the best cheesy cauliflower & broccoli
It’s rare when I put the word “best” in post title. But seriously, I have to agree with Jamie Oliver on this one. This was the best cauliflower & broccoli cheese we’ve ever had. It’s creamy and delicious with a little bit of crunch thanks to bread crumbs and (unexpectedly) almonds. If I just tasted this dish, I probably wouldn’t guess there are almonds in it but they are the perfect nutty complement. This is the kind of no-fail dish that even non-veggie lovers will enjoy. It’s also great comfort food for these cold winter days. This dish is vegetarian and you could also omit the bread crumbs to make it gluten free as well.
Cauliflower & Broccoli Cheese
(adapted from Jamie Oliver)
Ingredients
- 1 head of broccoli
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup white cheddar cheese
- 2 slices of sourdough or stale bread
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds or almond meal
- 2 tbsp. grated parmesan
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- salt & pepper
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Peel and mince garlic and put it in a medium saucepan on medium heat with butter.
3. Once the butter has melted, stir in the flour for a minute to make a paste, then gradually add the milk, whisking as you go, until smooth.
4. Cut the broccoli and cauliflower into florets. Chop the broccoli further with scissors and add the broccoli to the milk mixture and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the broccoli is cooked through. Once it begins to break down, mash the broccoli a bit if needed. (Add an extra splash of milk if using fresh broccoli.) Grate in half of the cheddar and season with salt and pepper.
5. In a blender or food processor, pulse the bread into breadcrumbs, then add almonds and thyme leaves. Toss in olive oil, parmesan, and a pinch of salt & pepper.
6. Arrange the raw cauliflower florets into a baking dish and pour over the broccoli white sauce. Grate the remaining cheddar, and scatter the breadcrumb mix evenly on top.
7. Bake at 350 for one hour, until cooked through and golden brown on top.
Also, side note: that pink spatula is a GIR spatula and we are obsessed. It’s an all-purpose silicone spatula created to mix, fold, sauté, and stir — that doesn’t get hot to the touch, melt, or burn. It is nearly indestructible, easy to clean, and dishwasher-safe.
I have to laugh because this smelled so good that Nick couldn’t wait for me to take photos. Note the big chunk missing below. :) We basically devoured it!
Hope you enjoy! Happy Friday! :)
