Cauliflower "Mac n Cheese"

Before any of you make the same mistake my husband did, this is not a macaroni and cheese recipe. It is for a faux mac n cheese recipe, using cauliflower and cheese. There are no noodles involved!

I saw this article a few months ago in my People magazine from MasterChef (reality show) winner Whitney Miller. I love cheese, and I love cauliflower, so I knew I had to try it.

I made this yesterday and my husband and I absolutely loved it! This is a fantastic side dish, and it is really easy to prepare.

I made 2 substitutions/changes. The first was not using heavy cream - I used light cream instead. I really wanted to use whole milk instead of heavy cream but the store I was at did not have a small container of whole milk, so I opted for the light cream instead. The second thing I changed was adding in 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder into the cheese sauce when you put in the salt and pepper. It just seemed fitting and was a spur of the moment decision.

There are so many possibilities with this too - you could add almost any taste into the cheese sauce to zing it up!

The only thing that took time was cutting the head of cauliflower, but if you prepare that the night before, or use pre-cut or frozen florets, you should be golden. Everything else was easy.

Try it out - you won't regret it!

Ingredients:-

-8 cups cauliflower florets (1 head)
-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-1/2 tsp Kosher salt
-1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
-2 Tbsp butter
-2 Tbsp flour
-1.5 cups fat-free milk
-1/2 cup heavy cream (I used light cream)
-1/4 tsp table salt
-1/4 tsp pepper
-(I added in 1/4 tsp garlic powder)
-1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (reduced fat optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Toss florets in oil on a baking sheet (I prefer to mix in a bowl first). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until fork-tender and lightly browned, 25 minutes. Remove pan from oven and reduce to 350.

2. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk. Simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thickened, 2 to 4 minutes. Whisk in cream and cook 5 minutes.

3. Remove pan from heat and stir in 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp pepper (1/4 tsp of garlic powder if using) and all but 2 Tbsp cheese. Stir over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.

4. Place cauliflower in an 8X8-in glass baking dish. Pour cheese sauce on top and sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. cheese.


Bake until sauce is bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes.

Serve hot and enjoy!