Cauliflower Gratin Bake

I picked up a big, lovely head of cauliflower the other day and it had just so happened that Kristin had posted a cauliflower recipe a few weeks ago that sounded to good to pass up.  But Mel, my other favorite blogger, had something similar on her blog.  So this was a combination of the two.

CAULIFLOWER GRATIN BAKE (3-4 servings)

1/2 head of large cauliflower, but into large florets

1 1/2 Tbsp butter

1 1/2 Tbsp flour

1 medium fresh garlic clove, minced

1 cup milk, room temp

3/4 cup shredded cheese (mixture of Swiss, Jack, Cheddar, Parmesan, your choice)

1/2 tsp dry mustard

smidgen of cayenne, optional, or to taste

Topping:

1/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1/2 Tbsp butter

1-2 Tbsp shredded cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add cauliflower.  Look cook for about 2 minutes (not mushy....al dente).  Drain.  Set aside.

In small saucepan, melt butter.  Whisk in flour over medium heat.  Whisk for a few minutes.  Add garlic until fragrant, no more than a minute.  Slowly add milk and continually whisk until thickened.  Remove from heat.  Stir in cheese and whisk until melted.  Add dry mustard and cayenne, if using.  Pour into an 8x8 baking dish.

Combine topping ingredients in a food processor.  Sprinkle over cauliflower.

Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes.

Recipe Adapted from: Iowa Girl Eats and Mel's Kitchen Cafe