Broccoli and Cauliflower Cheese Bake is a delicious side dish of roasted broccoli and cauliflower covered in cheesy goodness, that the whole family will enjoy. This healthier bake is designed to suit babies through to older family members, and help develop a love of vegetables! It’s easy to make and can be prepared ahead of time.
A Yummy Way to Enjoy Veggies
Do you or your children need convincing to eat vegetables? This Broccoli and Cauliflower Cheese Bake is the perfect side dish to do the trick! I’m happy to admit that my husband and I enjoy steamed vegetables. A little boring maybe, but healthy. For ease and sanity’s sake, we want our children to enjoy steamed vegetables too. Plain, like we do! But if we gave them plain steamed veggies all the time they may turn up their noses, and so I mix it up now and then.
Enter: melted cheese! Delicious varieties of cheese that is, and not just the store-bought grated-in-a-bag kind. I use a mix of Gruyere and Red Leicester. This is what takes this cheesy broccoli cauliflower casserole to a scrumptious new level! Plus, baking to get the cheese gloriously golden adds a deeper flavour to the vegetables. I personally love the toasty bits of roasted broccoli at the edges of the pan! 😋 This vegetable bake is made with a simple white sauce rather than cream to make it a little healthier, and has just the right amount to still let the veggies shine through 😁.
What you need for Broccoli and Cauliflower Cheese Bake
Broccoli and Cauliflower – Crunchy, fresh broccoli and cauliflower. This recipe uses a medium-sized whole head of broccoli and a half a head of cauliflower, cut into florets. Don’t throw out the stems! I add these too, or set them aside for broccoli/cauliflower rice.
Cheese – I use an equal mix of Gruyere, a smooth good melting cheese and perfect for cheese sauce, and Red Leicester, a smooth cheddar-style cheese with a slightly nutty flavour. As well as the flavour, I love the colour the Red Leicester gives to the finished bake. If serving to family under 12 months, keep in mind that cheddar cheeses can have higher levels of sodium [1] than other varieties. If preferred, you could choose a sharp cheddar cheese or add a sprinkle of parmesan on top.
Butter, plain flour, and milk – For making the white creamy sauce.
White ground pepper and nutmeg – For seasoning. White pepper is more mild than black pepper, but substitute if you like.
How to make Broccoli and Cauliflower Cheese Bake
I love how easy this broccoli and cauliflower casserole recipe is to make, and that it can be made ahead of time.
Thermomixer? Steam the broccoli and cauliflower florets in your machine, and then arrange in a baking dish. Make the sauce in the thermo cooker and pour over the vegetables. Sprinkle with cheese. Either bake immediately in a preheated oven, or refrigerate or freeze for later.
Conventional cook? On the stovetop in a steamer basket, steam the cauliflower and broccoli florets until just tender. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, make the sauce. First, melt the butter. Add the flour to melted butter and stir until it bubbles. Reduce to medium heat and gradually add the milk, stirring until the sauce thickens. Pour over the vegetables. Sprinkle with cheese, and then either bake immediately in a preheated oven, or refrigerate or freeze for later.
See the recipe card below for ingredient amounts and detailed steps for both thermo cooker and conventional methods.
Serving this vegetable bake
Serve this as a side dish to a family main, or on it’s own as a vegetarian supper.
After Baby LJ had started solids, I also blended this one up for spoon-feeding. It was a great dish for keeping up his dairy exposure.
Looking for more family friendly side dishes? Try this Basil Pesto Potato and Sweet Potato Bake. It’s a healthier alternative to creamy potato bakes and easy to make too.
Making this Broccoli and Cauliflower Cheese Bake? Please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest too for more delicious recipes.
Happy cooking,
Chloe x
Broccoli and Cauliflower Cheese Bake
Category: SidesTap or hover to scale
Ingredients
- 30 g Gruyere cheese (Thermomixer: cut into 3cm cubes) (Note 1)
- 30 g Red Leicester cheese (Thermomixer: cut into 3cm cubes) (Note 1)
- 500 g water for steaming vegetables
- 250 g broccoli cut into florets (Note 2)
- 250 g cauliflower cut into florets (Note 2)
- 25 g plain/ all purpose flour
- 20 g unsalted butter
- 250 g milk
- 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
Thermo Cooker Instructions
- Put the cheeses into the mixing bowl. Chop for 4 seconds, speed 7, MC on. Set aside in a bowl.
- Pour the water into the mixing bowl. Put the Varoma basket into position, add the vegetables to the basket, and secure the lid. Cook for 12 minutes, Varoma, speed 1 (Note 3). Transfer steamed vegetables to a baking dish, set Varoma aside and empty mixing bowl.
- Preheat oven to 200°C.
- Put butter, flour, milk, pepper and nutmeg into the mixing bowl. Cook for 6 minutes, 90°C, speed 3, MC on.
- Add 30g of the cheese mixture and mix for 4 seconds, speed 5, MC on.
- Pour sauce over prepared vegetables and sprinkle with remaining cheese mixture. Bake in oven for approximately 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Conventional Instructions
- Grate or blitz the cheeses in a food processor until finely chopped.
- Steam the vegetables using a steamer basket over a saucepan/pot with lid for 10 to 12 minutes, until just tender. Transfer to a baking dish.
- Preheat oven to 200°C.
- In a saucepan on the stove, gently melt butter over low heat. Add flour, stirring to combine into a roux. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes over low heat.
- Gradually add milk, whisking until smooth. Add pepper and nutmeg. Simmer until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Remove from heat, and add half the cheese, stirring to combine.
- Pour over prepared vegetables, and sprinkle over remaining cheese. Bake in oven for approximately 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
[1] Cheddar Cheese for Babies, 2023, Solid Starts Inc.
One Response
Great combination of broccoli, cauliflower and tasty cheeses. Lighter and fresher than other sauce-overloaded versions.