Smokey Cauliflower and Broccoli Au Gratin (Smoked Olive Oil)

The delicate flavor of cauliflower calls for added richness and a cheesy bread crumb topping is just the ticket. Add some prosciutto and smoked olive oil for the ultimate cheesy veggie dish.

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What you will need:

  • smoked olive oil (2 tablespoons)

  • butter (1 tablespoon)

  • flour (3 tablespoons)

  • milk (1.5 cups warmed)

  • chevre goat cheese (2-3 tablespoons)

  • parmesan cheese (1 cup)

  • gouda cheese (1/2 cup)

  • 2 teaspoons of cumin

  • cauliflower and broccoli (1/2 head of each cut into small florettes)

  • breadcrumbs (1/3 cup)

  • 1 large heirloom tomato or 2-3 kumato or compari tomatoes if you can’t find good heirlooms. Slice them thinly

  • prosciutto (4-5 sclices, you can also substitute bacon or pancetta) - chopped into small bits.

  • kosher salt and ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Pre-cook veggies: Steam broccoli and cauliflower for about 3-4 minutes until they just start to soften. Drain and set aside.

Make roux: Melt butter and smoked olive oil in a medium sized sauce pan. Sprinkle in flower slowly stirring constantly. Then continue to stir cooking the flour for about 2 more minutes.

Make cheese sauce: Add warm milk to the roux and stir until mixed. Remove from heat and stir all of the cheeses but reserving about 1/2 cup parmesan for the topping.

Build the casserole: Put about 1/3 of the sauce into a medium sized baking pan. Layer in the flourets of broccoli and cauliflower. Spoon the remaining sauce over the top. Layer on the remaining cheese. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the cheese. Lay the tomato slices over the breadcrumbs. Sprinkle the prociutto over the top. Sprinkle the top with kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and a bit more cumin.

Bake: Place casserole in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until top is golden brown and veggies are fork tender. Remove casserole from the oven when ready and drizzle with more smoked olive oil.

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Serve hot with a green salad for a complete meal.

For a twist, also drizzle with some fig balsamic vinegar for an extra tangy figgy finish.