It's the first Sunday after the first full moon of the vernal equinox (a.k.a. Easter), and that means chocolate and ham! And what goes with chocolate and ham but things with cheese? Normally, I would say cheese potatoes all the way, but we decided to go with roasted veggies instead. It was a new recipe for me, adapted from Cooking Light, and it got rave reviews.
Roasted Veggies au Gratin
1 head broccoli (in florets)
1 head cauliflower (in florets)
olive oil
salt and pepper
2/3 c. panko
2 T. butter (melted)
2 T. fresh chives, minced
1 c. shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar; the recipe calls for gruyere--I'm cheap.)
1 T. butter
1/2 onion, minced
1 clove garlic, crushed
4 T. flour
2 c. milk
3 T. fresh parsley
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a baking dish with cooking spray or butter. Toss broccoli and cauliflower in a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes or until almost tender. While the veggies are roasting, prepare panko topping. Add melted butter, chives, and 1/4 c. cheese to panko. Set aside and prepare cheese sauce. Saute onion until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute for about a minute. Add flour and whisk constantly for 1 minute. Add milk, slowly, stirring constantly. Bring almost to a boil and hold there for 3 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and add remaining cheese, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.
Turn up oven to broil. Assemble dish by mixing cheese sauce and veggies, topping with panko mixture. Broil for 3 minutes.