Cauliflower cheese

Doug Sherring

This is a good old standby and a great way to get kids to eat cauliflower. I like to cook the cauliflower whole in a pot of salted water until it is just tender. Drain it well but keep the water to use in the sauce.

Ingredients

1	Cauliflower (Main)
100 g	Butter
2 cups	Water, or milk/cream
2 handfuls	Tasty cheese, grated (Main)
1 pinch	Bacon, (optional)
1	Breadcrumbs, (optional)

Directions

1. I like to cook the cauliflower whole in a pot of salted water until it is just tender.
2. Drain it well but keep the water to use in the sauce.
3. Preheat your oven to 180C.
4. Place the drained cauliflower in a deep oven proof baking or casserole dish.
5. To make the sauce:Melt butter in a saucepan.
6. Whisk in 4 tablespoons plain flour, stirring constantly over a medium heat. This will come together as a solid "paste" called a roux.
7. Keep cooking this for two minutes to cook out the floury taste.
8. Warm 2 cups of a mix of your cooking water and milk or cream, or a combination of all 3.
9. Once warm, start whisking this mix into your roux. The sauce will thicken and should be smooth.
10. If you have a few lumps, strain it through a sieve and return it to the pan.
11. Season well with salt and pepper and add a good handful of grated tasty cheese.
12. Keep stirring, melting the cheese into the sauce.
13. When well combined, pour this over the cauliflower. Top with a bit more grated cheese.
14. Add some breadcrumbs if you like and maybe some diced bacon.
15. Place the dish into the middle of your oven and bake until the sauce is bubbly and a little browned.