Cauliflower Gratin With Leeks And White Cheddar Recipes

CAULIFLOWER GRATIN WITH LEEKS AND WHITE CHEDDAR

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Slice cauliflower head lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick slices, including the core and leaves. (Some smaller bits will fall away: That's fine. You'll use them as well.)
• Drizzle some olive oil onto the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish. (An oval, square or rectangular dish will all work.) Layer about a third of the cauliflower along the bottom, and about a third of the leeks. Season with salt and pepper, and repeat until all of the cauliflower and leeks are used. (Don't worry about perfectly layering them.) Season with salt and pepper and drizzle cream over. Scatter cheese on top, and season again with salt and pepper. Lightly cover with foil and place in the oven.
• Bake until cauliflower is nearly tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until cream has thickened and reduced nearly completely and the top is golden brown and crisp, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before eating.

CAULIFLOWER AU GRATIN

Steps:

• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add cauliflower, cover, and steam until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x9-inch baking dish.
• Heat butter in a small saucepan over low heat; cook and stir onion in the melted butter until softened, about 5 minutes. Add flour; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture just starts to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually pour milk into mixture, whisking into a smooth sauce. Cook until just simmering.
• Remove sauce from heat and stir in half the Cheddar cheese until melted; sprinkle with pepper and nutmeg.
• Place steamed cauliflower in the prepared baking dish; pour cheese sauce over cauliflower. Sprinkle with remaining Cheddar cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and browned, about 25 minutes.

CAULIFLOWER, LEEK AND BACON GRATIN RECIPE - (4/5)

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 inch square or oval dish. 2. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook cauliflower for 5 minutes. Drain. Set aside in a bowl. 3. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes or until crispy. Set aside on paper towels. Discard all but 2 tsp. of fat. Add leeks to the skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes or until very soft and just starting to turn golden. Transfer to the bowl with the cauliflower. Add bacon. 4. Wipe skillet clean. Melt butter in the skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle with flour; cook, whisking, for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Whisk for 3 to 5 minutes or until smooth and thickened. Whisk in the Gruyere, Parmesan and salt until cheese is melted. 5. Pour over cauliflower mixture, stirring until well coated. 6. Transfer to buttered dish. Topping: In a bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, cheese and butter. Sprinkle over the dish. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden on top and heated throughout. Variation: Use broccoli and cheddar in place of cauliflower and Gruyere and Parmesan.

CAULIFLOWER WITH WHITE CHEDDAR SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, place steamer basket over 1 in. of water. Place cauliflower in basket. Bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer; steam, covered, just until tender, 10-12 minutes., Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, mix cornstarch, salt and white pepper. Stir in milk and butter until smooth. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir until thickened, 2-4 minutes., Stir in cheese until melted. Drain cauliflower. Transfer to a serving bowl; top with sauce. If desired, sprinkle with paprika.

CAULIFLOWER CHEESE WITH LEEK BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Remove the green outer leaves from the cauliflower as well as the thick white stalk, taking care not to break off the florets. Cut a deep cross in the bottom of the stem and steam it whole over a pan of boiling water until slightly tender but not cooked through. The cauliflower florets should still be firm. Remove the cauliflower from the heat and leave to cool.
• Place the butter in a large saucepan and melt over medium heat. Lower the heat and add the finely chopped leeks. Cook until the leeks are softening slightly but not cooked thoroughly. Remove 1 tablespoon of the leeks and keep to one side. Add the flour to the remaining leeks in the pan and stir. The flour will become lumpy, but continue to stir for 2 - 3 minutes. This will cook the flour and soften it to make a better sauce. Add the large pinch of salt and the mustard powder and stir again. Turn up the heat to medium and add the milk all at once. Stir briskly until a smooth sauce forms. Continue stirring until the sauce is thick and glossy - about 4 - 5 minutes. If the sauce thickens too much, add a little more milk. It should be thick, but still a bit runny. At this point, add the grated cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat.
• Break or cut the cauliflower florets away from the thick, central stalk, taking care not to break it into tiny pieces. Place these florets in a greased baking dish large enough to hold all the florets in just one layer. Pour the cheese and leek sauce over the cauliflower making sure to cover all the florets. Sprinkle the extra grated cheese evenly over the top and scatter the reserved softened leeks over the top as well. Finally, grate some fresh pepper over the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the sauce is bubbling and golden brown on the top, approximately 20 minutes. Test the cauliflower to make sure it's cooked through by piercing with a sharp pointed knife, cook a little longer if necessary. Serve warm.

CASHEW CAULIFLOWER AND LEEK GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. Place cauliflower florets and leek slices in a parchment-lined 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with paprika, salt and pepper; toss to mix. Roast 20 minutes, stirring halfway through., Meanwhile, process cashew milk, white wine, cashew butter and garlic in a blender until smooth. Pour into a small saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer until thickened, 2-3 minutes., Transfer roasted cauliflower and leeks to a greased 11x7-in. baking dish; stir in cashew sauce. Return to oven; bake until heated through, 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle with cashews and chives.