Cauliflower Cheese

I'm about to have some family in town and I'm doing a bunch of prep for that as well as being a bit busy with work, but I wanted to stop by and share a quick recipe with you because I had this for dinner yesterday and I'm really trying to not devour the leftovers even though I'm not hungry yet. It's one of those simple dishes that I just want to always have the taste of.

My mother really didn't cook a lot when I was growing up, well, not from scratch anyway but something she did make once in a while that I completely adored was Cauliflower Cheese. I loved it when she made this and I could have eaten the entire batch. I'm a complete sucker for cheese.

I seem to recall that she would serve this with garlic bread. I highly suggest the combination... it's a winner for sure. I make this in individual ramekins but you could easily put it in a larger baking dish. It's harder not to eat all of it if it's in the same container though.... I speak from experience.

Cauliflower Cheese

1/2 Cauliflower, sliced up
1 1/2 Tablespoons Whole Wheat Flour
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Sharp Cheddar
1 Tablespoon Panko Breadcrumbs (optional)
Parmesan and more Cheddar for Topping
Salt and Pepper



Preheat your oven to 425F. Slice the cauliflower and spread it on a baking sheet. Grind over some salt and pepper and then pop it in the oven for 25 minutes. While the cauliflower is cooking, melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour. Mix to form a thick paste and then add the milk a little at a time, stirring all the while until the milk is combined. Grind in some salt and pepper. It should be fairly thick. Take it off the heat and add in the cheddar. This will thicken it up nicely.
When the cauliflower is done, chop it up and put it in two ramekins, or one larger dish. Pour the sauce over, then sprinkle over some breadcrumbs, more cheddar and some parmesan cheese. Stick it back in the oven for another 10 minutes until the top has browned.

Eat with some bread, preferably garlic bread. If you are saving some for later, be sure to reheat it in the oven and not the microwave.

Makes two dinner sized servings.