Perfect Cauliflower Gratin

Even the Super Bowl won't keep me from cooking!  I, being a hardcore Philadelphia Eagles fan, have no interest in the Super Bowl.  As long as the Giants don't win, the world will go on as planned in the morning.  We still have our snow, hoping that it will decide to melt this week and it can be just a distant bad memory.  I am being so spoiled this winter!  I have a complete love/hate relationship with snow.  Anyway...

So instead of watching the game. I made my usual big Sunday supper and since I had picked up a head of cauliflower on sale the other day, I wanted to do something besides just eat it raw, which I love.  I thought I might even get my husband to try this.  I mean throw a nice bechamel on anything and he will eat it.  But, wrong again, he wasn't touching it with a 10 ft. pole.   I managed to take a healthy vegetable and worked it into something creamy, cheesy, and delicious.  I mean, why not, right?  Sometimes I think cauliflower gets a bad reputation.  I mean, it is just a boring, white, clump of lumpy veg but, it deserves to be in the spotlight once in awhile, doesn't it?!?


Cauliflower Gratin
1 head of fresh cauliflower
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk  *could substitute this with chicken stock as well*
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp butter (additional, this should be melted)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a casserole dish, separate cauliflower into bite size florets.  Spread out in the bottom of the dish in a single layer.  Set this aside while you make the bechamel.  In a small saucepan melt 1 tbsp butter, add flour and whisk until flour is a very light brown.  Add milk and heavy cream.  Let simmer 2-3 minutes, salt and pepper sauce and pour over cauliflower. The sauce should only cover the bottom of your casserole dish, depending on the size it might comp up the sides a bit.  You don't want it to drown your cauliflower, that is why it is such a small amount!  Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top and parmesan cheese.  Drizzle melted butter over the breadcrumbs.  Bake 30-35 minutes.  

I hope you enjoy this dish.  Make sure to at least lightly salt and pepper!!!

Your "cauliflower dreamin'" chefwannabe

Chris

It may sound hard or fancy, and it in fact, could be used for a fancy meal.  It is not hard.  Not at all.