Discover a guilt-free twist: Cauliflower mac and cheese recipe

Do you have a head of cauliflower at home and don't know how to use it? Prepare this simple cauliflower casserole with cauliflower as the main ingredient; this dish will replace a two-course lunch for you. The butter and breadcrumbs topping will become a thing of the past.

The cauliflower season begins in October and ends in April when it tastes the best. Even so, you can buy the vegetable all year round. We most often serve it with melted butter and breadcrumbs. Although this version is exceptionally delicious, it can become tiresome.

Do you have cauliflower at home and no idea how to use it in the kitchen? Discover this recipe for a delicious cauliflower casserole with a cheesy topping. It can be made in less than 15 minutes, and the dish will replace a two-course meal for you. You surely haven't eaten it in this version yet.

Mac and cheese is a simple casserole that is particularly popular in the United States and the United Kingdom. Elbow macaroni is cooked until soft and then transferred to a baking dish. The whole thing is covered with a thick, creamy sauce based on milk, cheese (usually cheddar), and flour and then baked in the oven.

Although the casserole is delicious, it has really a lot of calories and mainly provides carbohydrates. Fortunately, there's a way around this. Just replace the macaroni with cauliflower; the dish will be half as caloric but equally delicious.

How to prepare it? Wash the cauliflower and divide it into florets. Throw it into salted boiling water and cook for 10 minutes until it slightly softens. In the meantime, prepare the milk and cheese-based sauce. It tastes exactly the same as the one in mac and cheese. You can use regular yellow cheese, but if you want to add more character to the dish, use long-aged cheese (e.g., cheddar, pecorino, parmesan). Pour the sauce over the cooked cauliflower and place it in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Your family will be delighted.

Ingredients:

                              
• a head of cauliflower,
• 150 grams (5 oz) of cheese (e.g., yellow, cheddar, or parmesan),
• 50 grams (2 oz) of butter,
• 1.5 cups of milk,
• 4 tablespoons of flour,
• a teaspoon of nutmeg,
• salt,
• pepper.

Preparation:

1. Start by thoroughly washing the cauliflower. Divide it into florets and throw them into salted boiling water. Cook the vegetables for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove them from the water and place them in a baking dish.
2. Take out a large pot. Melt the butter in it. Add flour and cook everything for a minute. After a minute, pour in the milk and bring the sauce to a boil.
3. Add grated cheese, a pinch of salt, pepper, and nutmeg when the sauce starts to boil. Pour the prepared sauce over the cooked cauliflower.
4. Place the ready casserole in an oven preheated to 175°C (Gas Mark 4). Bake it for 20-25 minutes. After baking, remove it from the oven to cool a bit. Enjoy your meal!