Like most of you out there tonight, I too watched the presidential debate between Obama and Romney. Part way through, I grew tired of the back-and-forth and went back to baking port-soaked cherry brownies for Candice Kumai‘s latest cookbook launch party tomorrow night. (Yes, baking brownies was my job for the day, and yes, that was a plug for her book.) If you’re looking for a little distraction from all the political jargon and discussions taking place on Facebook, Twitter, and the rest of the interwebs, here is The Hungry Hutch to the rescue! This time it’s with a cauliflower gratin—which turned out to be the lovechild of a potato gratin and macaroni and cheese. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 1 head cauliflower, chopped
- enough milk to cover cauliflower in pan (~2-3 cups)
- 2 Tbsps. butter
- 2 Tbsps. flour
- salt
- black pepper
- cayenne pepper
- garlic powder
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
Procedure:
- Preheat oven to 400˚F.
- Place cauliflower in pan large enough to hold it and cover with milk. Cook until just tender.
- Strain cauliflower, reserving milk.
- In separate saucepan, melt butter and add flour to make a roux. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add reserved milk to roux and bring to simmer to thicken, stirring continuously. Season with salt, black and cayenne peppers, and garlic powder. Stir in cheddar cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Fold cauliflower into cheese sauce (or a “Mornay” sauce for all you foodies out there). Pour into baking dish and top with breadcrumbs.
- Place in oven and bake until golden and bubbly (approx. 25 minutes).
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