Cauliflower Cheese

I bought a huge cauliflower on impulse yesterday just because it looked incredible and turning it into cauliflower cheese is a doddle.  I'm surprised I haven't posted this recipe before but we'll tuck into it tonight, served with a simple grilled gammon steak.

Ingredients

1 large cauliflower (leaves cut off), broken into pieces

500ml milk

4 tbsp flour

50g butter

100g strong cheddar, grated

2-3 tbsp breadcrumbs, if you have them.

(or if in a rush and no time to make the sauce, buy 2 tubs of 3 cheese sauce from the supermarket chiller).

Method

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, then add the cauliflower and cook for 5 mins – lift out a piece to test, it should be cooked. Drain the cauliflower well, then tip into an ovenproof dish.

Heat oven to 220C.  Put the saucepan back on the heat and add the milk, flour and butter. Keep whisking fast as the butter melts and the mixture comes to the boil – the flour will disappear and the sauce will begin to thicken. Whisk for 2 mins while the sauce bubbles and becomes nice and thick. Turn off the heat, stir in most of the cheese and pour over the cauliflower. Scatter over the remaining cheese and breadcrumbs.

Pop the cauliflower cheese into the oven and bake for 20 mins until bubbling.