Cauliflower bake in the Thermomix® works so well because the Varoma gently steams the cauliflower while the cooking liquid for the sauce develops in the mixing bowl below. No second pot, no watery sauce. 50 minutes from start to finish.
We make this bake in two versions: the classic one for adults with Emmental and nutmeg, and a kids’ version with scored mini frankfurters that curl into little spiders as they bake. Both versions use the same base sauce.
Cauliflower Bake with "Sausage Spiders" in the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 10 ✓
- 200 g Emmental
- 600 g vegetable stock
- 1000 g cauliflower frozen and thawed, or fresh
- 200 g milk
- 200 g crème fraîche
- 40 g cornflour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 8 mini frankfurter sausages
Instructions 0 / 7
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1
Grate the cheese.
Place the Emmental in the mixing bowl, grate for 6 sec / speed 8 and set aside.
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2
Steam the cauliflower.
Add the vegetable stock to the mixing bowl, arrange the cauliflower florets in the Varoma container, place on top of the mixing bowl and steam for 20 min / Varoma / speed 1.
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3
Cook the sauce.
Spread the cauliflower across a baking dish. Empty the mixing bowl, keeping 200 g of the cooking liquid, then add the milk, crème fraîche, cornflour, salt, pepper and nutmeg and cook for 7 min / 100°C / speed 1.
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4
Preheat the oven.
Preheat the oven to 220°C (fan 200°C, gas mark 4).
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5
Add the cheese.
Add 100 g of the cheese and stir for 5 sec / speed 3.
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6
Pour over the sauce.
Pour the sauce over the cauliflower, scatter the remaining cheese on top and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 10 minutes.
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7
Final bake.
Cut each sausage 4 times from each side, going almost halfway through, arrange on top of the bake and bake for a further 10 minutes.
Tip: You can also make this bake with other cheeses (Gouda, mountain cheese, Cheddar). Instead of mini frankfurters, Nuremberg bratwurst sausages work very well too.
Nutrition per serving
Why the Varoma beats a saucepan for cauliflower
Cauliflower boiled in a pot quickly goes mushy and loses flavour to the water. In the Varoma at 20 minutes on speed 1 it stays firm and holds its shape. Steam cooks more gently than boiling water.
At the same time, the 600 g of vegetable stock in the mixing bowl below reduces to a concentrated cooking liquid. Around 200 g remain after steaming. Those 200 g form the base of the sauce and carry the cauliflower flavour. Adding more liquid would dilute the sauce.
The cornflour only binds with exactly 7 minutes
After steaming, the milk, crème fraîche and 40 g of cornflour go into the cooking liquid. The sauce then cooks for 7 minutes at 100°C on speed 1. Less time and the cornflour will not bind fully, more time and the sauce becomes too thick.
The first portion of cheese (100 g of the 200 g Emmental) goes straight into the hot sauce after cooking. 5 seconds on speed 3 melts it in evenly. We scatter the remaining 100 g over the bake so a crust forms on top.
Two-stage baking prevents a burnt crust
The bake goes into the oven in two phases: first 10 minutes at 220°C with the cheese only, then a further 10 minutes with the scored sausages on top. If the sausages bake from the start, they dry out after 20 minutes.
Each mini frankfurter is cut 4 times from each side, going almost halfway through. During baking, the cuts open outwards and the sausages look like little spiders. This makes the dish more fun for children without changing the flavour.
Fresh or frozen cauliflower makes no difference
We often use frozen cauliflower florets because they come ready portioned. Leave them to thaw before steaming so the cooking time stays accurate. Fresh cauliflower needs to be cut into evenly sized florets, otherwise some will cook faster than others.
With fresh cauliflower, cut away the stalk completely. It will not soften enough in the Varoma and makes the sauce bitter if any pieces end up in it.
Cheese variations for different flavours
Any good melting hard cheese works instead of Emmental. Gouda makes the sauce milder and more child-friendly. Mountain cheese adds more depth. Cheddar turns the sauce orange and gives a slightly smoky note.
The amount of cheese stays the same for all variations: 100 g into the sauce, 100 g as the topping crust. That ratio determines the binding and the browning.
Without sausages it becomes vegetarian
The bake works perfectly without sausages too. Simply bake for 20 minutes in one go instead of twice 10 minutes. The crust browns more evenly that way.
Potato soup with the Thermomix® works well as a starter, or a pointed cabbage and celeriac salad as a side.
Leftovers keep for 3 days in the fridge
The bake can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. When reheating in the microwave or in the oven at 160°C, the crust crisps back up. The sauce thickens as it cools, which is normal.
Goes well with: bread rolls, baguette and mashed potato.
Freezing does not work well. The crème fraîche separates on thawing and the sauce turns grainy.
