Cheesy Cabbage and Cauliflower Bake - Beecher's Handmade Cheese

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Background

Knowing what underlying flavors you are craving will be the key to choosing the “right” cheese for this recipe. While there’s a lot of other goodness going into this dish, the cheese really does shine through brilliantly. We tested this recipe with Marco Polo, because we loved what the green and black peppercorns brought to the dish. We find this recipe pairs favorably beside a cut of Mishima Reserve American Wagyu, because who doesn’t love a good peppery hit with steak?

That being said – you could go many routes with your cheese selection. With pork chops, the smokiness of Smoked Flagship is a delightful pair. If you’re going for sharp, complex flavor – go for regular Flagship! We’ve made this recipe many times with different cheeses, and there are a lot of delicious combinations out there for you to choose from.

Cooking and Serving Tips

This recipe requires you to bring cream to its boiling point. This is tricky – if it sits there too long, you’ll over-reduce the mixture and cause curdling, which will turn it into a science experiment quickly. There’s nothing worse than a gritty cheese dish!

Make sure to keep an eye on this mixture while it’s heating. The second it starts to boil, reduce the heat and simmer. It’ll be there for about 10 minutes, or until your onions soften.

We’re only par-cooking all the vegetables in this recipe. They’ll finish together in the oven once we assemble the dish, so if the cauliflower and cabbage is still a little crunchy when you combine in the baking dish, don’t worry – the 35 minutes in the oven will do the trick.

PRO TIP: If you’re a true cheese head, keep an extra amount to the side to top the dish. If you’re anything like us – you know there’s nothing better than a crunchy, cheesy top layer on any side dish!

topping cauli bake with shredded Beechers cheese

Recipe

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375˚F. Butter an 8-inch baking dish. If using pyrex, reduce baking temperature to 350˚F.

Combine cream, half and half, onions, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, sugar, and cayenne in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until onions are tender, about 10 minutes. (Do not over-reduce the cream or it will curdle.)

Stir in 1/3 cup cheese and pour into a large bowl.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the remaining salt.

Add cabbage to the pot and cook for 3-1/2 minutes. Remove cabbage, leaving the water in the pot. Rinse cabbage and drain well, squeezing firmly to remove excess liquid.

In the same pot of water, add cauliflower and cook for 3-1/2 minutes. Strain, rinse, and drain well. Add vegetables to the large bowl with the cream mixture. Mix carefully. Scrape into baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown on top. Let dish sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Total Time:

1 hr 15 min

Serves:

2 to 4

Ingredients

1 cup cream
1/2 cup half and half
3/4 pound yellow onions, sliced into 1/4-inch crescents
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
4 ounces Beecher’s Marco Polo cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
Substitutions: Beecher’s Flagship cheese
1 pound green cabbage, cored and cut into 1-inch slices
1/2 pound cauliflower florets, no larger than 1 inch (about 1-1/2 cups)