Cheesy Cauliflower Bake with Crunchy Panko Crumbs - made Lite!

I am not playing tricks on your eyes-- this bubbly, rich cheese sauce is not loaded with as many fat grams as this dish could have.  I can't give you exact calories and fat grams (partly because I'm too lazy to calculate it with a software program), but I can tell you that this dish is flavorful-- and it just might turn a cauliflower hater into a new believer.  I didn't even plan to blog about this recipe, because I created it on a whim.  I made this last week, after a hard day at the office.  One of my favorite fast dinners is to sear a pork tenderloin, roast it in the oven at 425F-- and to make a fast pan sauce of white wine, chicken stock...and maybe even some homemade peach jam.  As a side dish, I make roasted asparagus (with a little olive oil, salt & pepper), which is a favorite in our kitchen Roasted cauliflower is also a family favorite, so that's what I intended to make.   Then, I remembered that I finally found a reduced-fat cheese that was highly recommended by Cook's Illustrated-- and I trust them, wholeheartedly.  I had never heard of Cabot cheese, but I finally found it at Whole Foods.  I've been skeptical of most reduced-fat cheeses, mainly because they have a weird texture.  This night, I decided to see if I could create a cheese sauce that didn't have whole milk or heavy cream and tons of butter...

Lactose free, gluten free... sounds good.

I cut the florets into even pieces.Since I wanted to speed things up, I microwaved them for about 5 minutes-- just enough to partially cook them but not turn them to mush.  You are not going to see my usual step-by-step photos on how I made the sauce, because I wasn't sure what my end result would be-- I just started whisking and adding without a camera nearby.    I decided that I would make a white sauce (equal parts butter and flour, and whole milk). I've taken some brief classes in nutrition (since my son is a diabetic, and it was part of my Esthetics training, years ago). I'm all for the Mediterranean Diet-- in particular Omega-3 fats, which is found in olive oil.  --  I started with 2 Tablespoons of unsalted butter, and about 2 Tablespoons of olive oil.  Next, I thickened the fat with equal flour and let it cook for a minute or two.  Instead of using whole milk,  I splashed in 1% milk (which is what I drink anyway), and used mostly low-sodium chicken to make the sauce silky smooth.  For seasonings, I added one small minced garlic clove, kosher salt & fresh cracked pepper, and a small pinch of cayenne pepper.  I gave it a taste-- ah, a little Dijon mustard....there!  I have fresh thyme in our herb garden, but I didn't want to leave my sauce. I grabbed a pinch of dried thyme, instead.  Last, I added about 1/2 cup of freshly grated Cabot cheese.  The sauce was thick, perfect and tasted great!  So, I grabbed my camera...

I was starting to have high hopes that I pulled it off.  I decided to moisten some Japanese panko crumbs (which I always have on hand, because I love the crunch of them far better than traditional bread crumbs), and slightly moistened them with a little olive oil.  I topped the partially cooked cauliflower and placed the casserole into a 350F oven, for about 20 minutes.

My taste buds are remembering this dish, at this very moment. Look at that bubbly sauce, would ya?!

NOTE: The topping might have been even more golden, had I broiled it at the end for a minute or so. I also wish I had cut some fresh thyme as a pretty garnish, and to perfume the panko crumbs..next time...

 How I wish I had made double this-- my husband went in for seconds. So did I.  Of all nights, my son showed up and polished off the rest.  He raved about it.   I have plans for this sauce-- I see Mac 'N Cheese with this sauce, with some broccoli and topped by panko crumbs... and we'll have far less guilt eating this, than the traditional stuff loaded with fat grams that are unspeakable!  I know that this side dish is going to be made again, and again.  I hope you can find the Cabot cheese where you live.  It fooled me into thinking it was the real deal for regular cheese.  As always, the printable recipe is at the bottom of this post. Remember, Key Ingredient (who hosts all of my stored recipes) says  they will be down for maintenance from April 7th- 9th.