Cauliflower Mac and Cheese is your next way to fall in love with cauliflower. It's beyond delicious with a creamy, cheesy sauce, and a simple prep. Finished off with a crunchy panko/bacon topping for a side dish that's perfect for your weekly roast chicken or hearty enough as a meal on it's own.
When you're looking for the flavors of a classic mac and cheese, but what to lighten it up just a tad, look no further!
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Cauliflower Mac and Cheese is the ultimate side dish. It's creamy and cheesy and just wonderful. BUT, it's lightened up just a bit from the swapping of the pasta for cauliflower. I can eat bowls of this stuff and not feel heavy. It's kind of a "I can have my cake and eat it, too!" situation. But with cheese and cauliflower. Ya hear me?!
This amazingly comforting side dish pairs well with anything. And, I mean anything. Serve it alongside grilled steak. It's great with the weekly roasted chicken. This dish is also fantastic as a side to simply roasted salmon. I also make this recipe my main meal. Sometimes just as is, sometimes I'll toss in a little rotisserie chicken in for added protein. You cannot go wrong.
I love this recipe, my husband raves about it, and even my girls dig in. It's a dish we can all agree on and I sincerely hope you'll try it, too!
ingredients
- Cauliflower
- Avocado Oil
- Butter
- AP Flour or GF All-Purpose Flour
- Whole Milk
- Kosher Salt
- Fresh Ground Pepper
- Granulated Garlic
- Granulated Onion
- Dried Dill Weed
- Gouda Cheese
- Cheddar Cheese
- Panko Breadcrumbs or GF Panko Breadcrumbs
- Parmesan Cheese
equipment
- 9x13 Baking Dish
- Chef's Knife
- Cutting Board
- Large Skillet
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Liquid Measuring Cup
- Whisk
- Spatula
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how to make cauliflower mac and cheese
prep the cauliflower
Cut the cauliflower head into bite-sized pieces. Make sure you use the stems, too. They're delicious!
Add the cauliflower to a 9x13 baking dish along with a hefty drizzle of avocado oil. Add kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste. Cover with foil and bake in a preheated 400° oven for 30 minutes, stirring halfway.
If you like more of steamed cauliflower, bake covered. I am Team Steamed Cauliflower, so I cook mine covered.
If you like the more roasted cauliflower flavor, bake uncovered.
make the cheese sauce
For the luscious cheese sauce, let's begin with the roux. A roux is a simple mixture of a fat and flour. In our case, the butter and all-purpose flour.
Melt the butter in a large skillet and whisk in the flour. Cook this for a few minutes to get rid of any raw flour taste. Pour the warm milk in increments, whisking continuously to prevent clumps.
Once all the milk has been incorporated, add in the kosher salt, pepper, granulated garlic, granulated onion, and dried dill weed. Taste for salt levels, adding some if you would like.
Slowly, and off of the heat, add the cheddar and gouda cheese. Whisking continuously until the cheese is melted and thoroughly incorporated. Doing this step off of the heat, or at most, on very, very low heat will prevent a grainy cheese sauce.
prepare the crunchy topping
To finish our Cauliflower Mac and Cheese, we need some crunch. Cook diced bacon in a skillet on medium-high heat until crisp. Toss in the panko and stir around for a few minutes letting the panko absorb the bacon fat. This lets it become super crispy.
finishing
To finish, combine the cheese sauce and the cooked cauliflower in the original 9x13 baking dish. Top with parmesan cheese and the panko/bacon situation. Bake for an additional 20 minutes or until nice and bubbly.
Enjoy!
recipe frequently asked questions
Can you make this recipe gluten-free?
You can easily make this recipe gluten-free by using GF flour and GF panko. They're both easy to find in stores and online.
How do I store this Cauliflower Mac and Cheese? How long will it stay good?
This recipe, if stored in an airtight container in the fridge, will stay good for up to 3 days.
Can I freeze this dish?
I do not recommend freezing this dish. The cauliflower does not freeze and thaw well and can turn into mush.
variations
- Play with the cheeses. Use what you have on hand and your favorite. Pepper jack would give this recipe a lovely kick. Monterey Jack is an all-time favorite around here and melts beautifully. Have fun with this!
