Cauliflower Casserole

This recipe I found in the book, French Kids Eat Everything by Karen Le Billion. I chose to read this book for a research paper I had to write in my Food and Culture class after my mom read it and said it was amazing. I haven't gotten very far into the book quite yet, but what I've read has been great! It has great rules for eating that I want to implement into my own future family life and some fantastic sounding recipes in the back! This is one of them :)

1 Cauliflower, chopped in bite-size pieces

4 T butter

3 T flour

2 cups Milk

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Optional: salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon

1. Put a pot of water to boil on the stove, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and butter a medium casserole dish.

2. Meanwhile, whop the cauliflower into bite-size pieces. Add it to pot when water is at a rolling boil. Reduce the heat slightly and cook for 5 minutes while making the white sauce.

3. To make the white sauce, melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Sprinkle int he flour, stir well (until the flour is absorbed), raise the heat to high, and stir for 30 seconds. Add the milk and stir constantly until the mixture has thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in salt, pepper, and nutmeg or cinnamon (if desired). Set aside.

4. To make the topping, mix the bread crumbs and Parmesan in a small bowl.

5. To make the gratin, drain the cauliflower (which will be soft but not floppy) and place it in the dish. Pour the white sauce on top, sprinkle with bread-crumb mixture, and bake for 10 minutes, or until the top is golden-brown and crunchy.