Vegetables in Cheese Sauce for Accompaniments Slow Cooking

Slow Cooker meals are very versatile in general, and so lend themselves to a variety of different accompanying side dishes, some of which are mentioned at the end of each recipe.

However as an added incentive, I have included this short-list of different dishes that can be included with these slow cooker recipes.

I will make no apologies for the fact that these recipes are cooked out-with the slow cooker, as I believe most of us only possess one such cooker and are quite happy to utilise other dishes as and when required.

However some of these accompaniments can indeed be cooked in the slow cooker, if you have the ability or the desire to do so.

Vegetables in Cheese Sauce

Ingredients:

Selection of mixed vegetables (baby carrots, cauliflower, baby sweetcorn); enough to fill a suitable oven-proof container or ashet.

1 oz (25g) flour

1 oz unsalted butter

1       pint (0.47 ltr) full cream milk

2 oz strong cheddar (grated)

2 oz smoked cheese (grated)

1 tsp grainy mustard

Salt & pepper to season

Preparation:

Boil vegetables in a pot of water (some salt added) for 15 minutes.

Drain and add to the oven dish.

To make the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour, stirring into a paste with a wooden spoon. Add to a gentle heat and cook for a few minutes. This is called making the roux.

Remove from the heat and gradually add the milk, stirring as you go to avoid lumps forming. Add to a gentle heat and stir constantly as the mixture comes to the boil; add the grated cheese and mustard as well as some salt and pepper to season, all the while stirring gently.

Once the cheese sauce is formed, simply pour over your mixed vegetables. Sprinkle some cheese over the top and put the whole dish into a hot oven (200c) and cook for a further 15 minutes or so.