2 cups carrots, chopped
2 cups cauliflower, chopped
2 cups broccoli, chopped
3 tbsp butter
1 small onion, chopped
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
A pinch of salt
Pepper, to taste
1 cup milk
6 oz cream cheese, cut into cubes
2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 tbsp grated Canadian Parmesan cheese
1. Preheat oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Butter an 8-cup (2 L) shallow baking dish.
2. Place carrots in a large saucepan; add water to cover by 3 inches (7.5 cm) and bring to a boil over high heat. 3. Cover, reduce heat to medium and boil gently for 5 minutes or until starting to soften. Add cauliflower, then broccoli; cover, leaving lid slightly ajar, and boil gently for about 5 min or until vegetables are tender-crisp. Drain well and place in buttered dish.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the butter over medium heat; sauté onion for about 5 min or until softened. Add 1 tbsp (15 mL) butter and stir until melted. Sprinkle in flour, salt and pepper to taste; cook, stirring, for 2 min. Gradually pour in milk, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking, for about 3 min or until thick and bubbly.
5. Reduce heat to low; add cream cheese and stir until smooth. Pour over vegetables in dish; stir gently to coat evenly. Bake for 20 min.
6. Melt remaining butter and toss with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese; sprinkle over casserole. Bake for 10 to 15 min or until crisp and golden.
Tips
- Be sure to cook the vegetables just slightly in the boiling water since they will cook further in the sauce in the oven.
- If you want to use frozen vegetables, thaw then drain them and skip the 2nd step. Reduce the baking time to 15 minutes before adding the topping.
- Use 6 cups (1.5 L) of one of the suggested vegetables and/or add 3 cloves minced garlic with the onion.
Serves 4
Nutritional information is available at Dairy Goodness.