This easy recipe for baked cauliflower with cheese sauce is pretty versatile. If you don't have cauliflower, the Parmesan sauce and Cheddar topping taste great on any vegetables you do have on hand. I often put a layer of cooked kale or broccoli under the cauliflower florets. You can change the flavor of the sauce by adding different cheeses you might have in your fridge. It takes a bit of work to make the sauce, but it's worth it. This side dish is delicious alongside roast beef or lamb.
1 head cauliflower, broken into florets
¼ cup butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 ¾ cups 1% milk
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated
salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 ounces mature Cheddar cheese, grated
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Place cauliflower in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then cook until tender yet firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to a baking dish.
Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk in flour until smooth and mixture pulls away from the side of the saucepan, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in milk, a little at a time, and whisk continuously until sauce is thickened but still pourable, 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir Parmesan cheese into sauce until melted; season with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over cauliflower and sprinkle Cheddar over top.
Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
