Do you have a vegetable side dish that you know will put a smile on your face every time you make it? This creamy, cheesy veggie bake does it for me.
What I like best about this is that it’s made from ingredients I always have in the house. Yes, I used a bag of mixed frozen vegetables. The sauce is made from butter, flour, cream cheese and cheddar cheese and on top is a bit more cheddar and some French fried onions.
To you purists out there, my apologies for using store bought ingredients but honestly, don’t we all call on those things from time to time? Our lives are really busy and I’d rather open a bag of frozen veggies than eat McDonald’s when I’m short on time.
Sadly, I had a phone call when I put the onions on and they could have been less brown. Why do people assume that since you work from home you can stop to chat anytime?
I served this dish to a dear friend from Victoria who was up on the coast getting the last few rays of summer sun before heading back to wintery Melbourne. Before I started the dish I asked if she liked cheese and she said, “Not like all Americans but I like it.” yeah yeah, whatever.
She did like cheese so I put the steaks in the sous vide and popped this dish in the oven and dinner was done. We had chocolate fondants for dessert but I always put those in the oven just before we sit down to eat and they come out piping hot and ready for whipped cream or ice cream. (in this case both)
I used cauliflower, broccoli and carrots along with a chopped onion in the sauce but I would use this sauce on any vegetable I liked. When I children were growing up, I had one that refused to eat vegetables. At. All. He would, however, eat them if they had a cheese sauce on them because that covered up the taste, he said. Whatever works, I say.
- 500 grams (1 pound) frozen mixed vegetables
- ½ onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon cooking oil
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 tablespoons plain flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon mixed dry herbs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ block cream cheese softened and cut into chunks
- ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1 cup French fried onions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F
- Steam the vegetables according to the package recommendations. They only need to be thawed to work in this recipe. Then place in a casserole dish.
- Add oil to a skillet and cook the onion until it's translucent, you don't want any color,
- Add the butter and when it's fully melted, toss in the flour and stir to cook the flour for a minute or so.
- While whisking, add the milk and whisk until the sauce thickens.
- Add the cream cheese and the cheddar cheese (reserve a bit of cheddar for the top) and stir until smooth.
- Mix in the herbs and then pour over the vegetables. Sprinkle with the reserved grated cheddar and then into the oven for 25 minutes. It should be golden brown.
- Add the French fried onions and bake for only five more minutes. Seriously - only five minutes.
Too bad, this would’ve been the perfect recipe when my niece came to visit me from Germany. She loves everything in cheese sauce. I like it to and I will make it with my favorite veggies. The chrunchy onions look delicious.
this look perfect and delicious!!
This look absolutely delicious, Love it!
Looks like you had a wonderful dinner! I’m hapoy to take John’s cheesy portion!
Sometimes it’s almost frightening how life gives answers to actual questions. I was just wondering this morning what kind of vegetable dish I should make, and now! Here I am and you give me the best recipe I can think of. Great! Thank you so much for sharing and inspiring!
Looks cheesy and delicious Maureen! I’ve been making something very similar, but with cauliflower. Will try it with mixed veggies, I’m sure it tastes amazing! Pinned!
I love the way you think Maureen. Cheesy goodness with less work is always a welcome event at our house. My husband adores those onions – he throws extra cans of the stuff in our cart. One of my brothers always calls me during the holidays and it is usually on the night I make fudge. I can’t take his calls while making candy because it always messes up. I want to work from home too! Have a lovely weekend.
What a orgasmic way to get your kids to eat their veggies! This looks wonderful, Maureen! And, last time I spoke with someone about frozen veggies, I was told that at times, they can be healthier than the stuff sitting out in the produce dept.
“Our lives are really busy and I’d rather open a bag of frozen veggies than eat McDonald’s when I’m short on time.” — every single time. And “Why do people assume that since you work from home you can stop to chat anytime?”… All. The. Time … because writing and cooking isn’t really work is it? Ha!
Vegetables with cheese sauce is right in line for an American like me. 😉
Nothing wrong with using frozen vegs – Maureen – love the addition of the French fried onions.
This looks so scrumptious and crispy onions sound good to me! For me the ultimate vegetable dish would have to be a rustic dish of cauliflower with eggs and parsley. I could eat the entire tray myself. I’ll have to give this one a go this week !
Heck, I use some frozen veggies all the time! Peas seem to have a 3 week season, so unless you’re lucky and get fresh, frozen are much better quality. Anyway, this is my kind of dish. Too much cheese? Impossible!
Not big on cheese?!?! I can’t imagine life without it. To each his own I suppose… 🙂
I’m smitten with this bake, Maureen! You’ve included some of my favorite veggies and lots and lots of cheese. 😉
Great looking side dish. I can definitely see the appeal of creamy cheese and crunchy onions.
