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Cauliflower Cheese with cornflour sauce
Cauliflower Cheese with cornflour sauce is an easy version of a classic British side dish. There's no tricky bechamel roux to master but you can still enjoy delicious califlower florets combined with a rich cheese sauce baked until bubbling in the oven.
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- chopping board
- Large saucepan
- measuring jug
- medium bowl
- wooden spoon
- Measuring spoons
- cheese grater
- Ovenproof dish
Ingredients
- 600 grams cauliflower
- 500 millilitres whole milk
- 2 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch)
- 2 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon English mustard powder
- 30 grams butter
- 150 grams cheddar cheese grated
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Remove the leaves and cut the 600 gram (1½ lb) cauliflower into even sized florets. You can save the leaves and stalk to add to soup if liked.
- Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the cauliflower florets and cook for 5-8 minutes until they are tender but not mushy, then drain the water from the pan and set aside.
- Put 500 ml (1 pint) milk into a microwave proof jug and heat for 4 minutes until the milk is hot but not boiling.
- While the milk is heating, put 2 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch) into a medium sized bowl.
- Add two tablespoons of cold milk to the cornflour and mix together to remove any lumps.
- Add 1 teaspoon English mustard powder to the cornflour and milk and mix.
- Remove the jug of hot milk from the microwave and gradually add about half of it to the cornflour mixture, stirring.
- Pour the cornflour mix and milk back into the jug with the remaining milk and return to the microwave. Microwave it on HIGH for 30 seconds, remove and stir ensuring that you get right to the bottom of the jug.
- Return the sauce in the jug to the microwave and continue to cook in 30 second bursts, stirring each time, until the sauce will coat the back of your wooden spoon. This usually takes a total of 2 minutes.
- Add 120 grams (1½ cups) grated cheddar cheese to the sauce.
- Stir until the cheese has melted.
- Taste the sauce and season to taste. I used 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Put the cooked cauliflower florets into an oven proof dish
- Pour over the cheese sauce and sprinkle with the remaining 30 grams (¼ cup) grated cheddar cheese.
- Bake in the oven at 200℃/180℃ Fan/375℉ for 15-20 minutes until the the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling. If you are making this ahead of time and heating it from cold it will take 25-35 minutes to reheat thoroughly.
- Serve cauliflower cheese as a side dish with roast meats, roast potatoes and other vegetables. Or you can serve it on its own with crusty bread as a vegetarian supper.
Notes
To make in a saucepan
Heat the milk in the saucepan, add it to the cornflour mixture as described then add all back into the pan and heat until the sauce starts to thicken, stirring all the time. Add the grated cheese and continue with the recipe.Nutrition
Calories: 344kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 16gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 681mgPotassium: 688mgFiber: 3gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 784IUVitamin C: 72mgCalcium: 469mgIron: 1mg