This is a quick and super tasty vegetable side dish. Serve simply with a beautiful roast chicken or even on it’s own as a comforting meal in itself.

The smokey pancetta works amazingly with the cheese sauce, giving vegetables a tasty lift over the plain old boiled ones.

Top with breadcrumbs and bake to create a lovely crunch.

Yum!

Recipe

1 small cauliflower, cut into florets

A few florets of broccoli

1 leek, sliced

65g smoked pancetta

1 clove of garlic

25g butter

25g flour

250ml milk (may need a little more)

1 tsp Dijon mustard

50g Parmesan, grated

25g cheddar, grated

Salt and pepper 

2 tbsp breabcrumbs or 4 crackers crushed

Heat up the oven to 180C.

Boil the cauliflower for 5 minutes, then add in the leeks and broccoli and cook for a further 5 minutes. Drain and pour into a baking dish.

Next, fry the pancetta in a saucepan until brown then add in the garlic. Add in the butter and cook until melted. Add in the flour and stir well, then slowly (and bit-by-bit) pour in the milk, stirring constantly. This should thicken then become sauce like. You want it thick but so it pours, so add more milk if you need. Season with black pepper and a little salt (the pancetta is salty so go easy!), stir in the mustard and then both the cheeses.

Pour the sauce over the vegetables and then top with the breadcrumbs or crushed crackers.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until bubbling, golden and crispy.

Serve immediately and enjoy!