By Sarah Condley

Sun columnist

Along with last week’s Bundt pan roast chicken recipe, I prepared cauliflower au gratin when my family came for supper.

The recipe came from the December-January 2010 issue of “Healthy Cooking.”

I’m not into healthy cooking, as you know. I’m usually all about the carbs and sugar.

I’m not a fan of cauliflower, but since this recipe had a crumb topping, I decided to give it a try.

Cauliflower Au Gratin

INGREDIENTS

— 3 packages (16 ounce each) frozen cauliflower, thawed

— 1 large onion, chopped

— 1/3 cup butter, cubed

— 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

— 1/2 teaspoon salt

— 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard

— 1/4 teaspoon pepper

— 2 cups fat-free milk

— 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Topping:

— 1/2 cup soft whole wheat bread crumbs

— 2 tablespoons butter, melted

— 1/4 teaspoon paprika

INSTRUCTIONS

In a Dutch oven, bring one inch of water to a boil. Add cauliflower; return to a boil. Cover and cook for three minutes. Drain and pat dry.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, sauté onion in butter until tender. Stir in the flour, salt, mustard and pepper until blended; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for one to two minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Add cheese, stir until melted.

Place cauliflower in a 13-inch by 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour sauce over top.

For topping, combine the bread crumbs, butter and paprika. Sprinkle over sauce. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly.

I opted to cut this recipe in half because there was not going to be a big crowd at my house, and I didn’t want to waste it if it wasn’t good.

I debated on using fresh cauliflower in lieu of the frozen, but decided to be true to the recipe.

I cooked the cauliflower and then let it drain on paper towels while I sautéed the onion in butter. When the onion was tender and translucent, I combined the flour, salt, ground mustard and pepper and sprinkled the combination into the skillet with the onion.

I gradually poured in the milk and gently stirred to make sure I removed any lumps. The mixture came to a slight boil and I let it cook until it was thickened, which didn’t take as long as I thought it would.

After removing the skillet from the burner, I stirred in the grated Parmesan.

To remove the little bit of water that was still on the cauliflower, I patted the moisture off with paper towels and placed the cauliflower in an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish, then poured the sauce over the top.

Preparing the crumb mixture was a breeze. I make my own bread crumbs and keep them in the refrigerator for occasions just like this.

Because I like bread crumb topping, I made a little more than the recipe called for. Instead of doing half of what the recipe called for, I probably did about 3/4 .

I sprinkled the crumbs on top of the cauliflower and sauce, and placed the baking dish into the oven. It baked uncovered for 35 minutes and was bubbly when I removed it. I’ll have to admit it smelled pretty good.

Our meal was ready and everyone was sitting at the table ready to eat. Everybody wanted to know what this dish was.

To my surprise, each person scooped some on to their plate.

As we enjoyed each others’ company, I noticed some people were taking seconds. I asked “Well, what do you think of the cauliflower?”

I only got good comments from those around the table.

This dish wasn’t my favorite, not because of the flavor, but because the cauliflower was a little mushy for my liking.

My son asked for the leftovers and I gladly boxed them up for him and his wife.

This is a recipe I would make again, but I’ll try to figure out how to make it without overcooking the cauliflower.

I guess I need to call Shonda Johnston, our local family and consumer sciences agent at the Extension Office, or my former co-worker Jennifer. I’m sure they will have some tips.

I’m sure you’ve guessed, this is a ‘nailed it’ recipe and I’ll be adding it to my self-made cookbook.

Sarah Condley is an amateur baker and chef who is compiling a cookbook of her favorite recipes.