This make-ahead broccoli and cauliflower casserole has delicious creamy cheddar leek sauce and crunchy panko breadcrumb topping. It can be prepared a day ahead or you can make it and serve it right away.
I originally published this recipe on November 13th, 2015. I have updated some of the content to share it with you today. This post contains affiliate links.
Why We Love This Broccoli and Cauliflower Casserole
This casserole is a great addition to a holiday meal or can be served as a side dish for a Sunday supper. The savory yet light cream sauce pairs well with Pork Loin Roast, salmon baked in foil, baked crispy chicken and steak.
Because it can be made ahead, it is great for entertaining. Not only is it vegetarian, but it can be made gluten-free and lactose-free if desired so pretty much everyone can enjoy it.
Ingredients You’ll Need To Make This Casserole
- Cauliflower: You will need an entire head of cauliflower. Look for a medium sized head free from brown spots. Remove any leaves, and cut the core out before cutting into florets.
- Broccoli: You will need two large broccoli crowns (about 1 pound.)
- Olive Oil: To make this lower in saturated fat, we used olive oil instead of butter. The oil is used to saute the leeks, and it helps to make the breading on top brown and crisp nicely.
- Leek: The leek adds delicious flavor to the cheddar sauce. You only need the white and pale green parts, so you can chop off the green parts. Use them to make chicken stock. Follow instructions for how to clean a leek here.
- Salt: Note that we recommend table salt for this recipe. You may use kosher salt instead, but you will want to double it.
- Flour: To thicken the sauce, we used all-purpose flour. For gluten-free alternatives, we suggest using a cornstarch slurry instead of trying to use gluten-free flours. See more gluten-free tips below in our FAQs section.
- Milk: You can use regular milk or lactose-free milk. To keep this lower in calories, we used fat-free (skim) milk, but any type of milk will work.
- Cheddar: For the cheddar sauce, look for the sharpest available cheddar. That will give the sauce the strongest cheese flavor with only 1 1/2 cups.
- White Pepper: Creamy sauces are great with the flavor of white pepper. Black pepper can be substituted if unavailable.
- Panko: For crunchy golden topping, use panko breadcrumbs instead of regular fine breadcrumbs. IF you can find it, use whole-wheat for a tiny bit of additional fiber.
- Paprika and Garlic Powder: To season the breadcrumb mixture and give it color, use a combination of garlic powder and paprika.
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Original source: https://www.healthyseasonalrecipes.com/broccoli-and-cauliflower-casserole/