With cooler weather on the way, the country is entering comfort food season. When it’s cold and rainy outside, there’s few things better than a hearty meal. In my opinion, cauliflower cheese is one of the best things to eat in autumn weather.
Whether you have it on the side of a proper roast dinner or just on its own as a luxurious treat, it’s really like a hug in a bowl. There is one thing I do whenever I make cauliflower cheese that I think elevates it beyond the usual deliciousness, however. When I first started to learn how to cook, I would boil the cauliflower before mixing it with the cheese sauce.
However, this meant my cauliflower florets tended to fall apart and become mushy in the sauce and the result was a watery mess.
Instead, I started to roast the cauliflower as I made the cheese sauce and this made a huge difference. Roasting keeps the vegetable firm, and you can add all kinds of different seasonings to further improve your meal.
All you need to do is pour a splash of oil over the florets and add your favourite herbs and spices as well as some salt and pepper.
My favourite herbs to add are dried parsley and oregano, along with smoked paprika, garlic and onion powder.
If you want to try this for your next cauliflower cheese, this RecipeTinEats recipe is pretty close to how I make my own.
Method
Preheat the oven to 220°C and toss the cauliflower florets in a bowl with the oil and seasonings.
Spread them on a large baking tray and roast for 20 minutes without turning them. They should get a bit of colour and still be firm.
Remove them and turn the oven down to 180°C
To make your sauce, heat the milk and cream either in the microwave or on the stove. In a separate pan, melt the butter over a medium heat on the stove.
Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly for three minutes.
While stirring, add half the milk to the butter and flour mix and whisk in. Once it has thickened, add the second half and continue stirring until thickened.
Once your sauce coats the back of a spoon, turn the heat off.
Stir in your cheeses, nutmeg and season to taste.
Add your roasted cauliflower to your sauce and gently toss to coat in the sauce.
Transfer to a baking dish, top with the extra cheese and bake for 30 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden.