Creamy Cheese and Vegetable Bake Recipe

This creamy cheese and vegetable bake is a simple recipe that can work both as a main and a side.

The great thing about this meal is that it’s easy to adapt to whatever ingredients you have to hand: Carrots, parsnips, potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, peppers, courgette, mushrooms, onions… the list goes on!

As for the cheese sauce, you can make this yourself using the recipe below or use a packet mix.

The numbers below will make for 4 servings as a main or 8-10 as a side.

How to make Creamy Cheese And Vegetable Bake:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees/180 degrees (fan).
2. Peel, if necessary, and chop up the vegetables you’re using into small bite size pieces.
3. If using root vegetables (carrots, potatoes, swede or parsnips, etc). boil the pieces in a pan of water for 5 minutes. Everything else can go straight in the oven.
4. Add to a baking dish and drizzle with oil. Season well with salt and pepper.
5. Bake for 25 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, make up the cheese sauce: Melt the butter over a medium heat.
7. Add in the flour and whisk for a minute until a smooth paste forms.
8. Gradually whisk in the milk.
9. Keep whisking until the sauce begins to thicken slightly. Season with salt, pepper and optionally a pinch of cayenne pepper.
10. Allow to simmer, stirring regularly for 5-10 minutes until sauce is fully cooked through.
11. Remove from the heat and stir in handfuls of grated cheese until melted. If the sauce becomes too thick, add more milk. If it’s too runny, add a little more cheese.
12. Pour over the vegetables. Optionally top with some breadcrumbs or more grated cheese.
13. Return to the oven for a further 20 minutes or until top has started to golden/brown.