Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese is one of the dishes that I miss so much. I’ve been gluten intolerant for about 9 years now and I may have gotten used to it, but I admit that I miss the comforting taste of pasta, pizza, and breads. There are many tasty substitutions and gluten free options available but I’ve also fallen in love with cauliflower. 

Cauliflower has been so good in substituting for pizza crust, rice, potatoes and many other dishes. It’s lower in carbs and has more nutritional value. Did I mention that it’s also tasty? If you like cauliflower and you love mac and cheese, this cauliflower mac and cheese recipe is for you!

I highly recommend to sauté cauliflower rather than boil or steam it because it retains more nutrients and it tastes much better with browned edges. Cauliflower is so good smothered in cheese sauce, it will be your favorite meal and side dish. 

Tips On Making Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

• Cauliflower: wash the head of cauliflower and cut off the florets. Chop florets and some stems into bite-size pieces and try to make them close to the same size. (You can use frozen cauliflower if needed just thaw completely first and stain off all the excess liquids.)
• Sauté the cauliflower until it’s partially softened but still have a little crunch in the middle. (This could take 10-15 minutes, depending on how large you cut the pieces.)
• Smooth cheese sauce: whisk flour into melted butter in the pan until smooth and then start slowly pouring in the milk and whisking at the same time. Keep whisking and slowly pouring in milk. Continue to whisk slowly until milk is warmed and thickened. Then, start adding cheese one handful at a time. Continue to whisk and add the cheese in handfuls until all is smooth and melted.
• Make sure you’re cooking the cheese sauce over medium-low heat. Don’t let it boil!

Additions and Allergy Friendly Alternatives

Meats: you can easily add crispy bacon, diced ham, diced rotisserie or leftover cooked chicken,

Cheeses: You a combination of softer cheese that melts well and sharper, bolder cheese for more flavor. Monterrey Jack cheese, Colby Jack, and Mozzarella, and fontina are softer cheeses that melt very well. For sharper and bolder flavors, use sharp cheddar, Asiago, Parmigiano-Reggiano, or gruyere. Always choose a block and grate it yourself!

Gluten free alternative: simply use a 1:1 gluten free all purpose flour in the cheese sauce. It thickens just as nicely and the sauce will be just as smooth and creamy. All other ingredients should be gluten free but double-check the packaging just in case. 

Lactose free alternatives: Milk and butter are the two items that have lactose so use lactose free whole or 2% milk. For butter, use lactose free or plant based butter butter substitutes like I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, Earth Balance, Avocado Oil Plant Based Butter, or other brands you like. In cheese, note that most cheeses that are aged over 6 months are naturally lactose free. Many brands will put lactose content right on the label, under the nutritional information. Look for words like “contains 0% of lactose per serving.” If the wording is not there, you can look at sugar content. If sugar is 0g, that will indicate there is very low chance for lactose.

Dairy free alternative: unfortunately, it would be very difficult do go completely dairy free. Even though you can substitute milk for almond milk and substitute butter for vegan butter, cheese would be quite impossible to substitute successfully. Vegan cheese is not easy to work with and I personally have not found one that works well in mac and cheese and cheese sauces and tastes good. If you have vegan cheese that you love, you can absolutely use it! 

Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in April, 2020.