Cauliflower Mac N’ Cheese

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I’m a glorified carbohydrate addict. If I had to pick just one dish to eat for the rest of my life, well, it’d be a pasta sandwich topped with mashed potatoes.

cauliflower mac

Not literally, but you catch my drift.

cheesy cauliflower

As much as I adore carbs, I don’t adore the spot they’ve taken up on my hips. Or in my thighs. And most certainly NOT in my stomach. In a perfect world, I’d eat all the carbs I could possibly muster and they would either have no calories or all of the excess sugar/fat would go right into my boobs.

creamy mac

But we don’t live in a perfect world and my favorite pasta mashed potato cinnamon roll sandwiches are going right to places I can’t have them going. This means, much to my own dismay, I’m forced to replace my favorite carbs with vegetables. This isn’t too terrible given my affinity for vegetables, but it’s harder than I thought.

mac n cheese with cauliflower

As hard as it is, I will say one thing – it’s giving me the chance to really play with flavors and find ways to make my favorite dishes taste amazing despite the lack of their main ingredient. Which is how this delicious cauliflower mac n’ cheese came to exist. In place of pasta, I opted for little heads of my favorite vegetable.

cauliflower

Not only does this amazing concoction taste like my favorite cheesy comfort food, it makes it completely gluten-free, extremely low-carb and even richer in fiber.

If this is what low-carb diets look like in real life, well shoot, I should have signed up months (re: years) ago.

Cauliflower Mac N’ Cheese

creamy cauli mac

CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!

Serves about 8. Adapted from Vegetarian Times.
Prep time: 10 – 14 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: About 44 minutes

Ingredients: 

  • 1 large head cauliflower (at least 1 1/2 pounds) cut into florets
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 2 cups low-fat milk
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
  • 2 egg yolks, whisked
  • 3/4 cup breadcrumbs*
  • Salt and pepper

*OPTIONAL. Omit if you’d prefer gluten-free.

Directions: 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a standard size baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Add a dash of salt. Add the cauliflower florets and boil for about 5 minutes, or until fork tender.
  3. In another saucepan, melt butter over medium high heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour until a thick paste forms. Gradually add in the milk, one cup at a time, or until mixture is thick (it should coat the back of a spoon). Remove from heat and immediately whisk in cheese, nutritional yeast and egg yolks.
  4. Add the cauliflower and fold in until evenly coated. Add salt and pepper.
  5. Sprinkle the top with breadcrumbs and additional salt and pepper.
  6. Bake until cheese is bubbly, about 30 minutes.
  7. Serve with fresh greens, like parsley.

Nutritional information per serving: 

Calories: 361
Fat: 14.2 grams
Carbohydrates: 23.25 grams
Fiber: 8 grams
Protein: 25.2 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 8

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Comments

  1. Tuesday, April 7th, 2015
    This looks so good that it might actually get me to enjoy my vegetables :) Yum!
  2. Posted by The Food Hunter on
    Tuesday, April 7th, 2015
    this is such a great idea!
  3. Posted by Cookin Canuck on
    Tuesday, April 7th, 2015
    Yes, those carbs like to sit on my stomach, too. I'd like to evict all of them! This cauliflower mac 'n cheese is such a great way to lighten things up.
  4. Tuesday, April 7th, 2015
    I love everything about this! I bet my kids would too :)
  5. Tuesday, April 7th, 2015
    I'm right there with you in your carb addiction (especially pasta!) And I do love cauliflower - can't wait to try this recipe!
  6. Tuesday, April 7th, 2015
    I freaking love pasta and could eat it every single day! However I totally get it, I've got to cut back too. I'll just have to start with this cauliflower mac and cheese!
  7. Posted by Heather | girlichef on
    Tuesday, April 7th, 2015
    The comfort of pasta with less carbs? Yes, please. Plus, I love cauliflower, so this is definitely something I need to try!
  8. Posted by Lora @cakeduchess on
    Wednesday, April 8th, 2015
    I'm all for eating more veggies...especially cauliflower! Love this mac n' cheese!
  9. Posted by Erin@WellPlated on
    Wednesday, April 8th, 2015
    Cauliflower and I have recently become good friends, and now I want it in everything. This is brilliant!
  10. Wednesday, April 8th, 2015
    What a great way to lighten up mac and cheese!
  11. Wednesday, April 8th, 2015
    Definitely! Gimme cheese and carbs. The others can keep their sweets!
  12. Posted by Angela on
    Wednesday, April 8th, 2015
    I just thought I'd point out that this recipe isn't gluten-free, even if you omit the breadcrumbs, because you use flour as a thickener.
    • Posted by Laura on
      Wednesday, July 25th, 2018
      True, but you can use gf flour and gf breadcrumbs now.
  13. Posted by Rose | The Clean Dish on
    Wednesday, April 8th, 2015
    Cauliflower Mac n Cheese rules!! I hear ya about the carbs... I'm pretty much grain free (with exceptions) and while it gets easier over time, I do miss some pasta mac n cheese or pizza here and there. Then I have to remind myself how much healthier I feel without and that helps a little ;)
  14. Wednesday, April 8th, 2015
    I love cauliflower so much. It's incredible how well it works in so many dishes like this one.
  15. Thursday, April 9th, 2015
    I, too, have a love for carbs that is not great for the figure. This "mac" and cheese is perfect to kill any of those comfort cravings!
  16. Posted by Jessica on
    Tuesday, April 14th, 2015
    This recipe looks fantastic. My question is this: How big are the servings/ How many servings does this recipe make?

    Thanks!
  17. Posted by Joanne on
    Wednesday, March 1st, 2017
    Where does the shallot come in?
    • Posted by Saffy on
      Thursday, November 23rd, 2017
      Ha ha! So true! I've just finished preparing. Put it in the oven then saw your comment.
      So I bought a bag of shallots for nothing then. lol
  18. Posted by Kay on
    Friday, December 22nd, 2017
    Can this be made without the yeast? What is it’s purpose in this recipe>
    • Posted by Claire on
      Monday, January 15th, 2018
      Yes it can. The yeast just works as a binding agent. You can simply make a beschamel sauce if you'd like and omit it.
  19. Posted by Greer on
    Monday, December 17th, 2018
    Reading this post made me laugh a little and completely agree!!
    My boyfriend and I are now vegetarian and are trying our best not to eat too many carbs, so I can't wait to make this!!!
  20. Posted by Rosemarie (aka Rosie) on
    Friday, January 4th, 2019
    Where does the shallot come in? I don't see it used anywhere in your recipe.
    Many thanks!
    • Posted by Lori on
      Monday, October 14th, 2019
      I was wondering the same thing!
  21. Posted by Samantha on
    Monday, June 8th, 2020
    Has anyone replaced the all purpose flour with almond flour? If so, did it taste the same as original recipe?
  22. Posted by Christine on
    Thursday, June 18th, 2020
    Did I miss the shallots somewhere?
  23. Posted by Mini Wolfsbane on
    Monday, August 24th, 2020
    Just pulled it out of the oven, but used riced cauliflower and sweet potato and added half a large onion that needed to get used up. Have had similar, and I normally only like nutritional yeast in vegan cheese sauce, but I try to stick to a recipe when I make it, most of the time.I'm sure it'll be good since I love cheese! Thanks for making. Found out I'm pre-diabetic at 35, so trying to cut back on carbs.
  24. Posted by Jen on
    Friday, November 6th, 2020
    This is super common in the uk, we just call it cauliflower cheese :)