Good Morning Lovelies, 

Growing up, my mum would always make us the most gooey cauliflower cheese! It was a real comfort food to us all, especially during autumn and winter, when you wanted something easy but delicious to warm up with. We never had it on a roast dinner, it was always served in a big bowl on its own, with a slice of garlic bread on the side. 

Even when I think about it now, I can recall how tasty it was. Sadly, I have been diagnosed with a dairy allergy since then and I am unable to eat it. Yet, it doesn’t stop me feeling jealous of my mum when she has it. It is always made the same way and never changed making it truly iconic. 

However, today, I am changing this, as I have a new version of the recipe to share with you all that features an ingredient that you may not be expecting…Marmite! Whether you love it or hate it, it works amazingly well in a cauliflower cheese and this recipe proves it. Cheese pull at the ready…

Ingredients

One Large Cauliflower

One Tablespoon of Olive Oil 

A Few Pinches of Salt & Pepper

One Chopped Fresh Thyme Leaf

One Large Finely Sliced Brown Onion

50g of Butter, Plus 30g Extra For The Onions

½ Teaspoon of Marmite

One and A ½ Teaspoons of English Mustard

One Tablespoon of Water

50g of Plain Flour

500ml of Warm Milk (Any Kind Is Fine)

100ml of Double Cream

120g of Grated Mature Cheddar, Plus 20g Extra For The Topping

60g of Grated Gruyere

25g of Finely Grated Parmesan, Plus 25g Extra For The Topping

½ Teaspoon of Dijon Mustard

One Small Grated Garlic Clove

1/4 Teaspoon of Nutmeg

One Teaspoon of Worcestershire Sauce

40g of Breadcrumbs

One Tablespoon of The Marmite Butter (Made Within The Recipe)

Tools

A Knife

A Chopping Board

A Large Baking Tray

A Frying Pan

Two Mixing Spoons

A Saucepan

A Whisk

A Large Ovenproof Dish

A Mixing Bowl

Method

1. To start, preheat your oven to 220ºC and grease and line a large baking tray. Then take a knife and chopping board, cut your cauliflower into evenly sized florets and place onto the tray. Coat in the oil, pepper, salt and thyme. 

2. Place into the oven and allow for the cauliflower to roast for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender and golden on the edges. You should turn them over halfway through cooking to get this evenly. 

3. Once ready, remove from the oven and place to one side. 

4. Next, grab a frying pan and add in the 30g of butter, melting it over a medium to low heat. When fully melted, add in the onion and a little bit of salt. 

5. Allow for the onion to cook slowly for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent sticking. The onion should be soft, deeply golden and give a caramelised look and smell when ready.

6. Upon the onion being cooked, add in the Marmite, ½ a teaspoon of english mustard and the water. Stir until well combined and allow to cook for one to two minutes until the onions and sauce look glossy. When ready, remove from the hob.

7. As the onions and sauce cool, place a saucepan onto your hob over a medium heat and add in the 50g of butter. Allow for this to melt before adding in the flour. 

8. Whisk the two together continuously for two minutes, not allowing it to brown, before gradually pouring in the milk. Keep whisking to keep a smooth consistency.

9. When the milk, butter and flour are fully combined, simmer gently for five to seven minutes, stirring frequently, to allow for the sauce to thicken. It should be able to coat the back of your mixing spoon.

10. Once the sauce has thickened, add in the remaining English mustard, the Dijon mustard, garlic, nutmeg, Worcestershire sauce and double cream. Stirring until fully combined and thick. When ready, remove from the heat. 

11. Before the sauce cools, add in the 120g of mature cheddar, the gruyere and 25g of the parmesan, a handful at a time, to melt within the sauce. Keep stirring to help the process. You can also add more pepper here if you want to.

12. Next, reduce the heat of your oven to 200ºC, before grabbing a large ovenproof baking dish. 

13. Place half of the roasted cauliflower into the dish, before scattering over half of the Marmite onions. Coat the onions and cauliflower in half of the cheese sauce, making sure it goes in between all of the florets.

14. Repeat this step with the remaining onions, cauliflower and sauce, a bit like a lasagne, shaking the dish gently at the end to help the sauce settle in the gaps. Pop to one side when done. 

15. Finally, grabbing a small mixing bowl, add in the breadcrumbs, remaining cheeses, some more pepper and a tablespoon of the Marmite butter from the onions. Using your hands, rub all of these together to create a fine crumble like mixture. 

16. Scatter the crumble mixture over the top, before placing into the oven for 18 to 20 minutes. The sauce should be bubbling around the edges and the top golden when done, however if you want to make it even crispier you can grill it for two to three minutes at the end as well. 

17. Upon taking it out of the oven, allow it to sit for five to 10 minutes before serving to help the sauce thicken a little more and to intensify the flavours. Plus, it will stop you from burning your mouth as well.

18. When completely ready, dish up and enjoy! 

It may seem like this recipe is going to take a lot of effort and time, but I promise you that it really doesn’t. You can do a lot of the steps as the over components cook in fact. I am certain that once you try it, you will not be able to have the old cauliflower cheese that you may have been eating or cooking before again. It is so delicious and the Marmite gives it that little something extra! We are definitely a lover of it here! 

Joey X