Cauliflower Cheese

Dairy-free option | Gluten-free | Sugar-free | Vegan option

Makes enough to serve 4-5 as a side dish 

Why it’s delicious

Dad was the adventurous cook in our house; believe it or not, cauliflower cheese for dinner was considered pretty exotic. I can recall the times that Dad would cook dinner. This was one of the treats that would get served alongside a roasted chicken or, if it was a special occasion, a roasted leg of lamb. 

My version of Dad’s cauliflower cheese gives you the option to go dairy or dairy-free and vegan. It can be served as a side dish alongside beef, lamb, or chicken, or as I like to do for a light dinner with a flavour-filled salad. 

Ingredients

For the sauce

• 50 g (1 .7 oz) grass-fed butter or vegan butter
• 50 g (1.7 oz) plain gluten-free flour
• 450 ml (15 fl oz) unsweetened almond milk 
• 2-3 tsp sugar-free Dijon mustard
• 1-2 tsp mineral salt
• Freshly milled black pepper
• 2-4 heaped tablespoons nutritional yeast dissolved in 1-2 tbsp hot water
• 100 g ( 3 oz) aged vintage cheddar or vegan cheddar cheese, grated 

Cauliflower

• Mineral salt
• ½  tsp baking soda
• 800-1000 g (1.7-2.2 lb) fresh cauliflower, sliced into even-sized pieces

Topping

• 5 tbsp finely grated aged vintage cheddar or vegan cheddar cheese
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast

Method

1. Preheat the oven to bake at 210C (410F) 
2. Make the sauce by melting the butter in a pot set on medium heat and add the flour. Stir well with a wooden spoon and cook for 30 seconds before beginning to slowly incorporate the almond milk, stirring well between each addition of milk. 
3. Keep on adding the milk till you have a smooth creamy sauce. You can swap from a spoon to a whisk to ensure the sauce is creamy and lump free. 
4. Add 2 tsp mustard, 1 tsp salt, a good grinding of black pepper, 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast soaked in 1 tablespoon of hot water and stir well to mix in. Taste for flavour adding more mustard, seasoning or yeast as you deem necessary. 
5. Add the cheese and stir through to melt and combine well. Keep the sauce warm until ready to use. 
6. For the cauliflower, bring a large pot of water to the boil along with a good pinch of salt and the baking soda. Add the cauliflower and bring the pot back to the boil and allow the cauliflower to gently cook for 5 minutes. 
7. Drain the cauliflower in a colander and shake well to remove all the water. Lay the well drained cauliflower into an ovenproof dish and season with salt and pepper.  
8. Pour over enough of the warm cheese sauce to almost cover. Stir the sauce into the cauliflower. 
9. Note: any leftover cheese sauce can be stored in a sealed container for up to 4 days
10. Top the cauliflower with the cheese and nutritional yeast and pop the dish into the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the dish bubbles and the toppings are brown and caramelised. 
11. Serve hot, straight from the pan or cool and store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.