Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: approximately 20-25 minutes

Serving Size: ½ cup - Makes about 8

½ Slice on The Slice Plan

Ingredients

Mixture

3 pounds cauliflower, cut into large florets (about 1 head)

4 TB unsalted butter, cut into squares

3 TB all-purpose flour

2 cups 2% or whole milk

¾ cup Gruyere cheese, shredded or grated (you may also use Swiss)

1 tsp Kosher salt

½ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp nutmeg

as needed olive oil

Topping

½ cup breadcrumbs, unseasoned or Italian-style

¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat a large pot of water to boiling. Add cauliflower and cook until soft, about 8-10 minutes. Drain and mash using a hand masher, rice mill, or hand mixer until the cauliflower resembles mashed potatoes.

Meanwhile, melt butter in large saucepan. Add flour and mix well to make a roux. Once cooked long enough to look like wet sand (approximately 3-5 minutes), add milk. Stir until thickened. Add gruyere/swiss cheese, remove from heat, and mix well to combine. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Combine the mashed cauliflower with the thickened cheese sauce. Mix well. Transfer to a 9x9 baking dish coated with olive oil (or baking pan to achieve desired thickness at completion).

Combine breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle on top mixture generously. Bake 10-15 minutes or until breadcrumbs are golden brown.

Turn-Out & Storage

Remove from oven and serve hot. Perfect as a chilly weather side dish! This item can be prepared ahead of time, stored under refrigeration, and then baked before serving.

This can be stored for up to 3 days under refrigeration. It can also be frozen in an air-tight container for up to 3 months.