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3 cheese cauliflower cheese
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3 Cheese Cauliflower Cheese

Our homemade cauliflower cheese is made with 3 different cheeses for maximum flavour! We're finishing this with breadcrumbs, for a crispy topping.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Side Dish, Sides
Cuisine: British, English
Servings: 6 People
Author: Ben Racey

Equipment

  • Large Saucepans
  • Cheese Grater
  • Colander
  • Large Ovenproof Dish

Ingredients

  • 1 Large Cauliflower (Around 1kg)

Cheeses

  • 150 g Mature Cheddar
  • 150 g Low Moisture Mozzarella
  • 75 g Parmesan

Sauce

  • 55 g Unsalted Butter
  • 50 g Plain Flour
  • 500 g Whole Milk
  • 350 g Chicken Stock (Or Veg Stock)
  • 1 tsp English Mustard
  • Grated Nutmeg (To Taste)

To Top

  • 30 g Panko Breadcrumbs

Instructions

  • Preheat an oven to 200°c/180°c fan (392°f/356°f).
  • Next, grate the cheddar & parmesan and place into a mixing bowl. Chop the mozzarella into small pieces then add into the bowl & mix the cheeses together. Set aside for now.

Sauce

  • Place the butter into a large saucepan then cook over a medium heat until melted. Stir in the plain flour then cook out for a minute, stirring constantly.
  • 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.
  • Now add in half the chicken stock & reduce the heat to medium-low. Continue cooking, stirring/whisking regularly until the sauce has thickened back up.
  • Pour in the rest of the stock then keep cooking until the flour has been cooked out & the sauce has thickened for a final time. It should be slightly thicker than double cream.
  • Once the sauce has cooked out, add in the mustard & two thirds of the mixed cheese. Stir until melted then take the pan off the heat.
  • Season the sauce with salt, pepper & grated nutmeg, to taste. Set aside for now.

Cauliflower

  • Fill a large saucepan up with water, cover with a lid then bring to a boil over a high heat. Add in a good pinch of salt once the water is boiling.
  • Whilst your waiting for your water to boil, cut your cauliflower into florets.
    Make sure that the florets are roughly the same size! Cut them in half if they're big.
  • Once your water is boiling, add in the cauliflower then cook for 5-6 minutes, until tender. Drain the cauliflower well, through a colander.
  • Add the drained cauliflower into the cheese sauce, mix to combine then transfer to a large baking dish.
  • Mix the panko breadcrumbs with the remaining cheese then sprinkle over the top of the cauliflower.

Cooking

  • Place the dish on a baking tray then bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until the top is crisp & golden and the sauce is bubbling.
    Placing the dish onto a tray catches any sauce that bubbles over during cooking!
  • Let the cauliflower cheese stand for 5 minutes then serve.

Notes

1. Cooking In An Aga - Cook the sauce on the simmering plate & cook the cauliflower on the boiling plate. Bake the cauliflower cheese in the roasting oven, on the second from bottom set of runners.
2. Cauliflower - You'll need a large cauliflower for this recipe, weighing roughly 1 kg. Alternatively, you can use 2 smaller cauliflowers.
3. Cheese - We're using cheddar, parmesan & mozzarella to give our sauce the best flavour & texture. Feel free to use different cheeses if you'd prefer.
4. Making In Advance – To make cauliflower cheese in advance, cook the sauce & cauliflower then store them both separately in the fridge for up to 2 days. To assemble, warm the sauce back up on the stove (add a splash of water if necessary) then mix in the cauliflower. Bake in the oven as specified in the recipe.
 
5. Stock – I like to use chicken stock for it’s deep, meaty flavour but feel free to use veg stock instead, if you’d prefer or extra milk.