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Cauliflower, Leek and Veggie Bacon Bake

A cheesy and creamy bake perfect for the colder seasons. Get ready to want a big bowl of this!!

Prep:

5

minutes

Cook:

60

minutes

TOtal:

70

minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 large cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 3 leeks, sliced into rings
  • 6 rashers veggie bacon, cubed
  • 800g mixed beans, drained
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 2 tbsp garlic granules
  • 800ml milk (I love using oat or almond)
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp plain flour (I also love using buckwheat flour)
  • 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 200g smoked cheddar, grated (a vegan option is also available)
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 slice of bread (Wholemeal or Sourdough is best)
  • Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 200°C / Fan 180°C / 375°F / Gas Mark 6.
  2. Place the mixed beans, dried oregano, fennel seeds, some olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper in a small baking tray. Give everything a stir and place in the oven to bake for 10 minutes.
  3. Gently place the cauliflower florets on another baking tray and sprinkle with the garlic granules and drizzle over some more olive oil. Place in the oven for 10 minutes, until the cauliflower has slightly charred and softened.
  4. In a large frying pan or wok, sauté the leeks, cubed veggie bacon and garlic cloves for roughly 5-10 minutes until the leeks have slightly softened and the bacon cubes have cooked through. Mix in the butter and once this has melted, stir in the flour. Gently add and stir in the milk a little bit at a time, until the sauce has thickened and the leeks and bacon are all mixed in. Add in the mustard, nutritional yeast, ground nutmeg, smoked paprika, cheddar cheese and a seasoning of salt and pepper and gently add in the roasted cauliflower. Give everything a gentle stir and place in a large baking dish.
  5. In a small blender or processor, mix together the slice of bread and herby bean mixture. Pulse until everything has turned into breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the cheesy cauliflower and leeks.
  6. Place the bake in the oven and cook for 30 minutes, or until the cheesy sauce is bubbling at the sides and the breadcrumbs have turned golden and crispy.
  7. Serve immediately.