A béchamel sauce base cooks up quickly and easily to transform a head of cauliflower into a bubbly, browned, baked, cheese side dish. The whole wheat panko browned and crispy on top gives the whole casserole a fun, crunchy topping.
1headfresh cauliflowerchopped into bitesize pieces
1/2cupbutter
1/2cupflour
3cupswhole milk - warmedwarm in microwave to speed up the cooking process
1teaspoon mustard powder
1/2teaspoonwhite pepper
1/2teaspoon garlic powder
1teaspoon saltor more, to taste
3cups grated cheddar cheesefor sauce
1cupgrated cheddarfor layering and topping
2/3cuppankoI like whole wheat panko for this recipe
olive oilin a spray bottle
a little fresh parsleyfor garnish/presentation
Instructions
In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter on medium heat and add the flour. Stir until you get a paste. Add the warmed milk, one cup at a time and stir to combine with a whisk.
When the sauce base is smooth and has just started to bubble, turn down the heat to low and add the seasonings. Stir well.
Add the grated cheddar cheese and stir while it melts.
Pour a spoon of sauce on the bottom of the pan. Arrange a little of the chopped cauliflower over the sauce. Put sauce over the layer of cauliflower and sprinkle a layer of grated cheese over the sauce. Continue to layer as such until you run out of cauliflower. Pour sauce over the last layer of cauliflower.
Bake, uncovered, in a 350°F oven for about 45 minutes.
Top the casserole with 2/3 cup panko, a little more cheese and spray with olive oil. Bake, uncovered for 15 more minutes. Top with a little fresh parsley for presentation.