The Ultimate Cauliflower Bake

I love vegetables and a large portion of our grocery budget is spent on fresh fruit and vegetables.  This Cauliflower Bake has a special ingredient in the white sauce that makes it not only taste delicious but adds another serve of vegetables to your meal – broccoli.  We call it green sauce and I guarantee that if you feed it to someone who hates broccoli they will not know they are eating it 🙂  This white sauce can be used for any vegetable bake or even in your lasagna or potato bakes.  The recipe makes enough white sauce to cover 1 medium cauliflower so if you are wanting to make a larger serving just double or triple the ingredients.

• 25 grams Butter
• 25 grams Wholemeal Plain Flour
• 250 ml Milk ( I have used Almond and Lactose Free before)
• 50 grams Cheese (you can use Parmesan, Vintage or your preferred Cheese)
• 1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
• 1/4 Teaspoon Pepper
• 1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1/2 head of fresh Broccoli
• 1 head of fresh Cauliflower
• 2/3 cup Wholemeal Bread Crumbs
• 1/3 cup Grated Cheese

In a medium saucepan melt butter and then add garlic.  Allow to cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add flour and stir until flour and butter is combined.  Cook for a further 2-3 minutes stirring the whole time.  This step is important as you want to cook out the flour taste.  Gradually add milk making sure you whisk well to avoid lumps.  Continue to whisk until sauce thickens.  Place the roughly chopped broccoli in the white sauce and reduce heat to a simmer.  Allow broccoli to cook in the sauce until just tender (3-5 minutes).  Using a stick blender blitz until smooth.  Add pepper, nutmeg and grated cheese.  Stir until cheese is melted then remove from the heat.  Spray your baking dish with some oil.  Layer Cauliflower florets in the base of the dish.  Pour over your “green white sauce”.  Sprinkle over combined cheese and bread crumbs*. Bake in a 190 degree oven for 45-60 minutes or until Cauliflower is tender and top is well browned and crispy.  Enjoy 🙂

*A simple way to make your breadcrumb mixture is to use a mini food processor.  Roughly break up 2-3 pieces of stale wholemeal bread.  Dice your cheese and add to processor also.  Blitz until cheese and bread until the desired consistency.