Cheesy Vegetable Medley

I wanted to make a delicious side dish this weekend to use up some of the vegetables that needed using up in my veggie bin. I had seen this dish on page called Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen. It was called Swiss Vegetable Medley.
I didn't want to make 10 servings. I also didn't have Swiss Cheese. I didn't have frozen vegetables either. I also didn't want to use any type of tinned soup.
Cheesy Vegetable Medley

I let none of that deter me. I am the type of cook who likes to go with what I have available to me. I also hate waste. So I cut the recipe in half, made my own cream sauce instead of using soup, and used my fresh vegetables instead of frozen.
It worked out beautifully, if I don't say so myself. This was a beautiful side dish. The vegetables were a bit more tender than if you cooked them normally, but it is a casserole and I expected that. It was delicious, and just may replace Green Bean Casserole in my holiday favorites!

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CHEESY VEGETABLE MEDLEY
Simple ingredients. I love the way you can add a bit of this to a bit of that and come up with something incredibly delicious, don't you?

1 (16 oz/450g) frozen broccoli/cauliflower/carrot mix (or the equivalent in fresh veg)
1 1/2 TBS butter
1 1/2 TBS all purpose flour
1/2 cup (120ml) chicken stock
3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk
salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup (120g) grated strong cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 can of French fried onions, divided (in the UK use crispy salad onions)

You can see from the top photograph the amount of vegetables I used. This was two medium carrots, 1/2 of a small head of cauliflower, and 1 small broccoli crown.
I sliced the carrot into 1/2 inch coins. Then I broke the cauliflower and broccoli into florets. I also utilized the broccoli steam. Waste not, want not. I like using the stems if I can. Simply peel and then cut into coins or sticks.
Cheesy Vegetable Medley

If you are not wanting to make your own cheese sauce from scratch, you can use 1/2 a tin of condensed soup in its place. You can use cream of mushroom, chicken or even celery.
In the UK use the Batchelor's brand of condensed soup. In North America, Campbells is the most common brand. Stir 3/4 of the cheese into the condensed soup. No need to heat it up or melt it in.
Cheesy Vegetable Medley

French Fried onions. In North America, the common kind are French's. I usually have them in my larder. I buy them in the largest container and use them a lot. They are great for topping casseroles.
In the UK, use crispy Salad Onions. It took me years to discover that these were the same thing. You can usually find them in the same part of the super market that sells salad dressings and toppings.
I used strong cheddar cheese rather than Swiss cheese. I really liked the flavor that it added.

HOW TO MAKE CHEESY VEGETABLE MEDLEY
This is really simple. You can of course use a bag of frozen vegetables which will make it even quicker and easier.

First make the sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour. Cook for one minute. Whisk in the stock and the milk. Cook, whisking constantly until the mixture bubbles and thickens. Whisk in 3/4 of the cheese, allowing it to melt. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as required. Set aside.Thaw the vegetables if using frozen, and drain very well.If using fresh vegetables, peel the carrots and cut into 1/2 inch rounds. Trim and break the broccoli and cauliflower into florets. Blanch each vegetable for about 2 minutes in boiling water.

Stir the prepared vegetables along with 2/3 of the crispy onions into the cheese sauce, mixing everything well together.Spread the mixture into a 7 by 11 inch casserole dish, or an 8 inch square dish that you have buttered.Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Bake the casserole, uncovered, in the heated oven for 35 to 40 minutes.Mix together the remaining cheese and onions. Sprinkle this on top of the casserole. Bake for an additional 5 minutes until the cheese has melted. Cheesy Vegetable Medley

This was rich, creamy and delicious. It would go with just about anything, and to be honest, you could make a meal of this all on its own. I served it with some chicken.
You don't want to be serving anything highly flavored along side of this. Simple things would be best. Grilled fish, meat or poultry. Simple boiled rice, or potatoes.
I am not sure if it will freeze or not. I suspect that it won't because of the sour cream. It makes a beautiful side dish to take to a pot luck and if you use vegetable stock in the sauce, a delicious Vegetarian main.

Some other vegetable side dishes here in The English Kitchen that you might enjoy are:

ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE - This is an old family favorite. My sister first shared the recipe with me back in the 1980's and I have been making it ever since. Wilted zucchini, grated carrots, softened onions, combined in a delicious sour cream sauce, layered in a casserole with stuffing mix on the top and the bottom. Its fabulous!

BAKED RATATOUILLE FOR TWO- A delicious melange of thinly sliced summer squashes, baby eggplants, and fresh tomatoes, layered in a dish with a delicious tomato sauce and some basil pesto. A bit different than the normal ratatouille, but delicious served with crusty bread. I could (and have) make a meal of this and nothing else!

Yield: 5Author: Marie Rayner