Gordon Ramsay’s cheats souffle with three cheeses is not really a souffle at all, and that is the whole point: no whisking egg whites, no folding, no ramekins, no watching through the oven door. Plain flour (all-purpose flour), baking powder, six eggs, milk, and three cheeses into a baking dish at 180°C (350°F) for 40 minutes.
If you have tried the real Gordon Ramsay cheese souffle and thought it was too fiddly, this cheats version rises from baking powder instead of air trapped in egg whites. I make this on Friday nights when I want something warm and cheesy but cannot be bothered with the real thing.
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Why This Is Called a Cheats Souffle
A real souffle gets its rise from whisked egg whites folded into a base, and you have about 30 seconds between folding and getting it in the oven before the air escapes. This cheats version uses baking powder instead, which means the rise happens in the oven and you do not need to rush.
Gordon put this in his repertoire as the version you make when you want the look and the taste of a souffle without the technique. Honestly, if someone served this to me without telling me it was a cheat, I would not have known.
Cheats Souffle Ingredients
- 60g (1/2 cup) plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 1 tsp caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 6 large eggs, beaten
- 240ml (1 cup) whole milk
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 170g (3/4 cup) cottage cheese
- 340g (12 oz) Monterey Jack or mature cheddar, grated
- 75g (1/3 cup) cream cheese
- Butter for the dish
How To Make Gordon Ramsay Cheats Souffle
- Heat the oven: Set it to 180°C (350°F) and butter a 23x33cm (9×13 inch) baking dish.
- Mix the dry: Whisk the flour, sugar, and baking powder together in a large bowl.
- Add the wet: Make a well in the centre, pour in the beaten eggs and milk, and stir with a pinch of salt and pepper until smooth.
- Stir in the cheese: Add the cottage cheese and grated cheese and mix through.
- Add the cream cheese: Dot small lumps of cream cheese over the top and fold in gently with a spoon.
- Bake: Pour into the buttered dish and bake for 40 minutes until puffed, golden, and set in the middle.
What Makes This Version So Easy
There is no base to cook, no roux, no bechamel, no egg whites to whisk. You mix everything in one bowl, pour it into a dish, and the baking powder does the lifting slowly and evenly without any drama.
I have made this with my kids helping and it still came out fine. That tells you everything about how forgiving it is compared to the real cheese souffle, which will punish you for opening the oven door.
Can I Use Different Cheeses
The three cheeses Gordon uses are cottage cheese for moisture, a hard melting cheese for flavour, and cream cheese for richness. You can swap the Monterey Jack for cheddar, Gruyere, or any hard cheese that melts well.
I have done it with leftover cheese from the fridge, whatever I had: Red Leicester, Comte, even a bit of Stilton mixed in. As long as the cottage cheese stays, it all works because the cottage cheese is what keeps the texture soft inside.
What To Serve With Cheats Souffle
A green salad with a sharp dressing is all you need. The dish is rich enough on its own, and something acidic on the side stops it feeling heavy.
I serve this with crusty bread for a Friday night dinner, or cut it into squares the next morning and reheat for breakfast alongside a bowl of tomato soup if you want something more filling. A side of Caesar salad rounds it out nicely.
How To Store Cheats Souffle
This is the one souffle you can actually store. Cover the dish and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat slices in the oven at 160°C (320°F) for 10 minutes, or microwave for 30 seconds if you are in a rush. It does not puff up again but the texture stays soft and cheesy, which is more than you can say for a real souffle.
FAQs
- Is this really a souffle? Not in the traditional sense. A real souffle uses whisked egg whites for lift, this uses baking powder. Gordon calls it a cheats souffle because it gives you a similar puffed, golden result without the technique.
- Can I make this in ramekins? You can but the bake time drops to about 20 minutes and you lose the charm of cutting big squares from a dish. I prefer the dish.
- Why cottage cheese? It adds moisture and a soft, almost creamy texture to the centre. Without it the cheats souffle would be closer to a quiche or a cheese frittata.
- Can I add vegetables? Yes. Chopped spinach, roasted peppers, or spring onions (scallions) all work. Fold them in with the cheese.
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Nutrition Facts
(Per serving, serves 6)
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Total Fat: 26g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Sugar: 3g
- Protein: 24g
- Sodium: 520mg
Gordon Ramsay Cheats Souffle Recipe
6
servings10
minutes40
minutes50
minutesGordon Ramsay’s cheats souffle with three cheeses is not really a souffle at all, and that is the whole point. No whisking egg whites, no folding, no ramekins, no watching through the oven door hoping it does not collapse. Plain flour (all-purpose flour), baking powder, six eggs, milk, and three cheeses into a baking dish at 180C (350F) for 40 minutes.
If you have tried the real Gordon Ramsay cheese souffle and thought it was too fiddly, this cheats version is for you. It rises from the baking powder, not from air trapped in egg whites, which means it holds its shape even if you open the oven halfway through.
Ingredients
60g (half cup) plain flour
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
6 large eggs, beaten
240ml (1 cup) whole milk
Salt and black pepper
170g cottage cheese
340g Monterey Jack or cheddar, grated
75g cream cheese
Butter for the dish
Directions
- Heat the oven: Set to 180C (350F) and butter a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Mix the dry: Whisk flour, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl.
- Add the wet: Make a well, pour in eggs and milk, stir with salt and pepper until smooth.
- Stir in the cheese: Add cottage cheese and grated cheese, mix through.
- Add the cream cheese: Dot cream cheese over the top and fold in gently.
- Bake: Pour into dish and bake 40 minutes until puffed, golden, and set in the middle.
Notes
- This keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days, unlike a real souffle. Reheat at 160C (320F) for 10 minutes. Swap Monterey Jack for any hard cheese that melts well.
