Cheesy vegetable bake ... how can I make one tasty?

[likessleep]

I've got leeks, courgettes, carrots, brocolli, potatoes etc that need eating. As we are on a tomato free week, I'm thinking of making it in a cheese sauce, bit of breadcrumb topping and shoving it in the oven.
But whenever I've made this in the past, it just tastes bland. Can anyone suggest anything to make it slightly tasty? Thank you

[SpawnChorus]

Mustard in the cheese sauce?

[SpawnChorus]

Make the sauce really cheesy and mix some more cheese (esp parmesan) into the breadcrumbs

[likessleep]

yup, i have mustard in. thank you. normally my secret ingredient to make it tasty is a garlic baguette on the side

[likessleep]

aha, i have parmesan in too - i'll try both, thank you

[Sunshinemummy]

What about adding some kick with some paprika or tabasco?

[jeminthedark]

Agree with everyone else- what about wine too(alcohol burns off anyway), garlic, more onions, or...at a push ...an oxo cube or 2?

[jeminthedark]

Oh, and HERBS!!!

[likessleep]

i'll try a smidgeon of paprika (i don't think we have tabasco in). i'll try a bit of everything and see what we have at the end. i need to experiment a bit with it, as 19 mth old ds eats every vegetable if it is in a cheese sauce, so it's a bit of a meal staple for us
thanks for posting

[cyteen]

Some fresh chopped chilli wouldn't go amiss.

[likessleep]

how would wine work with the cheese sauce though? do i add it in at the end when sauce is thickened? does sauce then not go runny again? garlic a good one. this is going to be a concoction and a half

[likessleep]

no fresh chilli in, but thank you for idea

[jeminthedark]

Sorry, I thought you may do veg, roast them or something, toss them in a little seaoning of your choice, top with the cheese sauce then breadcrumbs etc...I think my i,agination ran away with me...

Why is it a tomato free week by the way?

[jeminthedark]

Didn't reALISE IT WAS FOR 19 MONTH OLD TOO BTW...SORRY..

[likessleep]

no time to roast . gonna boil and go! then mix it all up.

ds has had very bad nappy rash recently, which seems to occur a day after having a tomatoey meal. so we are seeing whether it continues without tomatoes. i love tomatoes and tomatatoey meals, so missing my spag bol, shepherds pie, pasta sauces

[jeminthedark]

Well I applaud you for making meals for the whole family when your DC are so young- I didn't, as I love my spicy abd varied stuff. I do now though, as they are older.

[jeminthedark]

Also, mine always had 'tea' early, when they were young, we had our food later.The 2 youngest still have tea eralier than the older and adults, just because I think they need it ...god I am going on like an old fart, will bow out now...

[likessleep]

it's pure laziness! i cook in the evening and ds has the leftovers the following day. he loves quite spicy food (although the red thai curry a couple of weeks back resulted in quite a nappy ). he pretty much eats everything, although i'm wary with salty foods.

[jeminthedark]

Haha, yes I get the leftovers the following day!!
I do that now, if the older ones eat a meal, i save some for the little ones for tomorrow, cos they would like it.

What I am aimimg for now is 'one meal feeds all'.
I have found it in a few things, but not many, but it must get better as they get older, surely?

[TsarChasm]

I make macaroni cheese with some mild curry powder in the cheese sauce. Could work well for cheesy veggie bake too I think.