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Creamy Potato and Vegetable Bake with White Sauce

This Creamy Potato and Vegetable Bake with White Sauce is an easy casserole topped with golden breadcrumbs and baked in the oven for 30 minutes!

Easy white sauce recipes like this are fantastic to make and serve on those busy weekdays or lazy Sundays!

Vegetable bake with white sauce in white baking dish with spoonful taken out sitting on top.

Easy vegetable bakes like my vegetarian white sauce lasagna, are delicious dinner recipes you can quickly make at home for the family.

My Easy Tomato Vegetable Lasagna also features the white sauce you’ll find in this casserole recipe.

As does my broccoli white sauce pasta. White sauce is incredibly versatile in many savory dishes.

🥦 Why You Will Love This Recipe

  • Bakes in 30 minutes.
  • Uses staple vegetables.
  • Easy cheesy white sauce.
  • Feeds the whole family.
Vegetable bake with white sauce in baking dish with serving spoon sitting on top.

Vegetables in white sauce are always guaranteed to be hearty and satisfying and this recipe is no exception.

It includes lightly steamed carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, pumpkin, and potatoes.

The vegetables are then smothered in a quick and creamy white sauce made on the stovetop. It also has a generous serving of cheddar cheese melted through, DROOLING!

These are then assembled together in a large 9×13 baking dish, sprinkled with breadcrumbs, and baked for about 30 minutes.

Casserole in rustic bowl with fork.

🥗 Serving Suggestions

Serve this creamy vegetable casserole by itself, as your main dish, or alongside a simple side such as these air fryer roasted canned potatoes or these:

📋 Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Ingredients needed to make this veggie bake is broccoli, carrot, white potato, butternut pumpkin, frozen petite peas, cauliflower, whole milk, unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, regular breadcrumbs, ground nutmeg, salt, pepper, and frozen shredded cheddar cheese.
  • White potatoes – such as russet potato or any white flesh potato with washed or brushed brown skin. Peeled or peel left on, I prefer to leave the peel on.
  • Pumpkin – Butternut, Jap, or Kent pumpkin can be used. Substitute with extra potatoes.
  • Carrot – can be substituted with zucchini or parsnip.
  • Broccoli – substitute with more cauliflower, broccolini, or asparagus.
  • Cauliflower – substitute with more broccoli, brussels sprout, or cabbage.
  • Frozen petite peas – or larger garden peas or chopped snap peas.
  • Unsalted butter – can use salted butter, reduce the added salt when seasoning if needed. Use dairy-free block cooking butter for a dairy-free veggie bake.
  • All-purpose flour – substitute with gluten-free all-purpose flour if desired.
  • Whole milk – make a dairy-free casserole by using dairy-free milk such as almond or soy milk.
  • Ground nutmeg – can be substituted with garlic powder or left out of the recipe, just season with extra salt and pepper.
  • Salt & pepper – fine sea salt, Kosher salt, and cracked black pepper work best.
  • Frozen shredded cheddar cheese – or freshly grated/shredded cheddar cheese of choice.
  • Breadcrumbs – use plain/regular store-bought breadcrumbs or Panko breadcrumbs for a crunchier topping. Use gluten-free breadcrumbs for a gluten-free vegetable bake.

🔪 Step By Step Instructions (with photos)

A full and detailed recipe card is at the bottom of this post.

Step one: Prepare a large steamer with the pot half filled with water and bring it to a boil over high heat on the stovetop. 

Step two: Place chopped potato, pumpkin, and carrot into the steamer and steam, covered, for 10-12 minutes until fork tender, mixing it halfway through. Transfer to a large clean bowl and set aside. 

Step three: Steam broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, and thawed peas, covered, for 8-10 minutes until fork tender, mixing halfway through. Transfer into the same bowl as the other veggies and set aside. 

The chopped pumpkin, potato, carrot, broccoli, cauliflower, and peas in a large metal steamer.

Step four: In a large frying pan or pot add butter and melt over low heat. Whisk through the flour. 

Melting butter and whisking through flour in a large metal frying pan.

Step five: Increase heat to medium-high and once gently simmering, cook for 1 minute, while whisking.  

Whisking flour through melted butter in frying pan.

Step six: Pour milk in a slow steady stream while whisking over medium heat. Continue to cook and whisk over medium heat until it thickens, do not let it boil or simmer, it will thicken before it reaches a bubble. 

Pouring milk into the melted butter and flour mixture in frying pan.

Step seven: Once thickened, reduce heat to low and whisk through ground nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Whisking thickened sauce and whisking through the ground nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Step eight: Whisk through thawed shredded cheese until melted over low-medium heat. 

Adding shredded cheese and whisking it through the white sauce in the frying pan.

Step nine: Continue to whisk over low-medium heat until thick and smooth. Turn off heat and set it aside. 

Whisking white sauce and lifting up the whisk with sauce drizzling back down in the frying pan.

Step ten: Spoon half of the steamed vegetable mixture into the base of the greased baking dish and pour over half of the white sauce, spreading out evenly with a rubber spatula or spoon. 

Step eleven: Spoon over remaining vegetables then cover evenly with the remaining sauce.

Layering white sauce and steamed vegetables in a 9x13 white baking dish.

Step twelve: Sprinkle over breadcrumbs and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden on top and sizzling around the edges. 

Step thirteen: Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Sprinkled breadcrumbs over casserole before and after baking.

💭 Tips For Recipe Success

  • Chop the potato, carrot, and pumpkin into smaller chunks so they cook faster in the steamer.
  • Steam the vegetables only for 10-12 minutes until they’re just fork tender.
  • Don’t let the white sauce come to a boil or simmer, cook it slowly on low-medium heat until it starts to thicken.
  • When the white sauce is finished, don’t let it sit for long before assembling your casserole, as it will develop a skin on top due to the milk. If this does happen, give it a whisk until it’s smooth again.
Casserole in white baking dish with portion removed.

