Sprout Cauliflower Cheese
A festive, crowd-pleasing side where roasted cauliflower and sprouts are baked under a smooth, mustard-cheddar cheese sauce and finished with a crunchy chestnut crumb. It’s rich, savoury and ideal for a Christmas spread.
Serves 4-6 as a side
P.s. This is Day 5 of my ‘12 Days of Sproutmas’ series on socials!
Tips & Tricks
Chestnuts: Use vacuum-packed cooked chestnuts for ease; they toast beautifully in the oven.
Cheese Blend: Mature cheddar is classic, but a little Gruyère or Comté adds extra depth so feel free to mix it up, using Cheddar as the base flavour
Sauce Thickness: It should coat the back of a spoon. Add a splash of milk if it thickens too much while resting.
Make-ahead: This is a great way to get ahead on Christmas day. Get to the point where you pour the cheese sauce over then either refrigerate or freeze until needed. Cook straight from chilled - it may need an extra 5-10mins - test as you go.
Ingredients.
½ head of cauliflower
300g Brussels sprouts
1 ½ tbsp butter
3 tbsp plain flour
500ml whole milk
Approx. 75g grated mature cheddar, plus an extra 25–40g extra for topping
1-2 heaped tsp English mustard
Scant 1/4 tsp nutmeg
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
90g cooked chestnuts, vacuum-packed is best
A handful of breadcrumbs
Olive oil, to finish
Equipment.
sharp knife & chopping board
baking dish
Method.
Heat the oven to 220°C fan / 240°C conventional / 465°F.
Remove the outer leaves and cut the cauliflower into about 8 wedges through the stalk. Halve the sprouts through the root. (remove any brown outer leaves if needed).
Add to your largest baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Roast for 20 minutes, tossing halfway, until they’re golden and a little charred around the edges.
Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then whisk in the flour to form a roux. Cook for 1-2 minute, stirring constantly.
Slowly pour in the milk, a bit at a time, whisking continuously until smooth. (Once you get about halfway, you can add the rest in one go). Simmer gently for 5–7 minutes, until thickened.
Take off the heat and stir in the cheddar, mustard, nutmeg, a big pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper. If it thickens too much, loosen with a splash of milk. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Turn the oven down to 200°C fan / 220°C conventional / 430°F.
Pour the cheese sauce evenly over the top of the roasted veg. I prefer to use a slightly smaller baking dish for this part so it stays saucier.
Roughly chop the chestnuts and scatter over the top, followed by the breadcrumbs, then the extra cheddar.
Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and bake for 25-30 minutes, until bubbling and golden. Check the cauliflower with a knife to make sure it’s cooked through - return to the oven for another 5 mins if not (cooking time may vary depending on the size of the cauliflower wedges). Serve warm as a side.