Sounds delicious, Maureen… I keep bags of frozen vegetables in the freezer too. Always good to have them on hand… and they’re nourishing too!
This has to be delicious! It looks so good and I’d like to dig in right now!
omg! I am so hungry right now…I need some comfort food.
Can I make it for breakfast? lol..xx
Yep, this has my name all over it! Who needs meat when you can make cheesy vegetable bakes like this? Just send one over to me piping hot please. Actually, two. Extra cheese in mine please!
Nothing like the comfort of a good, ooey, gooey, cheesy bake Maureen!
This soooooooooooooooooooo reminds me of childhood and you should see the smile your recipe and photo caused today!
My problem with recipes that call for a French onion topping is that I usually eat all so they never make it to the casserole. 🙂 This is a great way to get your vegetables and lots of vitamins!
Wheeee this is the best! I’m totally on board with you about phone calls. (Okay, so I never have anything “important” happening on my end–but I bet you do!) Thanks for sharing this, I LOVE vegetable bakes, and cheesy ones at that. Saving this, Maureen! Have a great weekend!
No cheese for me. I like my veggies plain and simple. I love roasted veggies with just a slight drizzle of EVOO and salt & pepper.
This would be the perfect way to eat vegetables.
I’ve made something similar a few times in the past, and it’s a winner! I’d love to try your version with the onions. And I always stock frozen veggies in addition to fresh, because they come in handy. I buy separate bags of cauliflower, peas, green beans, spinach and artichoke hearts, since they taste very good frozen.
Oh, and I forgot to mention in my earlier comment (not sure if it went through) that when the phone rings while I’m working, I screen my calls. I won’t answer unless it’s a good time to talk. 🙂
I am all for kitchen short cuts, you are right sometimes life is so busy you just don’t have time to do everything. I love a creamy cheese sauce over veggies, this looks great Maureen!
I love casseroles and cheese! Saved to make.
a) I love my onions browned.
b) I truly dislike it when people take your availability for granted.
c) This dish would put a smile on the face of every member in my family, including the dogs (if I let them have onions that is). I have two who refuse to eat vegetables, and one of them does not count as a kid. Whatever works as you say.
Wish I opened this post a few minutes ago, would have been the perfect accompaniment to my roast. 🙂
I could eat this for a meal and yes we all do need some quick, easy and always-a-winner recipes up our sleeve.
I am a cheese lover through and through. I’ll take a portion of that any time 🙂 Love this recipe, Maureen.
It’s so true that if you work from home you’re not taken seriously and people think they can phone you and chat away because you have all the time in the world. This is great comfort food and good for the weather we’re now experiencing. Jamie Oliver once said, ‘Anyone who doesn’t have a bag of peas in their freezer is just a snob’ xx
Now this is my kind of bake. There’s no better way to eat veggies than with plenty of cheese :).
There is nothing like some good old comfort food to make your heart sing and your family swoon over it. This would be a huge hit at our household. anything to cover up and camouflage the fact that there might be something green under there is always a good thing with picky teenagers. Take Care, BAM
I love anything with cheese on it, and the fact that it has vegetables, well that’s just an added bonus! It looks wonderful Maureen!
Maureen, This sounds great! Just my type of dish!
Wishing you well, Carol
Hello Maureen,
This sounds very delish! Thanks for sharing!
Wishing you well,
Carol
Yay! Whew! Even Ms. Maureen doesn’t make everything from scratch =) BTW This fellow American does love cheese and your cheesy veggie bake looks and sound beyond!
Thank you for reassuring me that even gourmet cooks use frozen veggies, Maureen. As for cheesy comments, this fellow American does love her cheese. Especially when baked as described above =)
I love the simplicity of this dish – a white sauce and leftover veggies. It’s a great way to use up all those odds and ends in the veggie bin. And the cheese is essential of course.
I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t love cheesy veggies! Terrific casserole, Maureen!
Maureen, I’m with you on being a cheese fanatic. Your bake looks so yummy!! I love how simple the ingredients our. Will have to try as a delicious Mac ‘n Cheese alternative!
What better way to enjoy vegetables than with a creamy cheese béchamel. Love it 🙂
Made this last night..we all loved it!! Many thanks
I am drooling looking at this amazing veggie side dish. I could skip the meat and go straight to this, AWESOME!!
Well Maureen of course this is going to be utterly delicious! I am actually quite excited to try this!!!
Hi! Can croutons be used instead of the onions? I want to take this to Thanksgiving dinner and the green bean casserole already will have the dried onions but i LOVE the “crunch factor”
We have 3 vegetarians at our dinner so that’s why green bean casserole and this one and hash brown casserole will be served (12 guests so I will double this recipe) Thank you for sharing!!! So excited!
When you cook, the recipe is your own. You should make all your recipes based on what you and your family and your guests like. I think the croutons sound great!