Cauliflower Cheddar Melt
- Savory
- Comforting
- Oven
Roasted cauliflower florets and a sharp mustard-cheddar sauce topped with crisp breadcrumbs and broiled until the cheese bubbles. A hearty, comforting bake.
- Total
- 45 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 30
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
You'll practice: Roasting · Making a roux
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 220°C.
~10 min
-
Cut the cauliflower into 2 cm florets and spread them on a parchment-lined baking tray. Season with the salt and black pepper and roast until the edges are browned and the stems are tender, about 20 minutes.
~20 min
High, dry heat browns the florets through the Maillard reaction while driving off moisture, so they turn nutty and crisp rather than steaming soft.
Roasting Spread the florets in a single layer with space between them so they brown instead of steam. Watch for browned edges and a knife-tender stem.
-
While step 2 cooks
While the cauliflower roasts, melt the butter in a small bowl in the oven, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the flour to form a smooth paste, then whisk in the 250 ml milk and the mustard until no lumps remain.
~3 min
Cooking the flour in melted butter makes a roux, which thickens the milk and keeps the sauce from tasting of raw flour.
Making a roux Whisk the flour into the melted butter until fully smooth before adding milk, then whisk constantly to avoid lumps. Cook briefly so the raw flour taste disappears.
-
While step 2 cooks
Grate the cheddar. Stir two thirds of the cheddar into the milk mixture, keeping the rest for the top.
~3 min
Adding most of the cheese off the heat keeps it from breaking, while the reserved third melts on top into a golden crust.
-
Pour the cheese sauce over the hot roasted cauliflower on the tray and toss to coat every floret.
~2 min
-
Scatter the breadcrumbs and the remaining cheddar over the cauliflower. Return the tray to the oven and bake until the crumbs are golden and the cheese is bubbling, 8 to 10 minutes.
~10 min
The exposed breadcrumbs and cheese brown and bubble under direct heat, giving the topping its crisp, savory contrast to the soft florets.
-
Let the melt stand for 2 minutes so the sauce settles, then spoon it onto plates.
~2 min
A brief rest lets the hot sauce thicken and cling to the florets instead of running off the moment you serve it.
