Roasted Cauliflower Gratin

I am a huge fan of roasted cauliflower (check out my basic roasted cauliflower recipe here:  http://www.saladgirlnat.com/2013/05/cauliflower-roasted-with-white-truffle.html?m=1 but my husband—not so much.  Saw this recipe for roasted cauliflower gratin http://theshiksa.com/2012/04/25/roasted-cauliflower-gratin/

and had to try.

I made a few modifications based on my taste buds and I have to say that this was a huge hit even with the spouse.  And while not as healthy as plain roasted cauliflower, definitely healthier than the typical gratin.

INGREDIENTS:

2 medium heads of cauliflower broken up into florets

2 tablespoons of oil ( I used white truffle which I love on cauliflower and in general)

2 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

1 ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)

1 ¼ cup of milk (I used 1 %)

Cheddar cheese—recipe called for ¾ cup of cheddar but I had THREE slices of smoke cheddar which I chopped up

3 tablespoons panko ( I used Ian’s Whole Wheat Panko—my favorite)

Cooking spray ( I use coconut spray by Spectrum)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. I used my Breville Convection Oven.

Toss florets with oil of choice. Roast for about half hour, tossing every 10  minutes or so.

In the meantime, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Slowly whisk in flour and stir so it’s lump free. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg if using.

The above ingredients should form a thick paste.

Slowly stir in milk a bit at a time. Heat it for a few minutes, mixing frequently so it thickens and begins to bubble around edges. DO NOT BRING TO BOIL.

Whisk in cheese and stir till melted. Reduce flame to low  and stir frequently. Continue to do so till ready to assemble the gratin.

Remove cauliflower from oven. Reduce temperature to 375.  Spray an 8 x8 baking dish ( I used a Pyrex dish) with oil. Add cauliflower in an even layer.

Pour cheese mixture over it. Sprinkle with panko.

Bake for about ½ hour till brown and bubbly. If you wish, broil for another 1-2 minutes (but be careful because I almost burned mine on that last step).

Enjoy!

Adapted from: 

 http://theshiksa.com/2012/04/25/roasted-cauliflower-gratin/