Now that we are approaching the fall season, it’s time to think about comfort food. And comfort food for me means Mac n Cheese! Who doesn’t love Mac n cheese? Not me! I could probably eat it 2-3 times a week, but then I’d also probably weigh a lot more!

In order to sort of lighten up and “healthify” my recipe, I started playing around with different additions, omissions, and out and out crazy ideas. Most failed. Miserably. And then the cauliflower explosion happened. Cauliflower “rice”, pizza crust, buffalo cauliflower.  And that gave me an idea.

What if I added a full head of cauliflower to my mac and cheese? Would anyone notice? Would it affect the taste? Only one way to check – I had to try amending all of my recipes. And guess what? It worked!

I cook the pasta for 1/2 of the allotted time, and then throw in a full head of cauliflower, cut into small pieces, for the final 2-3 minutes. You get al dente pasta plus just barely cooked cauliflower, and since it’s going to go into the oven for additional time, it works.

Now, I had to try this recipe out with my kids, of course, to see if they could tell that I had added the cauliflower and while yes, they did, they also said it didn’t over power the cheesiness of the dish, and mad it a bit more filling. They ate it and that made me happy.

Here is my recipe for Cauliflower Mac N’ Cheese. Don’t turn your nose up at the one ingredient that may seem out of place. Trust me, you won’t taste it, and it helps the cheese sauce maintain the creaminess. Enjoy!

Recipe – Serves 8-10 hungry folks

• 1 Head of Cauliflower, washed and cut into small pieces, removing most of the tough core
• 1 lb pasta – I recommend a Rotini or Cavatappi to hold onto the sauce
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 4 Tbsp flour
• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 4 oz Velveeta (yes, Velveeta)
• 2-1/2 cups milk
• 8 oz Smoked Gouda, or your favorite cheese, grated
• Salt, Pepper
• 1 tsp fresh nutmeg
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs sauteed in a pan with a tbsp of butter until slightly golden

Preheat oven to 350.

Rinse and remove the outer leaves and core of the Cauliflower. Cut into bite size pieces, and set aside.

In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add salt. Add pasta and cook for approximately 6 minutes.

Add Cauliflower and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, just until pasta and cauliflower are al dente. Drain, and set aside.

In a dutch oven, or deep oven-proof-pot, melt the 4 Tbsp butter. Add the flour and combine, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes.  Roux should start to smell slightly nutty, and should be a light golden brown in color.

Slowly whisk in the milk and continue to stir, until sauce begins to thicken. Add the velveeta, mixing it until thoroughly combined, and then add the grated Gouda.  Mix in completely until you get a smooth cheese sauce.  Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt, pepper and a dash of fresh nutmeg.

Combine the noodles and cauliflower with the cheese sauce, combining until everything is coated in cheese. Top with the barely toasted breadcrumbs and place in a 350 oven for 25-30 minutes until the top begins to brown.  Remove from the oven, let cool a bit, serve and enjoy!

Send me a note if you try this recipe and let me know what you think!

Buon Appetito!