Day 329 - Cauliflower Gratin

Last night we went out to a FABULOUS meal with my husband's brother-in-law who was in town for a work conference.  We had a wonderful time and the food was absolutely incredible!
We went to the Tonto Bar & Grill at Rancho Manana in Cave Creek, AZ.
Oh. My. Goodness.
I had the Vegetable Nosh which included sauteed spinach and broccolini, green beans, a sweet potato, onion and leek gratin, and the highlight of the dish - a quinoa, feta, and vegetable salad.
WOW!
I had never had quinoa before and have been wanting to try it.  I am SO very glad I ordered it!
My husband, daughter, and brother-in-law were all impressed with it.
The food was so absolutely fresh  and absolutely flavorful!!
I highly recommend going there if you're ever in the Phoenix area!  It is a little pricey, but so very much worth it!
I loved that quinoa so much, I'm going to have to try to duplicate it.  Well, come as close as possible because I don't think I'll be able to get a hold of any cholla pods. Our waitress, .Laura, so kindly talked to the chef and he had told her that was one of the ingredients and that they are harvested in Tucson.

I'm stuck on vegetables after eating dinner last night and we had a very large head of cauliflower growing in our garden that I needed to cook before it started to flower.
So here it is...

Cauliflower Gratin - serves 4

1 head of cauliflower (about 3 pounds)
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded colby/cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Prepare a 1-quart baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray.
Cook cauliflower in a pot of salted, boiling water for 5-6 minutes.

Drain and place into prepared baking dish.  Season with some salt and freshly ground pepper.

To prepare sauce, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.
Whisk flour in so that it forms a light roux.
Gradually add milk, whisking so that the roux blends in completely.
Continue cooking and whisking until sauce thickens.  Do not boil.
Add salt and pepper.

Stir in Gruyere and Parmesan cheeses and stir until cheeses are melted.
Pour sauce over cauliflower.

Sprinkle colby/cheddar cheese over the cauliflower.
In a small bowl, combine melted butter and bread crumbs.  Mix until thoroughly combined with a fork.

Sprinkle bead crumbs entirely over the cauliflower.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown.

I rate everything I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and this Cauliflower Gratin earned 3 1/2 rolling pins.
It was quite delicious and I'm not a big fan of cauliflower.
I am a huge fan of cheese though!
The combination was quite delicious and that sauce really made the dish.
I have found a new way to add cauliflower to my family's diet.
This is good because we have more growing in the garden.

I give you all BIG baking hugs and muffins!!