Best Baked Cauliflower Macaroni Cheese Recipes

BAKED CAULIFLOWER MACARONI & CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray a ceramic or glass baking dish with cooking spray.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add cauliflower florets and boil for one minute. Remove with a slotted spoon.
• Cook pasta shells in the same water, following instructions on the Horizon package. To the drained pasta, add 1/2 cup milk (instead of 1/4 cup as shown on the package), 2 tablespoons butter, and packet of cheese powder.
• Stir in cream cheese and Cheddar cheese; mix well until combined and cheese is melted. Add cauliflower and mix. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
• Spoon macaroni and cheese into prepared baking dish. Smooth out the top.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter. In a small bowl, mix together panko breadcrumbs, melted butter, salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese.
• Bake until the breadcrumbs are golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes.

BAKED CAULIFLOWER, LEEK AND MUSHROOM MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Fill a large bowl with ice water.
• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook 3 1/2 cups of the cauliflower until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Remove the florets with a slotted spoon, and plunge in the ice water to stop the cooking. When cool, strain and reserve.
• Return the water in the pot to a boil, and cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente. Strain the pasta, shaking the colander a few times to drain excess water.
• While the pasta is cooking, heat 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat in a large pot. When the butter foams, add the leeks, mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are lightly browned and the mushrooms are tender, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Whisk in the half-and-half and bay leaf, and cook, continuing to whisk, until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Lower the heat to a simmer, add 2 teaspoons salt and simmer 1 minute. Remove the pot from the heat, take out the bay leaf and let sit for a minute. Add 3 1/2 cups of the Cheddar, and stir until smooth. Gently fold the cooked cauliflower and pasta into the cheese sauce, and transfer the mixture to the baking dish.
• Pulse the remaining 1/2 cup cauliflower in a food processor until it resembles couscous. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in the microwave, about 1 minute. Add the melted butter, breadcrumbs, thyme and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the food processor and pulse until combined. Sprinkle evenly on top of the pasta mixture. Sprinkle on the remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar, and bake until bubbly and brown on top, 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve hot.

BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH CAULIFLOWER AND HAM

Steps:

• Blanch cauliflower for 5 minutes.
• Refresh under cold water; drain well.
• Cook pasta until al dente.
• Refresh under cold water; drain well.
• Cook onion in 1 tblsp butter over moderately-low heat until softened; stir in flour and cook 2 minutes.
• Whisk in milk, cream, Worcestershire Sauce, ketchup, mustard powder, cayenne pepper and nutmeg and bring just to a boil, stirring, and simmer for 3 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350F and place rack in center of oven.
• Add 1 cup of Cheddar and all of the Parmesan, stirring, until completely melted.
• Stir in macaroni, cauliflower and ham and season.
• Mound into prepared baking dish and top with remaining Cheddar.
• Toss breadcrumbs with remaining 2 tsps butter (melted) and sprinkle over cheese.
• Bake for 25 minutes, or until topping is golden.

BAKED CAULIFLOWER, LEEK AND MUSHROOM MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Fill a large bowl with ice water.Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook 3 1/2 cups of the cauliflower until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Remove the florets with a slotted spoon, and plunge in the ice water to stop the cooking. When cool, strain and reserve. Return the water in the pot to a boil, and cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente. Strain the pasta, shaking the colander a few times to drain excess water. While the pasta is cooking, heat 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat in a large pot. When the butter foams, add the leeks, mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are lightly browned and the mushrooms are tender, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Whisk in the half-and-half and bay leaf, and cook, continuing to whisk, until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Lower the heat to a simmer, add 2 teaspoons salt and simmer 1 minute. Remove the pot from the heat, take out the bay leaf and let sit for a minute. Add 3 1/2 cups of the Cheddar, and stir until smooth. Gently fold the cooked cauliflower and pasta into the cheese sauce, and transfer the mixture to the baking dish. Pulse the remaining 1/2 cup cauliflower in a food processor until it resembles couscous. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in the microwave, about 1 minute. Add the melted butter, breadcrumbs, thyme and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the food processor and pulse until combined. Sprinkle evenly on top of the pasta mixture. Sprinkle on the remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar, and bake until bubbly and brown on top, 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve hot.