Cauliflower “Mac and Cheese”
Cauliflower replaces macaroni noodles and the creamy cheese sauce is lightened up as well, for this lighter and low carb cauliflower mac and cheese.
I really love working with cauliflower and this cauliflower mac and cheese recipe is my latest creation. With the stormy weather we’ve been experiencing in San Diego, I’ve been craving warm comfort dishes like macaroni and cheese but I wanted to lighten it up.
With this dish you get all the cheesiness of traditional mac and cheese but instead of pasta, you coat tender cauliflower with the cheese sauce. So, it’s lighter but still rich and creamy.
Using cauliflower in recipes is a really easy way to make a healthier version of a dish. I also created a lightened-up cheese sauce made with low-fat yogurt and cheese.
What I love best is that it’s quick to make in about 30 minutes. It’s all done on the stove – you don’t need to bake it in the oven or make a complicated cheese sauce with flour and butter.
With cooler weather here now I’ll definitely be making this again.
Ingredients
- Cauliflower florets
- Shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
- Nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- Mustard powder
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Hot sauce
- Nonfat milk
Boil the florets until they’re tender. Drain and pat them dry with a paper towel.
In a saucepan, combine the cheese, yogurt, mustard, onion and garlic powders, and hot sauce. Heat the mixture over low heat, stirring frequently, until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth. It will be thick, so thin it with a few tablespoons of milk to thin it out.
Add half of the sauce to the cauliflower and stir to coat it evenly. Pour the rest of the sauce over the top.
Garnishes and Serving Tips
You can garnish it with ground black pepper or I think some grated Parmesan cheese over the top would work, too. Chopped fresh parsley would add some color, too.
This cauliflower macaroni and cheese is a great side for a main dish like steak bites, parmesan chicken bites, and baked fried chicken.
You might like to try some of my other favorite cauliflower recipes, too:
Cauliflower "Mac and Cheese"
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
- 2 cups shredded low fat cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 -1 tbsp hot sauce
- 4-6 tbsp nonfat milk
Instructions
- Bring a large pot to boil over the stove and add in florets. Cook until just tender. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.
- In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine cheese, yogurt, mustard, onion and garlic powders, and hot sauce. Stir until sauce becomes uniform and smooth. The sauce will be quite thick. To thin it out, add milk, 1 tbsp at a time, stirring after each addition until sauce is smooth again.
- Add half of the sauce to your cauliflower and stir until cauliflower is coated. Pour remaining sauce on top over cauliflower.
I don’t understand if this is a keto recipe why does everyting need to by non-fat or low fat? I always thought keto is about low carbs?????
This is a lightened up, low carb version of macaroni and cheese, which is stated several times in the post. The word keto is not mentioned at all.
Oh wow that sauce looks so amazing. Love that it’s made with Greek yogurt!
I really had a hard time telling there is yogurt in there. but it makes the sauce really creamy!
I like the idea of using Greek yogurt as a sauce base. I made “buffalo” Brussels Sprouts by mixing Greek yogurt, miso, and sambal, and coating the mixture over some roasted sprouts. I put it back in the oven (turned it off) just to heat through the sauce. I’m thinking Mac and Sprouts subbing Brussels Sprouts for the Cauliflower would be yum too!
sounds good! I really like using the Greek yogurt too. It gives the sauce a super creamy texture but without all the extra fat.