Veg in in a cheese sauce is a classic. I don’t grow cauliflower but I do grow Kale and Broccoli. Both work brilliantly, and prior to Broccoli flowering you can use the leaves.
So you may think it looks anaemic and if you do there’s lots you can do that I don’t. Adding some breadcrumbs to the top before baking, a few minutes under the grill at the end – stuff like that. Improves the look, but not the taste. If you want added crunch I’ve even had them with a sprinkling of croutons! So each to their own.
Prep: 10min Cook: 18min
Ingredients
250g broccoli/kale etc as florets and large bite size
250ml milk
20g parmesan grated
30g cheddar grated
2 slices Leerdammer chopped
1dstspn plain flour
25g butter
salt, pepper
1tsp english mustard (optional)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 225c (fan)
- Par-boil the veg then quench in cold water and drain well (broccoli 6-8min, kale 0min)
- Make a roux with the butter and flour and slowly add the milk to make a creamy white sauce.
- Add half the cheese, mustard, salt (if you must) and pepper.
- Place the veg in an ovenproof dish, best to pat dry with kitchen towel. Cover with the sauce and then sprinkle on the remaining cheese.
- Cook for 18min in the oven.
Sometimes a large luxurious veg-cheese with crusty bread and butter is the best meal in the world, for this I’d double everything but triple the milk so there is dipping sauce.