Is That White Broccoli?

This is a great side dish to add to your Thanksgiving dinner this Thursday. Cauliflower gratin is a really straightforward dish to make, especially if you know how to make macaroni and cheese from scratch. The base is very similar to the cheese sauce for macaroni.

In this instance, I added some broccoli into the mix of cauliflower to add a bit of extra color and texture (the broccoli wasn't blanched beforehand like the cauliflower).

Ingredients
1 head of cauliflower (added an addition half a head of broccoli)
Salt
2 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of all purpose flour
2 cups of hot milk
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/2 cup mix of different cheeses: I used mozzarella and cheddar (typically the recipe calls for Gruyere, but I didn't have any)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup bread crumbs

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Farenheit.
Boil the cauliflower in a pot of salted water for about 4-5 minutes. The salt will add flavor to the broccoli, similar to when you salt the water before you boil pasta. Do not overcook the cauliflower because the cauliflower will continue to cook as it's in the oven. Drain.
As the cauliflower is cooking, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over low heat. Slowly add the flour to the butter, stirring constantly to make a roux. It should be a consistency of a thick paste that's a light brown color, making sure not to burn it. Add the 2 cups of hot milk and continuously stir until the mixture comes to a boil. The mixture should thicken in about 1 minute. Turn off the heat, add the cheeses, black pepper, and nutmeg to the mixture. Remember to taste the sauce because you may have to add additional salt depending on how salty the cheese you use is.
In a glass dish, pour about 1/3 cup of the sauce into the dish, then add the cauliflower and broccoli. Add the rest of the mixture, making sure to coat the rest of the cauliflower and broccoli evenly.
Sprinkle the bread crumbs and some extra cheese on top and bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown.

You can use this exact same cheese sauce for pasta or other types of vegetables and bake the dish until golden brown similar to the directions above. This cheese sauce is versatile and can be used for many other dishes! Macaroni and cheese anyone?