Cauliflower, Broccoli, Mushroom Gratin

When it came to Christmas dinner we wanted to have as many thing prepared in advance to ease the stress and work on the 25th itself. This vegetable gratin was a perfect example of this - we prepared it the day before up until the point of baking it. When the gratin had cooled we wrapped it in saran wrap and hid it away in the refrigerator. On the 25th, while the turkey was cooking we put it on top of the stove to bring it to room temperature. After the turkey was cooked and sat resting on the cutting board we popped the gratin in the oven and within 25 minutes it was done!

This isn't like a lot of vegetable casseroles that you may have had before - there are no cans of soup here. Instead you have a sensible gratin of cauliflower, mushroom, and broccoli in cheese sauce - but spiked with Dijon mustard, sharp old cheddar and grated horseradish. The crisp crusty topping tastes as good as it looks and adds an amazing crunch to each bite.

This recipe was from the LCBO Food and Drink magazine although I made a few changes to it.

There is no doubt that this was the hit of the meal - in fact, one of our guests (who shall remain nameless) had three helpings!

Cauliflower, Broccoli, Mushroom Gratin

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 bunch broccoli, trimmed
8 oz mushrooms,washed, trimmed, and cut into bite sized pieces
1 T olive oil
2 cups (500 mL) fresh bread crumbs
½ cup (125 mL) grated extra-old or old cheddar cheese
2 tbsp (25 mL) chopped fresh basil or parsley
1 tbsp (15 mL) horseradish, squeezed dry
¼ tsp (1 mL) each of salt and pepper
2 tbsp (25 mL) butter, melted

Cheddar Sauce
2 tbsp (25 mL) butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 tbsp (45 mL) flour
2½ cups (625 mL) whole milk
2 tsp (10 mL) Dijon mustard
½ tsp (2 mL) salt
1½ cups (375 mL) grated extra-old or old cheddar cheese

Butter a 7 x 11-inch (2-L) baking dish or coat with baking spray. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add broccoli and cauliflower; cook 2 minutes or until cooked but still very crisp. Drain in colander; cool under cold running water. Drain again; turn into dish. In a small saute pan heat a tablespoon of olive oil. Satue the mushrooms for three minutes. Turn them into the baking dish and mix the vegetables.

Combine bread crumbs, cheese, basil or parsley, horseradish, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir in butter; set aside.

To make sauce, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion; sauté 3 to 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually mix in milk and mustard while stirring constantly. Stir frequently 10 minutes or until mixture thickens and just boils. Remove from heat; stir in salt and cheese; evenly pour overtop of vegetables.

Arrange rack above oven centre; preheat oven to 400ºF (200º).

Scatter crumb mixture evenly over vegetables in cheese sauce. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly around the edges and topping is crisp and brown. (Gratin holds well, remaining hot for an hour or more after emerging from the oven.)

Comments

[a spirit of simplicity]

it looks delicious. Happy New Year.

[JDeQ]

It was. I hope yo have a wonderful new year as well!