- Add broccoli! Broccoli and cauliflower are long-time friends and cook very similarly. Add some to the baking dish and carry on with the recipe as written.
- Sautéed mushrooms and onions are an amazing addition to this. Just stir them in with the cheese sauce and bake!
- Add a little rotisserie chicken for serving to turn this into a full meal!
recipe tips and tricks
- DO NOT USE PRE-SHREDDED CHEESE. I've said it once, I'll say it a million times. shred it yourself. If you use the stuff in the bag, this recipe will be gloopy and gross. No one wants that. You'll save money, too.
- Make sure your head of cauliflower is compact and dense. The leaves should be bright green and not yellow. Minimal browning of the cauliflower is ok and is more than likely just oxidation. You can cut that away. However, do not use cauliflower heads that are soft.
- To avoid a watery, soupy Cauliflower Mac and Cheese, make sure you remove any excess water that accumulates during the first round in the oven. Cauliflower has a lot of water in it and cooking it can result in a lot of water at the bottom of the baking dish. Strain the liquid away or use a paper towel to blot it out.
- Melt the cheese into the sauce off of the heat or on very, very low heat. This prevents the sauce from becoming grainy.
- I've never suggested you can't add a little more cheese at the end. A little extra never hurt anyone.
- Red chili flakes are also a fantastic garnish at the end of this Cauliflower Mac and Cheese. With the extra cheese. It just makes it better.
reheating instructions
- To reheat, you can cover with a damp paper towel and microwave on low in small increments until warmed through. If using this method, the topping will not stay crispy.
- For the oven, allow portion to reheat in an oven-safe dish, uncovered, on 300°. If you're want the topping to stay crispy, I recommend this method.
shop the essentials here!
If you guys make this Cauliflower "Mac" and Cheese, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I absolutely love to hear from you all and always do my best to respond to each and every one of your comments!
Recipe
Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 6-8 cups cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces 1½-2 heads of cauliflower depending on size
- 1-2 tablespoon avocado oil
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 4 tablespoon AP flour or your favorite GF flour blend
- 2 cups whole milk, warm
- 1½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- ½ teaspoon dried dill weed
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1 cup gouda cheese, grated
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
Crunchy Topping
- 4-5 strips bacon, diced
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs I used a roasted garlic flavor
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
Prep the Cauliflower
- Add the cauliflower to a 9x13 baking dish along with the avocado oil. Add kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste. Bake in a preheated 400° oven for 30 minutes, stirring halfway. If you like more of a steamed cauliflower flavor, bake covered with foil. I am Team Steamed Cauliflower, so I cook mine covered. If you like more of a roasted cauliflower flavor, bake uncovered.
Make the Cheese Sauce
- Melt the butter in a large skillet and whisk in the flour. Cook this for a few minutes to get rid of any raw flour taste. Add the warm milk in increments, whisking continuously to prevent clumps.
- Once all the milk has been incorporated, add in the kosher salt, pepper, granulated garlic, granulated onion, and dried dill weed. Taste for salt levels, adding some if you would like.
- Slowly, and off of the heat, add the cheddar and gouda cheese. Whisking continuously until the cheese is melted and thoroughly incorporated.
The Crunchy Topping
- Cook the bacon in a skillet on medium-high heat until crisp. Toss in the panko and stir around for a few minutes letting the panko absorb the bacon fat. This lets it become super crispy.
Finishing
- Lower the oven temperature to 350°
- Combine the cheese sauce and the cooked cauliflower in the original 9x13 baking dish. Top with parmesan cheese and the panko/bacon situation. Bake for an additional 20 minutes or until nice and bubbly.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Thank you!
I am so incredibly happy that you are here! I hope you try my Cauliflower "Mac" and Cheese recipe and fall in love with it. If you make this recipe, please share and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok! And, please leave a comment or star rating below. I absolutely love seeing each and every one of your kitchen masterpieces. It makes my heart so happy! And, as always, if you ever have any questions about any of my recipes, please don't hesitate to contact me!
Happy Cooking!
-Rufus
Rufus for Real is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. I may earn a commission, with no additional cost to you, if you purchase through those links.
Rufus for Real is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
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