Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower Cheese
Roasted broccoli & cauliflower, smothered in a rich cheese & mustard sauce then baked until golden. This is a next level roast dinner side!
This roasted broccoli & cauliflower cheese is a seriously tasty side to serve with a homemade roast dinner! And it’s super easy to make…
For this variation of cauliflower cheese, we’re roasting broccoli & cauliflower florets in the oven before coating them in a creamy, 3 cheese sauce that’s flavoured with Dijon mustard, finely chopped sage & nutmeg. Then to finish, it’s all covered in even more cheese then baked until crisp, golden & melty. It’s a belter & can even be made a day in advance.
For more roast dinner sides, take a look at our ever growing collection of side dish recipes! There’s lots to choose from here, from roast potatoes, gravy, roasted veg, stuffing, Yorkshire puddings & lots more.
What You’ll Need
- Broccoli – We’re using regular broccoli for this recipe but if you’re feeling fancy, you could use some tenderstem or purple sprouting broccoli instead!
- Cauliflower – Cauliflowers tend to be bigger than broccoli so we’re using 1 head of cauliflower to 2 heads of broccoli. This makes plenty of portions so feel free to scale down the recipe if needed.
- Cheese – I used a mix of mature cheddar, red Leicester & parmesan for my broccoli & cauliflower cheese but feel free to use pretty much whatever cheeses you like! Some Gruyere or Comte would be some good options.
- Milk & Cream – For the creamiest cheese sauce, we’re using whole milk & some double cream.
- Herbs – I added some finely chopped sage into my cheese sauce but feel free to swap this out for some rosemary or thyme instead. Or leave it out entirely if you’d prefer.
- Mustard – I like to use dijon mustard in my cheese sauce but you could use English mustard if you’d prefer a stronger mustard flavour.
- Nutmeg – Grated nutmeg is a classic flavouring for cauli cheese & you can add as much or as little as you like.
How To Make Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower Cheese
This broccoli & cauliflower cheese couldn’t be easier to make! Simply roast the veg in the oven, make a simple mornay style cheese sauce, combine the two then bake until golden…
Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower
First, we need to cut our broccoli & cauliflower into evenly sized florets, so that they cook evenly. It’s best not to cut the florets too small, as they’ll overcook in the sauce!
Once prepped, we add the broccoli & cauliflower into a roasting tray then drizzle with veg oil and season with salt & pepper. Then we roast the veg in a 200°c/392°f oven for 15-20 minutes until they’re golden brown & just starting to soften (the veg will finish cooking in the sauce).
3 Cheese Sauce
Whilst our veg is roasting, we can get on with the cheese sauce. To make this, we make a roux with butter & plain flour then gradually add in milk until we get a thick sauce. To make this extra rich & creamy, we’ll be adding in some double cream as well.
To finish our sauce, we’re going to be adding in dijon mustard, grated nutmeg, finely chopped sage and a generous amount of mature cheddar, red Leicester & parmesan. Plus, plenty of salt & pepper as well.
Assembly & Baking
Now that our veg is roasted & the cheese sauce is ready, we can mix the two together then transfer to a large ovenproof dish. Next, we grate more cheddar over the top then bake at 200°c/392°f for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown & bubbling. Then we just need to let the broccoli & cauliflower cheese sit for 5 minutes then it can be served!
Tips & Tricks
- Roast the broccoli & cauliflower for extra flavour and to avoid making the sauce watery.
- Roast the veg until it’s just starting to go soft, as it will finish cooking in the sauce.
- Use a mix of hard cheeses in the sauce, for the best flavour.
- Season the cheese sauce well, with salt, pepper & nutmeg.
- Add dijon mustard & finely chopped herbs into the cheese sauce, for extra flavour.
- When adding the cheese to the sauce, turn the heat down to low to avoid over heating the cheese which can make it split. This is what can make cheese sauces greasy (not ideal!).
- Top the cauli cheese with grated cheese before baking, for a crispy top!
- Bake the broccoli & cauliflower cheese until the top is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling.
Frequently Asked Questions
To cook broccoli & cauliflower cheese in an Aga, roast the veg & bake the cauliflower cheese in the roasting oven, on the second from bottom set of runners. Use the simmering plate to cook the cheese sauce.
A mix of hard cheeses is best for broccoli & cauliflower cheese. I use Mature Cheddar, Red Leicester & Parmesan. Gruyere or Comte would work great as well.
Broccoli & cauliflower cheese can go watery if the veg has been boiled, as the florets will hold onto the water then release it into the sauce. To get around this, it’s best to roast the broccoli & cauliflower in the oven instead of boiling it.
Yes, broccoli & cauliflower cheese can be made in advance. To make in advance, mix the veg & cheese sauce together, place into an ovenproof dish, leave to cool then cover and chill in the fridge for up to 2 days. To cook, top with grated cheese then bake until golden brown on top & the sauce is bubbling.
More Side Dish Recipes To Try!
- Goose Fat Yorkshire Puddings
- Honey Roasted Carrots & Parsnips
- Black Garlic Roast Potatoes
- Apple Sauce For Pork
- Red Wine Gravy
- Marmalade Glazed Carrots
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Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower Cheese
Equipment
- Large Saucepan
- Cheese Grater
- Microplane/Grater
- Large Ovenproof Dish
Ingredients
- 800 g Cauliflower Florets (Roughly 1kg Head Of Cauliflower)
- 600 g Broccoli Florets (Roughly 2x 400g Heads Of Broccoli)
- 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
Cheese Sauce
- 70 g Unsalted Butter
- 70 g Plain Flour
- 800 g Whole Milk
- 300 g Double Cream
- 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 tsp Finely Chopped Sage (Or Thyme Or Rosemary)
- Nutmeg (To Taste)
- 150 g Mature Cheddar (Plus Extra For On Top)
- 100 g Red Leicester
- 75 g Parmesan
Instructions
Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower
- Preheat an oven to 200°c/180°c fan (392°f/356°f).
- Place the broccoli & cauliflower florets onto a large baking tray, drizzle over the oil then season well with salt & pepper. Make sure to cut the broccoli & cauliflower into equally sized florets. They shouldn't be too small as they'll overcook!
- Roast the broccoli & cauliflower for 15-20 minutes, shaking the tray every so often, until golden brown & just starting to soften. Once cooked, set to one side.The broccoli & cauliflower will finish cooking in the sauce when we bake it!
Cheese Sauce
- Place the butter into a large saucepan then cook over a medium heat until melted.I'd recommend starting the sauce whilst the broccoli & cauliflower is in the oven.
- Once the butter has melted, stir in the flour then cook out for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Next, add in half the milk then whisk until smooth. Cook out until thick, whisking/stirring regularly. This will take 2-3 minutes over a medium heat.
- Pour in the remaining milk & keep cooking until thickened again.
- Pour in the double cream, keep cooking for another couple of minutes until thick then stir in the mustard, nutmeg & chopped sage. Season the sauce with salt & pepper as well.
- Turn the heat down to low, add in the grated cheeses then stir to melt. Give the sauce a taste to check the seasoning, add in more salt & pepper as needed then take the pan off the heat.
- Next, add the roasted broccoli & cauliflower into the sauce, gently stir to combine then transfer to a large ovenproof dish.
- Top the broccoli & cauliflower with extra grated cheddar then bake at 200°c/392°f for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown & bubbling.I like to use a microplane to grate the cheddar on top as I find that it melts better. I'd recommend placing the dish onto a baking tray, in case the sauce bubbles over.
- Once baked, let the broccoli & cauliflower cheese stand for 5 minutes then serve.
