Cauliflower Gratin

I've been craving cauliflower and know that I might be the only person in history who has this craving. More precisely, I've been craving Bobby Flay's Cauliflower-Goat Cheese Gratin. I made this one year for Thanksgiving, and now it has become a favorite addition to our Thanksgiving menu (mostly by me). I bought a head of cauliflower but did not buy the goat cheese because I was feeling guilty about not using the remainder of the extra large container of feta. Deciding that feta is not much different than goat cheese (they are both creamy, white and a tad sour), I came up with my own recipe (because goat cheese wasn't the only key ingredient I was missing from Bobby's recipe).

This is truly comfort food, but probably not going to be the favorite at the children's table. It is a treat for the adults though. It has a wonderful smooth texture and beautiful color. Add a dash of nutmeg for a nice flavor. I enjoyed it with a sliced tomato for my lunch.


Cauliflower Gratin
1/4 c butter
1/3 c flour
1 c whole milk
1 c chicken broth
1/3 lb Monterey Jack cheese, cut into small cubes
2 c feta cheese crumbles, divided
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1 c grated Parmesan
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F.

1. Bring a pot water to a boil and add cauliflower florets. Cook for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. Melt butter in a deep sauce pan. Add flour and whisk to combine well. Slowly add milk and chicken broth, whisking constantly to break up lumps. Continue to whisk slowly and heat to a simmer. Remove from heat. Sauce should have thickened.

3. Add Monterey Jack cheese and 1 cup feta crumbles to hot sauce and stir. Continue to stir until the cheese is mostly melted.

4. Place cauliflower florets into a shallow casserole dish, one sightly smaller than a 9x13 works best. Top with white sauce, 1 cup of crumbled feta and grated Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.