Easy Vegetable Gratin

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 430 °F (220 °C).

2. 2

   Prepare your vegetable: cut cauliflower into florets, peel and slice the mini carrots in half lengthwise, cut the potatoes into quarters, peel and dice the sweet potatoes, slice the red onion, and cut off the top of the garlic head.

3. 3

   Lay the vegetables randomly on the baking dish, except for the garlic. Make sure the veggies don't overlap too much - that's why I use an extra-large baking dish - they roast better this way.

4. 4

   Sprinkle spices on top of the veggies: salt, garlic powder, paprika, and oregano.

5. 5

   Drizzle avocado oil on top of the veggie and use your hands to massage the veggies and coat them evenly with the oil and spices.

6. 6

   Place the garlic head somewhere on top of the veggies, in the middle of the dish, and drizzle a tablespoon of oil inside.

7. 7

   Bake the veggies for 25-30 minutes at 430 °F (220 °C) until they are roasted and the garlic is soft.

   25 min

Make the Bechamel

1. 8

   Meanwhile, prepare the bechamel sauce. Pour the almond milk into a glass microwave-safe jug and microwave it for 1-2 minutes or until warm. Set aside.

   1 min
2. 9

   In a non-stick saucepan over medium heat, melt the vegan butter, then whisk in the flour until it forms a smooth paste.

3. 10

   Gradually add the warm milk, whisking at the same time to dissolve the flour mixture into the warm milk.

4. 11

   Bring the liquid to a light boil. You should see bubbles on the sides of the pan. Keep whisking gently to avoid the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

5. 12

   When bubbles form, the bechamel should be thick and ready. Stop the heat and stir in salt and nutmeg. Set aside.

Assemble the vegetable gratin

1. 13

   Remove the roasted vegetables from the oven, reduce to 350 °F (180 °C), and take the garlic head out of the dish. Let the garlic cool down for 10 minutes until you can handle it, then squeeze out the soft roasted garlic into the bechamel and discard it.

   10 min
2. 14

   Blend the bechamel with an immersion blender a few times to break the roasted garlic nicely into the sauce.

3. 15

   Pour the bechamel over the roasted vegetable, sprinkle panko crumb and dairy-free cheese on top, and return to the oven until the sauce bubbles, the cheese has melted and the crumb is nicely golden.