Creamy Baked Vegetable Au Gratin

Ingredients

• 1/3 Cup Butter
• 4 Cloves Garlic
• 1 small Onion (finely chopped)
• 1/3 Cup Flour
• 3 Cups whole Milk
• 1/4 Teaspoon Rosemary
• 2 Teaspoons Salt
• 2 Teaspoons Pepper
• 1/4 Cup Cream
• 2 Potatoes (diced into 1/2 inch pieces)
• 1/2 Cup Cauliflower florets
• 3 Carrots (diced into 1/4 inch pieces)
• 1/2 Cup Beans (diced into 1/4 inch pieces)
• 1/4 Cup Green Peas
• 1/4 Cup grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1/2 Cup grated Processed Cheese (or Mozzarella)
• 2 Teaspoons Panko Bread Crumbs

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Vegetables ---

2. 2

   Par boil vegetables: Add potatoes to 2 1/2 cups of boiling water and boil for 3 minutes in a medium sized pot. To the same pot add carrots and cook for 3 more minutes. Next add cauliflower and beans and boil for another 3 minutes. Finally, add the green peas, cook for a minutes and drain all the vegetables. Set aside.

3. 3

   --- Bechamel Sauce ---

4. 4

   Roux: Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the flour and whisk into the butter. Cook for 2 minutes till the flour is cooked and smells slightly nutty.

5. 5

   Bechamel Sauce: Reduce the flame and start adding milk in a steady stream while whisking continuously. Add milk in parts and keep whisking it into flour till it thickens, adding more milk as you go. This prevents the sauce from getting lumpy. Add rosemary and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, whisking frequently, until the sauce thickens enough coats the back of a spoon, about 3-4 minutes. Add cream and mix. Remove from the heat and set aside.

6. 6

   Mix: Add the vegetables to the sauce and mix well. Pour this into 11 x 7 x 1.5 inch baking dish and use a spoon to lightly level it. Evenly sprinkle parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese and panko bread crumbs on top of the vegetables.

7. 7

   Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 20 minutes or until the top is golden. Remove from the oven and serve hot with some bread!