Cauliflower and Leek Gratin
Who doesn’t love a vegetable gratin? Gratins are glorified vegetable casseroles and are especially lovely for buffet-style entertaining. Cauliflower and leeks are an excellent wintertime combination that pairs well with nutty Gruyère flavored cream sauce. A touch of nutmeg and cayenne pepper pronounces the flavor of most cheese sauces. Top it all off with a slightly crunchy bread topping for a multi-textured dish. But why wait for company? Enjoy now.
6 servings
INGREDIENTS:
3 slices multigrain bread
4 tablespoons butter, softened, divided
1 large head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
1 cup leeks, white and pale green parts medium diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup Gruyère cheese
Pinch ground nutmeg
Pinch cayenne pepper
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
In a food processor, pulse the bread and two tablespoons of the softened butter together until coarsely crumbled. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the cauliflower to the water and bring back to a boil. Cook just until they turn from opaque to translucent but still crunchy, about three minutes. Drain, rinse under cold running water until cool. Reserve in a colander while making the sauce.
Heat the remaining butter in a large skillet. Add the leeks and cook until softened, about four minutes. Add the garlic and stir for thirty seconds more. Add the cream cheese and slowly whip in the cream, followed by the cheese until smooth—season with nutmeg, cayenne, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir in the cauliflower. Transfer to an eleven by seven-inch ceramic baking pan. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly over the top. Place in the preheated oven and bake until bubbling and golden brown on top, about ten minutes.
Cauliflower and Leek Gratin
Ingredients
- 3 slices multigrain bread
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened, divided
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
- 1 cup leeks, white and pale green parts medium diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup Gruyère cheese
- Pinch ground nutmeg
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a food processor, pulse the bread and two tablespoons of the softened butter together until coarsely crumbled. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the cauliflower to the water and bring back to a boil. Cook just until they turn from opaque to translucent but still crunchy, about three minutes. Drain, rinse under cold running water until cool. Reserve in a colander while making the sauce.
- Heat the remaining butter in a large skillet. Add the leeks and cook until softened, about four minutes. Add the garlic and stir for thirty seconds more. Add the cream cheese and slowly whip in the cream, followed by the cheese until smooth—season with nutmeg, cayenne, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir in the cauliflower. Transfer to an eleven by seven-inch ceramic baking pan. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly over the top. Place in the preheated oven and bake until bubbling and golden brown on top, about ten minutes.
Calories
343.47Fat (grams)
28.16Sat. Fat (grams)
17.05Carbs (grams)
16.14Fiber (grams)
4.75Net carbs
11.39Sugar (grams)
5.72Protein (grams)
9.49Sodium (milligrams)
340.57Cholesterol (grams)
80.67