Vegetable Bake Nostalgia
Creamy Baked Vegetables were the only continental dish in my Indian household while I was growing up. In other words, vegetable bake in a thick white sauce was the only continental dish in my mother’s cooking repertoire. She got the recipe from an American cookbook and changed it to suit our Indian tastebuds. Hence, the dish holds a special place in my food memoirs. Over the years, I have made additions and subtractions to the recipe, like regular béchamel sauce replaced with whole wheat white sauce. And, off-course, more vegetables and cheese are added. The crusty layer of cheese on top make baked vegetable in white sauce my absolute favourite.
What You Need To Make Vegetable Bake
There are three key components in the making of baked vegetables. creamy white sauce sauteed vegetables crusty topping
- Creamy White Sauce: This is my multi-purpose whole wheat white sauce for everything. From pasta and creamy mushrooms to vegetarian casseroles, I use them for all. The USP of this white sauce is it does not have any cream or all-purpose flour. It is made with whole wheat flour and milk. The first step in making a baked vegetable casserole is the white sauce. The sauce only adds creaminess and flavour to the vegetables.
- Sauteed Vegetables: The best part of this vegetarian casserole is the truckload of veggies. It is one of those fridge forage meals where you can use all the leftover vegetables. A few vegetables that work well in this baked casserole: The second step in this recipe is to saute vegetables. Sauteeing makes them crunchy, and they do not leech water when baked. Hence, it is highly recommended to saute vegetables before combining them with white sauce.
- Crusty Topping: The most delicious part of a vegetable bake is the golden, cheesy, crusty layer on top. And that, my friend, you can achieve by adding a generous layer of cheese. I use a mix of cheddar and parmesan for the topping. You can combine bread crumbs and cheese to make the top layer more crusty. This is the third and final step before baking the casserole.
Serving Suggestion
To serve vegetable bake as a main course, you can complement it with focaccia bread, any other artisanal bread, a bowl of soup, roasted potatoes, or a hearty salad. Vegetable Casserole can also work as a side dish for steak or meat dinners.
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