Michael Van de Elzen Cauli mac'n'cheese

Prep time: 20 mins. Cooking time: 20 mins
ingredients:
125g macaroni
1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
½ tsp salt
1 onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
125g tasty cheese, grated
1 quantity béchamel sauce (recipe below)
4 slices wholegrain bread
pinch flaky salt
method:
1. Preheat oven to 190°C. Cook macaroni according to packet instructions and set aside. Blanch cauliflower in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 2–3 minutes and drain well.
2. Sauté onion and garlic in a little oil in a large frying pan until translucent. Add cauliflower and sauté for one minute. Fold this, along with the cooked macaroni and cheese into the béchamel sauce.
3. Pour into a large casserole dish. Drizzle the grainy bread with remaining olive oil and season with flaky salt, then blitz in a food processor or crumble by hand and sprinkle over the macaroni mixture.
4. Cook for 20 minutes.
béchamel sauce
Makes 2 cups. Prep and cooking time: 8 mins
ingredients:
50g butter
50g flour
600ml milk, warmed
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
method:
Melt butter in a saucepan, add flour and stir until combined. Cook mixture out for one minute then gradually add milk, stirring well after each addition to remove any lumps. Stir in salt and mustard.
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Recipes extracted from Fast: Good Home Cooking by Michael Van de Elzen
Published by Random House, RRP$49.99

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