Mixed Vegetable Casserole

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5 from 11 votes

A flavorful mixed vegetable side dish in a rich-creamy homemade Mornay sauce

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Total Time1

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 235kcal

Author: Anne Danahy, RD

Ingredients

Vegetables

8 cups mixed vegetables from 2-16 oz bags frozen mixed vegetables
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ cup chicken broth or vegetable broth, or water

Mornay Sauce

¼ cup butter or olive oil
¼ cup flour
1 ¾ cups milk or more to make 2 cups with vegetable liquid
3 tablespoons white wine
¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
⅛ teaspoon of nutmeg
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 ounces grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese about ½ cup

Breadcrumb Topping

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs torn from 2-3 slices whole wheat bread
1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and set the oven rack to the middle position.
Place the vegetables in a large saucepan and season them with salt and garlic powder. Pour the chicken stock over the vegetables.
Heat the vegetables over medium-high heat and bring them to a boil. Let them steam for 3-4 minutes or until tender. Stir them a few times so they cook evenly. If using fresh vegetables, see note below.
When the vegetables are tender, drain them, reserving ¼ cup of the liquid.
Place the drained vegetables in a 9 x 13 casserole dish, or similar.
Rinse the saucepan and place it back on the stove on medium-high heat. Add the butter, and as it melts, stir in flour. Whisk well over medium-high heat, and let the butter-flour mixture cook for 1 minute.
Add 1 ¾ milk (or more) to the reserved vegetable liquid, to make 2 cups.
Slowly whisk the milk mixture into the butter and flour until the sauce is smooth. Add the wine. Continue to whisk until the sauce comes to a boil and thickens. Reduce the heat to low, and add the additional salt and garlic powder, plus the thyme and nutmeg.
Add cheeses and stir well to combine and melt.
Remove sauce from heat. Taste it and adjust any seasonings as needed.
Pour the sauce over the vegetables. Gently shake the casserole dish, or use a spoon to tap down the sauce.
Toss the fresh breadcrumbs with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil, in a medium bowl.
Sprinkle bread crumbs over the sauce. Lightly cover the casserole with foil.
Bake for about 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the breadcrumbs are light golden brown. Uncover it after about 15 minutes so the breadcrumbs can toast.
If necessary, brown the breadcrumbs under the broiler for the last minute or two.
Let the vegetable casserole cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

If you prefer to use fresh vegetables, cut them into small pieces (½ inch). They'll take longer to steam, so plan for 8- 10 minutes, depending on which vegetables you use. Cook fresh vegetables until they're just fork-tender.

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