Broccoli-Cauliflower Gratin

 I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends this past week.  We enjoyed a fantastic meal with the family that happened to be in New Jersey for the holiday.

I didn't host this year, but was happy to make a couple of dishes to contribute to the meal.  We wanted to add another veggie side dish to the meal, at least to give the appearance of healthy food on the table.  Of course, I went one step further by making it cheesey based on a recipe I found at Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy. Susan's description and photos of the dish made it clear this would be a perfect side dish for our Thanksgiving dinner.

This is a perfect dish for sharing at a holiday meal or a potluck.  I changed the cheese to fontina because that is what I had on hand and also thought that the mild flavor would appeal to more people.

I especially loved the crunch of the bread crumbs, which I subbed with Panko bread crumbs... they stay so perfectly crunchy.  The added texture makes this dish a big winner.  Of course, how can you go wrong with a cheese sauce drizzled over veggies?  Seriously, you could get any picky eater to try this one!

Here's the recipe with my changes noted in bold.
  

Broccoli-Cauliflower Gratin

adapted from Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy - originally adapted from Barefoot in Paris

Ingredients:

1 (3-pound) head cauliflower, cut into large florets

2-3 cups of broccoli florets 

Kosher salt

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups hot milk

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

3/4 cup freshly grated Fontina cheese, divided

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs 

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2.  Cook the broccoli and cauliflower florets in a large pot of boiling salted water for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain.

3.  Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and stir until it comes to a boil. Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, or until thickened. Off the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, the pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup of the Fontina, and the Parmesan.

4.  Pour 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of an 8 by 11 by 2-inch baking dish. Place the drained broccoli and cauliflower on top and then spread the rest of the sauce evenly on top. Combine the bread crumbs with the remaining 1/4 cup of Fontina and sprinkle on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the gratin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.