Cauliflower and cheese bake with a crunchy crust

This is the best Cauliflower bake you will ever eat. It has a beautiful crunchy crust on top and its nice and cheesy inside. I like to use good quality cheese as it makes all the difference in the dish. I would call it a healthy dish, but I won’t lie to you; there is a fair amount of cheese in here. Gruyere is just perfect for this dish, as it’s known to be one of the finest cheeses for baking. It has a distinctive, yet not overpowering taste. It is creamy and nutty, which will compliment the hazelnuts that are used in the crust.

When making my dinners after work, I try to stick to 1 hour time limit. Everything above that I classify as a weekend dish. Thankfully this recipe took exactly 1 hour, so safe to say it’s a working day dish. The cooking process is fairly easy but it will require some multitasking. As a woman, I will risk saying that that is no problem for us.

I don’t know if you’re like me, but I never look at a recipe and cut all my stuff up 1st and prepare. I start doing 1 or 2 steps and always try and do some other step while something is on the stove or in the oven. It’s not like in a cooking show where they have nice little bowls of everything exactly measure and prepared for them. I’m usually jumping from one thing to another and everything always turns out fine.

With this dish, before you start anything put a big pot of water on the stove with the lid on, on high as it will take a while to come to a boil. While that is heating, cut up your cauliflower. Then place it in the pot. You might need to take some water out when the weight of the cauliflower hits it.

 

 

While the cauliflower is on the stove, start making your cheese sauce. I usually put the butter on low heat and while its melting I prepare the onion, garlic and bay leaf. Add your flour and continue with the rest of the steps. When adding the milk make sure you do it gradually to avoid lumps. 

  

 

 

While the cheese is simmering crush your hazelnuts and toast the bread.

 

Once the sauce is ready pour and mix with cauliflower. Transfer to a baking dish and put the bread, hazelnuts and cheese on. Bake it and dig in.

 

 

For this recipe I like to use a rectangular tin, aprox. 25x15cm

 

Cauliflower and cheese bake with a crunchy crust

 

PREP TIME: 30MIN

COOKING TIME: 30 MIN
SERVES: 3

INGREDIENTS:

1.5kg head of cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets (makes about 1kg when trimmed)

50g hazelnuts, crushed
1 slice of toasted bread, crushed (I use white bread but any is good)

For the cheese sauce:

30g unsalted butter

30g plain flour
500ml skim milk, warmed
¼ onion, skin removed
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
200g Gruyere cheese, grated (If you can’t find gruyere, use parmesan)

METHOD:

1. Put your cauliflower into a large saucepan and fill it with water until it covers the top of the cauliflower. Put it on high heat and once it starts boiling, cook for 10 minutes.

2. Turn your oven on to pre heat on 180C.
3. Melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan on medium heat
4. Heat your milk while the butter is melting
5. Once butter is melted, turn down the heat and slowly add the flour and whisk to avoid lumps until you form a smooth paste. Set aside to cool for 2 minutes.
6. Add the milk gradually, while whisking to avoid it getting lumpy.
7. Add bay leaf, garlic and onion and simmer for 10 min. Whisk frequently.
8. Crush the hazelnuts and toast your bread. After its toasted wait until cool and crush into bread crumbs like form.
9. Take the saucepan off the heat and take out the bay leaf, garlic and onion out. Put a pinch of salt and pepper to your taste and a generous pinch of nutmeg.
10. Stir the cheese into the warm sauce. Leave a small handful to sprinkle on top of the gratin.
11. Mix the sauce with the cauliflower and spoon into baking dish.
12. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs, hazelnuts and cheese.
13. Bake for 15 minutes and then turn your grill on to achieve the crusty top until it’s all melted and golden.

 

 

Enjoy :)