Turn your favourite Sunday roast side dish into an even tastier snack with these cauliflower cheese croquettes. They’re perfectly crispy on the outside and have a melting cheese filling. Serve with harissa yogurt for a fiery dip. They’re ideal to enjoy as a healthier snack or lunch and are sure to become a new favourite!

Ready in: 1 hour 15 minutes

Makes: 16

Ingredients

1 cauliflower, cut into 1cm pieces
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp plain flour
500ml milk
100g mature Cheddar cheese, grated
Pinch of nutmeg
2eggs, lightly beaten
100g panko breadcrumbs
Fresh parsley and lemon wedges, to serve
Tip: Use skimmed milk and lighter Cheddar to make this dish healthier.

For the harissa yogurt
100g low fat natural yogurt
2 tsp harissa paste
Finely grated zest of ½ lemon

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C. Spread the prepared cauliflower on a baking tray, toss with ½ tbsp olive oil and season well. Bake for 15 minutes until slightly softened then set aside to cool.

2. Next, heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Once heated, stir in the flour. Whisk together for 3 – 4 minutes – the flour should start to smell nutty. Pour in the milk a little at a time, stirring constantly until thickened. This should take around 15 minutes.

3. Add the cheese and nutmeg to the sauce, season well, and stir thoroughly until the cheese has melted. Add the cooked cauliflower and fold in. Pour onto a lipped baking tray and cover with cling film. Freeze for 30 minutes, or until completely cold and the sauce thickened – it shouldn’t be frozen solid.

4. Shape the cauliflower mixture into 16 small cylinders, then return to a baking tray and freeze again for 15 minutes.

5. Next, tip the breadcrumbs and beaten into two separate bowls. Dip each croquette into the egg then roll them in the breadcrumbs until coated entirely before placing on a clean baking tray. Repeat this step to coat all 16 pieces. Lightly brush with the remaining oil and baking for 25 minutes before grilling for a further 3 minutes until golden and piping hot.

6. To serve, mix the yogurt, harissa and lemon zest together and spoon into a serving bowl. Scatter with parsley and enjoy.