CHEESY BROCCOLI OR CAULIFLOWER CASSEROLE At its core, a broccoli or cauliflower casserole is not really much different from macaroni and cheese, and, indeed, you can make it exactly the same way, simply replacing the parboiled or soaked pasta (see here) with blanched cauliflower or broccoli Note that broccoli florets tend to gather and hold on to water, which can cause them to become waterlogged after blanching or to overcook in the casserole To avoid this, transfer the broccoli to a rimmed baking sheet immediately after blanching, so that the water has a chance to evaporate and escape Vegetables won’t absorb as much liquid as pasta will, so you want the cheese sauce to be a little thicker than it would be for mac and cheese To create a smoothly flowing sauce, I use a mix of evaporated and whole milk (evaporated milk has extra proteins in it that help keep the sauce nice and emulsified), along with a bit of flour to thicken and gelatin to add creaminess Garlic, a dash of hot sauce, and some ground mustard add flavor A blender will make things extra-smooth (For more on cheese sauce, see here.) Once the broccoli or cauliflower is blanched and the sauce is made, all you need to do to complete the dish is to combine them, throw them in a casserole, and top them with a layer of buttery bread crumbs that will brown and crisp as the casserole bakes NOTE: Use a good melting cheese like American, Cheddar, Jack, Fontina, young Swiss, Gruyère, Muenster, young provolone, and/or young Gouda, among others (see “Cheese Chart,” here–here) ...Once the broccoli or cauliflower is blanched and the sauce is made, all you need to do to complete the dish is to combine them, throw them in a casserole, and top them with a layer of buttery bread crumbs that will brown and... crisp as the casserole bakes NOTE: Use a good melting cheese like American, Cheddar, Jack, Fontina, young Swiss, Gruyère, Muenster, young provolone, and/or young Gouda, among others (see “Cheese Chart,” here–here)