If you’ve ever wondered what happens when an American barbecue guy takes on a British classic, the answer is this Smoked Cauliflower Cheese.
This dish brings together the creamy, comforting goodness of the original with a deep, smoky flavor that can only come from the Woodfire grill. It’s cheesy, crunchy, and just the right amount of rebellious.
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You get that classic British comfort, but with a bold twist that says, “Yeah, I smoked my cauliflower. What of it?”
Smoked Cauliflower Cheese Recipe
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Equipment
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Ninja Woodfire Grill
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Air crisp basket
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Mixing bowls
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Small sauté pan
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Whisk
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Measuring Cups and Spoons
Ingredients
- Smoked Cauliflower:
- 2 cauliflower heads
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon granulated onion
- Cheese Sauce:
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- 2 cups cold-smoked cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 cups cold-smoked Gouda shredded
- Breadcrumb Topping:
- 2 cups breadcrumbs
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
Instructions
Smoke the Cauliflower:
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Fill your Woodfire with pellets and set it to Smoker, 350°F (177°C), 2 hours. While it preheats, cut the cauliflower into florets. Coat them evenly with olive oil, salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and granulated onion. Place the florets into the air crisp basket. When the Woodfire prompts “Add Food,” insert the basket and smoke until softened but still slightly firm.
Make the Cheese Sauce:
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Set a small sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add butter and let it melt. Whisk in the all-purpose flour and cook for 2–3 minutes. Gradually pour in the milk and cream while whisking continuously. Once smooth, add all the spices. Slowly melt in half of the cheeses, stirring until everything is creamy and well combined.
Make the Breadcrumb Topping:
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Combine the breadcrumbs and melted butter in a bowl. Mix until the texture resembles wet sand.
Assemble and Cook:
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Layer the smoked cauliflower into small crocks or a casserole dish. Pour the warm cheese sauce over the top, then sprinkle with the remaining cheddar and Gouda. Add the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the surface. Return the crocks to the Woodfire, set to Air Crisp, 350°F (177°C), with Woodfire smoke on. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling.
Video
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?Mention @DadGotThis or tag #DadGotThis!It all started with a bit of curiosity and maybe a few British viewers insisting that this dish was a must-try. The challenge was accepted, and two big heads of cauliflower stood ready to face the smoke. Around here, cauliflower doesn’t usually take the spotlight, but with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of simple seasonings like granulated onion, granulated garlic, sea salt, and black pepper, it started to look pretty darn good. No MSG this time, though – apparently, that ruffled a few feathers across the pond last time. Lesson learned.
The cauliflower hit the Woodfire with a batch of Smokin’ Peacon pellets, filling the air with that sweet, nutty smoke that makes neighbors peek over fences. Set to 350°F and left to smoke for an hour, it slowly transformed. When it came out, it had that perfect mix of golden edges and smoky aroma. Not mushy, not dry, just right. Maybe a few British folks might question the technique, but that’s part of the fun.
The Cheese That Makes Smoked Cauliflower Cheese Shine
The cheese selection brought in a little personality of its own. Medium cheddar and Gouda were the stars, because Red Leicester apparently took a vacation from every American grocery shelf. Before they even hit the sauce, both cheeses spent some time on a cold smoke in the Woodfire, soaking in flavor that could make a grilled cheese sandwich weep with envy. Just lifting the lid on those smoky blocks of cheese filled the air with rich, creamy scent – a promise of good things to come.
The sauce started in classic fashion, with butter and flour whisked together until it turned nutty and golden. Cream joined the party slowly, building into a smooth base that felt rich but not heavy. Once it hit that velvety texture, in came the flavor squad: salt, nutmeg, granulated onion, and granulated garlic. It smelled like pure comfort. After a taste, there was a touch more salt for balance, and the sauce hit that sweet spot between pourable and thick. This was the moment where the smoky cheeses melted right in, turning a simple white sauce into a luxurious blanket of cheesy flavor. It wasn’t just good, it was the kind of sauce you could eat with a spoon if no one was watching.
The Crunchy Finish on Smoked Cauliflower Cheese
When the cauliflower was ready, it was time to pull the whole thing together. Instead of one big casserole dish, smaller crocks took the spotlight. That meant everyone could get their own bubbling, hot-from-the-grill serving. Cauliflower met Mornay sauce, then got a generous topping of more cheddar and Gouda because moderation is overrated.
Here’s where it went slightly off the British script – a buttery breadcrumb topping. Half panko, half regular breadcrumbs, mixed with melted butter until it felt like wet sand. That simple combo brought in a crunch that balanced the creamy sauce underneath. It was tossed back in the Woodfire at 350°F, air crisp setting on, wood smoke rolling.
What was supposed to take 30 minutes turned into just 15 in the small crocks. The tops browned, the edges bubbled, and the smell? Unreal. Golden crumbs, melted cheese, smoky cauliflower – it was the kind of smell that tells you something good is happening. Pulling them off the grill, each crock looked like a little pot of edible sunshine.
A quick taste test confirmed it. The cheese stretched into perfect pulls, the breadcrumbs added that satisfying crunch, and every bite carried a deep, wood-kissed flavor. The cold-smoked cheese layered beautifully with the already smoked cauliflower, creating something truly special. It wasn’t traditional, but it was delicious. That balance of creamy, smoky, and crispy turned out to be the winning combo.
British food purists might shake their heads, but this version of cauliflower cheese stood proudly on its own. It showed that sometimes a classic can be both respected and reimagined, especially when smoke gets involved. The Woodfire didn’t just cook the dish, it transformed it, giving it that signature outdoor flavor that a regular oven could never match.
Even the cook admitted that maybe next time, a little less smoke time might keep the cauliflower slightly firmer, or that four heads would better fill the dish. But those are the small notes that come from experimenting, and that’s part of what makes cooking fun. This recipe wasn’t about perfection. It was about exploration, about trying something new, and maybe about seeing how many British viewers you can mildly annoy in one video.
In the end, this Smoked Cauliflower Cheese was a success in every way that counts. It had heart, it had humor, and it had smoke. The combination of cold-smoked cheeses, smoky cauliflower, and a buttery crumb topping created layers of texture and taste that hit all the right notes. The dish wasn’t just food, it was a conversation piece – one that tasted even better than it looked.
When the first bite burned the tongue (because patience is overrated), the verdict came in instantly. Smoky, cheesy, rich, and crunchy. It was everything a comfort dish should be and then some. A British favorite reborn on an American grill, and proof that sometimes, when you put cauliflower and cheese in a Woodfire, magic happens.
Ingredient and Equipment Links:
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