Cauliflower Mac & Cheese
vegetarian
Cheesy, comforting mac and cheese with sauteed cauliflower and greens mixed in with pureed cauliflower right in the sauce!
This classic mac and cheese takes an unexpected twist by adding an entire head of cauliflower in it! It’s still the creamy, delicious mac and cheese you love but it adds so many nutrients from all the vegetables, and your children will never even know!
I used cauliflower three different ways in this recipe: folded in the mac is actual pieces of crispy cauliflower, boiled cauliflower is blended directly into the cheese sauce, and we even use the greens at the ends of the cauliflower that people usually discard!
Here are the Ingredients for this Cauliflower Mac & Cheese:
Vegetables - Cauliflower, Garlic, Yellow Onion
Seasonings - Salt, Black Pepper
Dairy - Butter, White Cheddar Cheese, Half & Half or Heavy Cream
Pantry - Pasta Shells, Flour, Breadcrumbs, Dijon Mustard
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Cauliflower Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb pasta shells
- 1 head cauliflower
- 5 tbsp butter (2 tbsp + 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp)
- 1/2 tsp salt + 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 1/4 cup half and half or heavy cream
- 1 cup white cheddar, shredded
- 3/4 cup reserved pasta water
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Boil pot of water for the cauliflower.
- Break apart the cauliflower greens at the bottom and give them a rough chop (I discarded the larger, thicker stalks and kept the skinnier stalks and all the leafy greens.) Break up the cauliflower into small florets.
- Add the cauliflower florets to the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and divide the florets in half.
- Cook your pasta according to package directions.
- In a large saucepan, add 2 tbsp of butter and let it melt. Add in half the boiled cauliflower florets and your chopped cauliflower greens. On medium heat, cook for 5-8 minutes until the cauliflower has a slight char and the greens are softened. Remove from pan once done.
- Lower heat and add 2 tbsp of butter to melt. Add in the onions and garlic and cook until softened. Stir in the flour and then start to slowly add the half & half or cream. Then add in the cheese and stir until fully incorporated.
- In a high-speed blender, add the other half of the boiled cauliflower, the cheese sauce, dijon mustard, and the reserved pasta water. Blend for about a minute until smooth sauce forms.
- In an oven safe baking dish, toss together the cooked pasta, sautéed cauliflower florets and greens, and the cauliflower cheese sauce.
- Mix together the breadcrumbs with the melted butter and sprinkle on top of the mac and cheese.
- Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes until the top is golden brown and the mac and bubbly. Serve and enjoy!
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