Backed cauliflower with creamy cheese sauce
So simple, yet deliciously indulgent. Whole baked cauliflower is the ultimate comfort food side dish for family meals and cosy dinners. Who could resist tender cauliflower smothered in a creamy cheese sauce?
Ingredients
- 1 whole cauliflower about 500g
- 15 ml olive oil
- 5 ml sea salt flakes
- 5 ml smoked paprika
- 30 ml butter
- 30 ml flour
- 375 ml full cream milk
- 2.5 ml Dijon mustard
- 1.25 ml fine salt
- 250 ml grated mature cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°Cand lightly grease an oven dish.
- Rinse the cauliflower and pat dry. Remove the leaves and trim the bottom of the stem. Place in the oven dish.
- Mix the oil with the salt flakes and paprika. Brush the mixture all over the cauliflower. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- While the cauliflower is baking, prepare the cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and cook for a minute. Slowly add the milk while whisking continuously, until smooth. Whisk in the mustard and fine salt. Stir continuously over the heat for 5-6 minutes until thickened and starting to boil. Remove from the heat and add 200 ml cheese (reserve the rest for sprinkling). Whisk until smooth.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C. Remove the foil and pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for another 30-40 minutes or until tender and golden on top. Remove, slice and serve.