Today in “how to make a superfood super unhealthy”: smother it in cheese! Heh, I’m joking, I’m joking. This kale cauliflower cheese is actually one of my favourite healthier alternatives to mac n cheese. It’s got all the cheesy indulgence of the classic but with more veg & less stodge. Meaning there’s plenty room left over for dessert 😉
This recipe is one that I made entirely from organic ingredients, as part of a challenge from Waitrose to eat organic for a week. It was, in a word, amazing. I used a mix of Waitrose Duchy mature and mild cheddars and the resultant gooey, bubbling topping was just what I needed at the end of a long day. The kale adds a bit of extra texture and a hint of mustard brings the whole thing together.
In case you couldn’t tell, I’m fully in autumn mode now. There was a distinct chill in the air this morning and I’ve started to crave filling, warming dinners. I was chatting about healthy comfort food in my last recipe and this *almost* falls into that category. Sure, all that cheese isn’t 100% good for you, but each portion easily contains 2 of your 5 a day. Can’t argue with that!
Ingredients
- 1 medium cauliflower (about 500g), chopped into florets
- 40g butter
- 40g plain flour, sifted
- 500ml milk
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- pinch of salt
- 100g kale, shredded
- 200g cheddar, grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180c. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add cauliflower. Boil for about 5 minutes then drain cauliflower and set aside.
- In a pot, melt the butter over a medium heat. Add the flour and whisk to form a roux. Gradually add the milk, stirring continuously until it thickens. Stir in the mustard and season with salt.
- Add the kale and cook for a few minutes until it softens. Add about 3/4 of the cheese and stir until melted.
- In a large oven dish, add the cauliflower. Pour over the kale/cheese sauce and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
Sounded and looked delicious…but just apparently not my skill level. Or maybe I just royally screwed up the UK to US conversions? Why, oh, why did foolish Americans have to use a measuring system completely different from the rest of the world??
I’ll try again when I learn to successfully make a roux…
I loved the idea of this recipe! I used it as an inspiration for our family meal this evening and will be writing up a post, hopefully, with my add ins. Delicious!
Lovely to hear this – some of the best meals happen when you play about with a recipe a bit!
This was amazing! Never made a roux before but it seems to have turned out well 😀 Love your blog – will be back!
Thanks Amie – so glad you enjoyed it!