I could have sworn I’d blogged this before, but my tags say not. (ETA: apparently I did, but mis-spelled cauliflower in the tags. *headdesk*)
When I was a kid we used to have this dish called cauliflower cheese that was basically cauliflower swamped in a roux-based cheese sauce, with extra cheese on top, then baked. It was usually served with a big roast dinner, alongside meat, gravy, baked root vegetables, and peas.
I’ve made it a few times as an adult, but I have to admit it’s just a bit too much. Too rich, too bothersome, too many dirty pots and pans, and too likely to leave me moaning, “Why do I always forget that I’m lactose intolerant?” Instead, these days, I have a simpler, lighter, less milky, more textured variant.
- 1 large head cauliflower
- 2 cups breadcrumbs
- 2 cups grated cheese
Choose a cheese that’s firm and strong-flavoured: I used gruyere this time, but you could use a good cheddar, parmesan, whatever. Mix the breadcrumbs and cheese together, adding other flavourings if you’re that way inclined (I usually use a few grinds of pepper). Break the cauliflower into florets and put it in a baking dish. Cover with breadcrumbs — you can do two layers of each if your baking dish is deep rather than wide. Bake at around 375 til the cauliflower is fork-soft and the breadcrumb mix is crunchy. (Covering it with foil for the first while at least seems to hasten this process.)
I made this a couple of weeks ago and nommed on it during a late night hacking session (hence the diet coke). For me, chowing down on this as an easy meal, I’ll eat half a head of cauliflower at a sitting. As a side dish, a whole head should serve 4-6.
