To me, anything with cheese is good.

The inspiration for this dish came from me having to eat the last bit of orange cauliflower and broccoli. I always like a nice cheese sauce on those veggies, but this time I decided to get, what I considered, more creative. So I toasted up some croutons, then layered the veggies in a dish, topped with cheese sauce and Panko bread crumbs, fired it and devoured it.

...

1 small to medium head cauliflower (I used the orange variety)
2 cups broccoli florets (about 2 good sized stalks)
4 slices of old white bread (not quite stale)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp garlic powder (I use a lot more than this though)
1 8oz package of shredded cheese - like cheddar (I used a 4 cheese Mexican blend)
2 cups milk
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour (all purpose)
3 scallions sliced
1/2 cup Panko or other bread crumbs for topping
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees-f.

Slice the bread into 1 inch cubes. In a large bowl, pour in olive oil and add garlic powder. Add bread cubes and toss to coat. Spread cubes out on a flat baking sheet.



Toast in oven for approximately 12 minutes or until golden brown. After removing the croutons, reduce over temperature to 350 degrees.

Heat a sauce pan over medium high heat. Add butter. When almost melted, whisk in flour to make a roux. Slowly whisk in milk. Bring to a slight boil to cook off flour taste and reduce heat to medium. Begin whisking in shredded cheese until all of it is incorporated and you have a fondue. Set heat to low and stir once in a while while preparing the vegetables.

Steam broccoli and cauliflower for about 3-4 minutes, just till slightly cooked.

Spray a baking dish with a coating of non-stick spray. Add the first layer, the croutons.

Top the croutons with the broccoli, cauliflower, and scallions. Salt an pepper to taste.

Add the cheese sauce and top with the bread crumbs. Bake unto bubbly and heated through, about 15 minutes. Turn oven to broil and broil until topping is golden.