⏲️ Storage Instructions

Store leftovers in sealed containers, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Re-heat leftovers in a baking dish and bake at 180ºC (356ºF) for 20-30 minutes or until heated through. Cover it with foil if it browns too fast and continue to bake until heated.

Freeze leftovers in freezer-friendly sealed containers, in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.

Reheat from frozen by thawing in the refrigerator overnight, and cooking in a preheated oven at 180ºC (356ºF) for 20-30 minutes or until heated through. Alternatively, thaw at room temperature for several hours until partially frozen or defrosted, then re-heat using the exact instructions above, with an additional 5-10 minutes if needed.

Casserole in baking dish with serving spoon sitting on top.

💬 Recipe FAQ’s

Can I substitute any of the vegetables?

Yes! Easily substitute any of the vegetables with what you have on hand. I have a few suggestions above in the post under the ingredient notes. Such as parsnips instead of carrots, more potatoes instead of pumpkin, and broccolini or asparagus instead of broccoli.

Can I use frozen vegetables?

Yes! Simply use 6 cups of mixed frozen vegetables instead of the individual veggies but still include the potatoes. If you don’t have potatoes or prefer to leave them out, add another 2 cups of frozen veggies, making that 10 cups in total.

Can I make this dairy-free?

Absolutely! Swap the butter for an unsalted block of dairy-free cooking butter and substitute the whole milk with a dairy-free milk such as almond milk or soy milk.

Can it be made gluten-free?

You bet! In the white sauce, use a gluten-free all-purpose flour instead of the the regular AP flour and substitute the regular breadcrumbs with gluten-free store-bought breadcrumbs.

If you enjoy this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️ star rating and a comment review below. I love to hear what you think and it’s much appreciated. Thank you! Your email address will not be published. Sam x

Vegetable bake with white sauce in white baking dish with spoonful taken out sitting on top.

Creamy Potato and Vegetable Bake in White Sauce

Samantha Pickthall
This Creamy Potato and Vegetable Bake with White Sauce is an easy casserole topped with golden breadcrumbs and baked in the oven for 30 minutes!
4.24 from 13 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Servings 8 people
Calories 438 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

Vegetables

  • 2 cups broccoli florets
  • 2 cups cauliflower florets
  • 2 cups sliced carrots, approx. 2 large carrots
  • 1 cup peeled and cubed pumpkin, Butternut, Jap, or Kent
  • 1 cup frozen petite/baby peas, thawed
  • 2 cups cubed russet potatoes, skin on or off, approx. 3 medium potatoes

White Sauce

  • 135 g unsalted butter
  • 10 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • Salt & pepper, to taste
  • 2 cups frozen shredded cheddar cheese, thawed

Topping

  • 3 Tbsp store-bought regular breadcrumbs, or Panko or gluten-free

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 200ºC (400ºF). Liberally grease with butter or cooking spray a large 9×13 baking dish.

Vegetables

  • Measure out the frozen peas and frozen shredded cheese and set them aside to thaw.
  • Prepare a large steamer with the pot half filled with water and bring it to a boil over high heat on the stovetop.
  • Place chopped potato, pumpkin, and carrot into the steamer and steam, covered, for 10-12 minutes until fork tender, mixing it halfway through.
  • Transfer to a large clean bowl and set aside.
  • Back in the steamer, add broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, and thawed peas. Steam, covered, for 8-10 minutes until fork tender, mixing halfway through.
  • Turn off heat and transfer into the same bowl as the potato, pumpkin, and carrots.

White Sauce

  • In a large frying pan or pot, add butter and melt over low heat.
  • Once melted, increase heat to medium-high, add flour and whisk through the butter, once gently simmering, cook for 1 minute, while whisking.
  • Pour milk in a slow steady stream while whisking over medium heat.
  • Continue to cook and whisk over medium heat until it thickens, do not let it boil or simmer, it will thicken before it reaches a bubble.
  • Once thickened, reduce heat to low.
  • Whisk through ground nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Add thawed shredded cheese and whisk until melted over low-medium heat.
  • Turn off heat and set it aside.

Assemble

  • Spoon half of the steamed vegetable mixture into the base of the greased baking dish.
  • Pour over half of the white sauce, spreading out evenly with a rubber spatula or spoon.
  • Spoon over remaining vegetables.
  • Pour over remaining white sauce, covering the vegetables evenly.
  • Sprinkle over breadcrumbs.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden on top and sizzling around the edges.
  • Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
  • Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 438kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 16gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 79mgSodium: 301mgPotassium: 738mgFiber: 4gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 8389IUVitamin C: 47mgCalcium: 407mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe? Let us know how it was!

First published in June 2021, this recipe was updated in January 2024 to include new step-by-step images, expert recommendations, storage guidelines and more.

8 Comments

    1. Hi Kylie, I’ve never tried using coconut flour in the white sauce. Coconut flour is very absorbent so if you do opt to use coconut flour, I would suggest adding 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach a thick, smooth consistency, not lumpy and thick like dough. Hope that helps and I look forward to see how you go with it 🙂

    1. Hi Linny, just pop it in a moderate oven to re-heat. I would keep it in the original baking dish and when ready to re-heat, cover the dish with foil and heat until warm in the oven. Hope that helps! 🙂

  1. Thank you for this lovely recipe. It was simple but so tasty, and my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed it

    1. Hi Susan, thank you! I’m so happy you and your husband enjoyed this recipe, I absolutely love this one too! One of my top favourite dinners 🙂

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