CAULIFLOWER WITH BROCCOLI CHEESE SAUCE

Tasty and nutritious.

This is a good make ahead side if you are having company.  You can make it the day before and just pop it in the oven while cooking the remainder of the meal.  These measurements come with the recipe, but really, if you have made a white sauce before, you can just eyeball the ingredients to suit the amount of people that will be served. This recipe could read as follows:

Put cauliflower florets into a buttered baking dish

Make white sauce and add cooked broccoli.  Blend broccoli into sauce with blender.

Add cheese to sauce.  Stir to melt.

Pour sauce over cauliflower.

Prepare buttered bread crumbs and toss with cheese and almonds.

Top cauliflower with bread crumb mixture.

Bake.

INGREDIENTS

3-1/2    TBSP Butter (unsalted) (50 g)

6-1/2    TBSP Flour  (50 g)

2-1/2     Cups Milk   (600 ml)

1           Lb. Broccoli (500 g) Cut into small pieces

2-1/2    Oz. Old Cheddar Cheese (75 g) Shredded

2           Lb. Cauliflower (1 Kg) cut into florets

1/4        Cup Bread Crumbs 

1/8 to 1/4  Sliced Almonds (optional)

1           TBSP Butter

METHOD

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F.  Butter baking dish large enough to hold cauliflower.

2.  Put cut up broccoli into a bowl with a bit of water and microwave till soft (about 2 minutes)

     Remove water and set aside.

3.  Melt butter in medium pot on medium heat on stove.

4.  Whisk in flour and cook for about a minute.  Gradually add milk whisking until smooth.

5.  Add broccoli incorporating it into sauce with a stick blender.  Stir in 1/2 of shredded cheese.  

6.  Arrange cauliflower in baking dish and top with the broccoli white sauce.

7.  Melt butter in microwave.  Toss in breadcrumbs, remaining cheese and almonds (if using).  

8.  Top cauliflower and sauce with this mixture.

9.  You can cover and refrigerate at this point and bake it the next day.  

10. Bake for 1 hour until golden and cooked through.