Cauliflower Cheese

Did you know about Cauliflower Cheese and you didn’t tell me?! How is it that I’m 44 years old and this is the first I’m hearing of it?! I blame you. You should have told me. Well, for those of you who also happen to love both cauliflower and cheese, but were left in the dark as much as I was…

Cauliflower cheese is a traditional English dish. It can be eaten as a main course, for lunch or dinner, or as a side dish. Cauliflower cheese consists of pieces of cauliflower lightly boiled and covered with a milk-based cheese sauce, for which a mature cheese tends to be preferred.

It’s perfect and here is the recipe:

INGREDIENTS

Salt and black pepper
2 heads cauliflower
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for buttering the pan
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk or half-and-half
Small pinch of grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cayenne
1cup grated sharp Cheddar
1cup grated gruyere cheese
1cup crumbled feta
2 Tbsp chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. With a paring knife, remove the tough core from the bottom of each cauliflower. Working one at a time, lower the cauliflower into boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside to let cool. (Alternatively, cut cauliflower into large florets, cook for 3 minutes and spread out to cool.)

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium-high. Add flour and let mixture cook for a minute without browning.

Whisk in milk ½ cup at a time, simmering between additions, until all milk is used. Whisk well, then simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, a little nutmeg and cayenne. Keep warm.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and place blanched cauliflower side by side. Stir Cheddar into sauce and spoon sauce evenly over cauliflower. Sprinkle with grated gruyere and feta. (Alternatively, if using florets, arrange in a single layer in the baking dish.)

Bake uncovered for about 40 minutes, until bubbling and browned. (Tent lightly with aluminum foil if browning too quickly.) Sprinkle with parsley. Serve directly from the baking dish.