Christmas Dinner, Part Two: Gluten Free Cheesy Vegetable Bake

Next on our menu was a cheesy vegetable bake. I wanted to make it gluten free so Mr. Ron could partake. I am slowly getting more comfortable with gluten free cooking. In the beginning, some of the different ingredients were a bit intimidating for me. Plus, it took some digging to find ingredients that had a similar taste. This recipe was based off my Aunt Cherry's cheesy vegetable bake. The finished product tasted very similar to her recipe. This can also be modified to use gluten products. Enjoy!
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups, Baby Carrots
2 1/2 cups, Broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
2 1/2 cups, Cauliflower, cut into bit size pieces
3 slices Bacon, cut into small pieces
1 Onion, Chopped
5 Tablespoons Butter
4 1/2 Tablespoons All purpose Gluten Free Flour (I used Glutino)
2 1/2 cups Whole Milk
2/3 cup Half & half
2 tsp Salt, More To Taste
1 tsp Black Pepper, To Taste
1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated
1 jar (4 Ounce) Sliced Pimentos
1 1/2 cup Gluten Free Corn Flakes, crushed (I used Erehwon)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Blanch the carrots for about 5 minutes. Add broccoli and cauliflower and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Remove them from the boiling water and place them in a colander so they can dry.
Add bacon pieces and onion to a large rimmed skillet over medium heat. Cook until bacon is done and onions are golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place veggies in a greased oven safe casserole dish. Top veggies with bacon and onions.
In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Sprinkle flour into the pan and whisk immediately to mix it into the butter. Cook for a few minutes, pour in milk and half & half. Continue cooking and whisking constantly. The sauce will begin to thicken after a few minutes. Add salt and pepper. Stir. Add the cheddar cheese. Stir while cheese melts into the roux. Remove from heat and add pimentos. Mix well. Pour sauce over the veggies and stir it around to coat the vegetable with the cheese. Top with corn flakes. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes, or until bubbly and hot.

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