Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 60 minutes

Serves: 4 to 6 people

Broccoli and cauliflower mac’n’cheese is considered as a winter-warming comfort food. It is a great side dish, but is also equally good by itself.

Ingredients

Macaroni – 250 grams

Cauliflower split into florets – 1

Broccoli split into florets – 1

Cold milk – 700 milliliters

Butter – 50 grams (keep some extra quantity for greasing purposes)

Plain flour – 50 grams

Wholegrain mustard – 1 teaspoon

A pinch of nutmeg

Grated cheddar cheese – 200 grams

Preparation

Fill a cooking pot that is large enough to contain the cooked pasta, cauliflower, broccoli with water and bring it to boil on a stove at high heat. Add macaroni and continue cooking for 12 minutes. Add the cauliflower florets into the pot 5 minutes prior to the pasta getting completely cooked. Add the cauliflower florets two minutes later. Cook for about 3 more minutes and then drain the water. Keep the pot aside.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius/180 degrees Fahrenheit/Gas Mark 6. Grease an ovenproof baking dish of size 25 cm (L) × 25 cm (W) × 5 cm (D). Pour the milk into a saucepan and keep it on the stove at medium heat. Whisk after adding flour and butter until the mixture attains a steady simmer. Continue to cook till the sauce becomes thick.

Now, add three-quarters of the cheese, a pinch of nutmeg and the wholegrain mustard. Season using ground black pepper and salt. Mix thoroughly until the cheese melts. The cheese sauce can now be poured over the macaroni, broccoli and cauliflower. Mix thoroughly.

Transfer the contents from the pot on to the baking dish. Sprinkle the cheese that is left and keep it in the oven for about 25 minutes or till the top turns to golden color and the sauce bubbles up the sides. The baking dish can now be removed from the oven and allowed to cool down a little before serving.