Cauliflower Cheese

Cauliflower Cheese

• A cauliflower or cauliflower and broccoli mixture
• Olive oil, marg or butter
• Whole milk
• Cheddar Cheese
• English Mustard
• Plain Flour
• Salt and Pepper

Cut the cauliflower into small pieces, steam or boil until just tender, not soggy.

Drain and leave in the colander.

Heat 3 tablespoons of fat gently and when hot stir in 3 tablespoons of flour. Keep stirring and heating gently until it bubbles. Stir it like this for a couple of minutes to cook the flour. It should look like this for a thick sauce.

Take the saucepan off the heat and add half the milk (you can use skimmed or semi-skimmed but soya doesn't work very well) whisk it until all the flour mixture is mixed in. 

Add salt, pepper and half a teaspoon of mustard. Put back on the heat and keep stirring whilst you heat it. It should thicken up and you can gradually add the rest of the milk. If it boils it will quickly boil over the side of the pan so keep an eye on it. 

When you've added all the milk - or reached the consistency you want - remove from the heat. Add a pile of grated cheese and taste, add more if needed, it will depend on how strong your cheese is.

Put the cauliflower in a shallow oven proof dish, cover with sauce, top with more cheese and bake for about 20 minutes until brown on top. If you're cooking a roast just pop it in with whatever else you have there - it is already cooked you're just browning it up really.

Luxury version - use blue cheese

Meaty Version - My Mum used to sprinkle fried bacon and mushrooms on top!

The Sauce - before you add the mustard and cheese this is a plain white sauce and is really versatile. You can add wholegrain mustard or parsley to make another couple of sauces too. Leftover sauce can be frozen.