Cauliflower cheese

Can something as simple as a cauliflower cheese belong in the FatSteak Club? I’m pretty confident that this version can with its beyond cheesy sauce.

This really is a ‘fridge clearing’ dish, and very simple, you can have it on the table in about 30 minutes with minimal effort. Gone are the days of worrying about lumpy flour based cheese sauces, here all you need is a non-stick pan and an unhealthy relationship with cheese!

Once you have the basics of the dish down, mix it up with whatever you can find. Use your favourite kind of cheese. Mix the cheeses, turn it blue, make it stringy with some mozzarella, go strong with some mature cheddar, or keep it smoky. Spice it up with some mustard, wholegrain or Dijon, add some dried herbs, pop in some paprika.

For an added protein hit I’ve used pancetta here, but if you have meat left over from a roast, shredded and reheated, fry up some bacon and crumble it, shred some supermarket rotisserie chicken, you get the idea!

For a more filling dish, swap out the vegetables for some macaroni for a classic mac ‘n’ cheese.

Step 1 - The veg

• Cook the veg until al dente. They need to have a crunch to survive under the cheese sauce when in the oven

• Choose your favourite method, steam or boil, microwave if you will

• Put to one side and let them dry out

Step 2 - The sauce

• Put the butter, cream, cream cheese and 150g grated cheese into a non-stick saucepan

• Gently heat the mix, stirring frequently, until it is melted

• Taste and season with salt and pepper, spice it up with some paprika, or mellow it out with some nutmeg, or just add more cheese! Here I’ve used wholegrain mustard

• Sauce done - it’s that easy

 

Step 3 - The protein

• Heat a dry pan over a medium high heat

• Fry the pancetta until the fat is rendered out and the meat is going crispy

• Same applies to off cuts, left over ham, shredded chicken and so on

Step 4 - Assemble

• In a bowl big enough top in the cooked veg, protein, chopped spring onions and cheese sauce

•  Gently mix everything together, coating the veg in cheesy goodness

• Tip into a deep oven proof dish

• Sprinkle with the remaining 50g cheese, a mix of regular cheese and parmesan works well

Step 5 - Cook and cool

• Pop in the oven for 20 - 30 mins until you have a crispy cheesy topping

• Allow to cool for a good 10 mins before serving

• Appease the guilt with some green salad on the side! 

Ingredients - Cauliflower cheese

• 1 large cauliflower

• 1 head brocolli

• Or cheat with two packs of ready cut and mixed pieces

• 25g unsalted butter

• 250ml double cream

• 60g cream cheese

• 150g plus 50g grated cheese - your choice

• Salt and pepper

• Nutmeg, paprika, mixed herbs, mustard whatever takes your fancy

• Two packs pancetta cubes

• 3 Spring onions