Tuesday, April 9, 2013 Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
If you know me at all, you know that more than anyone or anything...
I LOVE CHEESE.
Yes, my husband knows, it's just something he has to accept, we are working through it.
Up until I was 20 years old my diet was beyond questionable. Growing up as the pickiest of eaters my go-to list of foods included; bread (only white please), canned tomato sauce (only Prego of course), ramen noodle soup (the 25cent kind), cereal (anything with sugar), and of course CHEESE.
You see even when my diet resembled that of an anti-Atkins child, cheese was always there for me.
My relationship with cheese as with all foods has expanded and grown. It now includes stinky blues, rich triple creams and tangy goat's milk cheeses.
But at the end of the day cheese is simply a food that reminds me of my childhood, a comfort food and one that I like, very very much :)
So like I added veggies to my life and never looked back I decided to add veggies to my Mac and Cheese.
Cauliflower is taking the place of the pasta...
Now this is the part where I tell you that this dish is more nutritious than normal Mac and Cheese and has a fraction of the carbs.
But between friends, I'll also tell you that it is creamy, rich, indulgent deliciousness and the only real point of replacing the pasta with cauliflower is that you can guiltlessly beat your current Mac and Cheese eating record and really indulge in all that cheesy goodness. ENJOY!
Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Makes 2 entree servings
2 tablespoon Unsalted Butter
½ cup + 2 tablespoon Scallions, whites and light greens
4 Garlic Cloves, sliced
2 tablespoon All-Purpose Flour
1.5 cups milk
4oz Cheddar Cheese, about 1 cup shredded
2oz Parmesan, about ½ cup shredded
1 tablespoon Summer Savory herb, chopped fine (or Fresh Thyme)
1 + ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Small Head Cauliflower, stem removed and broken into bite size florets
½ cup Homemade Bread Crumbs
1. Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat and add the ½ cup scallions and garlic, cook until tender, 3-5 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute more. Add the milk and continue to whisk until everything is well combined, bring mixture to a boil and let cook until the milk has thickened, 3-5minutes.
2. Add the cheddar, parmesan, savory or thyme and ¼ teaspoon salt and stir until the cheese has melted and you have a smooth cheese sauce, turn heat down to low and set aside.
3. Place the cauliflower, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 cups of water in a large saucepan with a lid over medium heat, bring to a simmer, cover and let cook until cauliflower is semi-tender but not mushy, about 3minutes. Drain cauliflower of any remaining water, return the cauliflower to the pot and toss with the cheese sauce.
4. Portion the cheesy cauliflower into 2 large over-safe dishes. Sprinkle the top of each portion with bread crumbs and bake at 400degrees for about 20 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Garnish with the remaining scallions and serve!
NOTES:
- Don’t overcook the cauliflower in the boiling water. It will cook more in the oven and should only be 50percent cooked through.
- I think a nice aged cheddar really takes this dish to the next level and you can usually find an inexpensive kind at the cheese counter. You can of course use any combination of cheeses you like, gruyere, fontina and mozzarella are all nice options.
You might also like these recipes:
Brocolli Tacos
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Kabocha Squash + Tomato Pasta
Gnudi
Popovers
Reader Comments (4)
hi! i saw you on food network, and i am rooting for you!!! good luck! so i might make this tomorrow, but isn't 1 tablespoon per entree a bit much? doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of adding the vegetables? how much should i reduce it to to make it "clean?"
thanks!
love,
ariella
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Hey Ariella,
The problem is that you need that amount of butter to thicken the milk, to save some fat, I would use 1percent milk instead of whole, I just did that recently and it was great. It's not a super healthy meal, just healthier than the original. Hope that helps!
- Nikki Dinki
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Hi Nikki,
I am wondering the difference between summer and winter savory and why you would only use the summer. I had a friend give me a winter savory plant and I'm dying to find recipes for it.
Thanks!
Sarah
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Sarah,
They are similar, winter savory is more potent and a little hardier in texture. So I would just use a little less and make sure it gets a minute to cook in your dish. In general you can substitute savory for thyme in any recipe and even basil. Also if your planting it, winter savory is perennial where the summer version is annual. Enjoy!!!
Nikki Dinki
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This was delicious, my husband and I loved it very much. The next time I make this I'll make a double batch. Thanks very much for sharing this recipe.
Okay so today I decided to cook dinner for my long time boyfriend and this was the dish I made if he didn't love me that much before he does now (I'm joking I know he loves me) but needless to say he loved it very much and I did to I wanted to tell you thank you for an amazing recipe