Ingredients:
2 large head broccoli ( about 3 to 3 1/2 pounds total)
1 medium heads cauliflower ( about 2 pounds)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 (4 1/4 ounce) cans diced green chilies, drained ( to taste, I use 1/3 can)
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/8 teaspoon salt
additional milk, if needed, to thin sauce
Directions:
Cut broccoli and cauliflower into florets, discarding outer leaves and stems.
You should have about 8 cups broccoli florets and 4 cups cauliflower.
In a large pot, bring 8 cups of lightly salted water to a boil.
Add cauliflower; cook 2 minutes.
Add broccoli; cook an additional 6 minutes or until vegetables are crisp tender. Drain.
While vegetables are cooking, make Cheese Sauce:.
In a medium-size saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute.
Gradually whisk in the milk; continue to whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil.
Remove from heat and stir in cheese, mustard, chiles, hot-pepper sauce and salt.
Stir until smooth. If a thinner sauce is desired, stir in a few more tablespoons of milk.
To serve, place vegetables in large serving dish and pour cheese sauce over the top. Serve immediately.
Do Ahead: Cook vegetables, rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Drain and refrigerate. Prepare sauce; let cool, then cover and refrigerate up to a day ahead.
To serve, uncover; remove from refrigerator and let stand 30 minutes.
Reheat separately in microwave oven (adding more milk to sauce as needed).
Servings: 12
Time preparation: 15 min.
Time total: 23 min.