! (:

  2. I like this healthified version of a gratin…and I’m sure my hubby will too. Thanks for the great recipe!

  3. I did the same thing, but I kind of felt like it was worth it. We had basically a whole deluxe condo for 4 nights for $150. It had a screened porch, a living room with hide-a-bed sofa and a big flat-screen TV, a dining room, a full kitchen, washer/dryer, full bathroom, plus a master bedroom with a king-size bed, a second big flat-screen TV, and a giant whirlpool tub. All very clean and tastefully decorated and up-to-date. It was at a resort with a long pool with twists and turns and waterfalls, like a river, where you could sit in chaise lounges, put your flag up if you wanted a drink and/or a snack, and someone would come wait on you. They showed a movie by the pool every night, all Disney flicks, so our daughter could swim and watch a movie at the same time. It was right near Disney World, and while we were in the sales presentation, our daughter and her cousin were in an arcade right in the same building. It was a magical vacation for our daughter and her cousin, and we enjoyed it too, and I felt like it was worth the two-hour session of saying no.

  4. oh my gosh, we totally sat through one of those for a trip to Vegas one time and then we got all sorts of BILLS IN THE MAIL to pay for our “free” trip after we sat for 4 hours listening to the pitch and dealing with the sales people. i was LIVID, totally griped them out on the phone and demanded that we get all of the stuff (Visa giftcards, gas cards, restaurant vouchers, etc) even though we weren’t going on the trip. i was so pissed!

  5. I read that whole story because I saw a way to earn more Hilton points…haha, but that is one pushy salesman!!!

  6. Oh my god, this looks so good! Lucky you to get to sit through the timeshare pitch. I used work for one of those companies up here in NH…. It’s pretty tortuous.

  7. I got a phone cal from the Hilton telling me I won a trip to Vegas, they know I love Vegas and I’d get all the sh!ts and giggles with it. Yah!! But then after I won part, I realized this is a timeshare thing!! I hung up! However, my poor broke sister who can barley afford food would get these calls, say ok, they would pay airfare and everything to send her somewhere and then when she got there she would tell them how much she makes and they would leave her alone. My sister did this twice and got two great vacations!!! I couldn’t do it, I’d end up with a timeshare!

    Your roasted broccoli and cauliflower looks delicious!!!

  8. Thank you for reinforcing why, for everyone’s safety, me attending a timeshare meeting is not a good idea. ;-)

    I’ll take a heaping helping of that gratin!