Listen I love me some old school southern baked macaroni and cheese like anybody but sometimes we gotta keep it light. This cauliflower mac and cheese recipe gives you all that richness, creaminess and vibes of the OG but without all the carbs. And it’s seriously so easy and full of flavor. Cheese it up with your fave melty cheeses and get your whole life.
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How to Make Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F.
Steam cauliflower in a basket over 2 inches of simmering water for about 10 minutes, until nice and tender. Chop them into 1-inch chunks, place in a 9-inch baking dish, and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk mascarpone, eggs, and cream into a custard. Stir in cauliflower until coated, then mix in 2 cups shredded cheese. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with pepper.
Step 3: Bake the cauliflower mac and cheese for 35 minutes or until bubbly. To brown the top cheese, broil for 1-2 additional minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
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Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Recipe
Want to Save This Recipe, Boo?
I’ll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Ingredients
- 2 heads of cauliflower washed and leaves removed
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- garlic powder to taste
- 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 cups shredded cheeses I used creamy havarti, colby jack, and mild cheddar cheeses.
- Fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Pour approximately 2 inches of water into a large pot with a steamer basket. Warm water over medium-high heat, and add cauliflower heads to the steamer basket. Cover the pot with a lid. Steam the cauliflower for approximately 10 minutes or until easily pierced.
- Once cauliflower is softened, chop the heads into small chunks that are approximately 1-inch in diameter. Place cauliflower chunks into a baking dish (at least 9 inches wide).
- Season cauliflower with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the mascarpone cheese, eggs, and heavy cream to form a custard. Pour the custard into the cauliflower and mix until cauliflower is evenly coated.
- Mix 2 cups of shredded cheeses into the cauliflower mixture. Top the dish with the remaining cup of cheese. Season the top of the dish with additional pepper.
- Bake the cauliflower mac and cheese for 35 minutes or until bubbly. To brown the top cheese, broil for 1-2 additional minutes.
- Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
How to Store
Once it’s cooled to room temp, add to an airtight container and pop in the fridge. It should be all good for 3-4 days. To freeze, add to a freezer safe container or ziptop bag removing all air. It will keep for 2-3 months then thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. To reheat, add milk or cream to get it creamy again. Then add to a 350 degree oven and heat until warmed through or zap in the microwave for 2 minutes.Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Shred Your Cheese: Don’t grab pre-shredded cheeses. I prefer using block cheeses since they melt much better and don’t have any additives. I know it takes more time but it’s worth it.
- Ways to Steam Your Cauli: You can either use a steamer basket or a colander over medium high heat with a couple of inches of water in the bottom of the pan. Or you can of course use a microwave by filling the bottom of a microwave safe bowl with water, covering with a lid and microwave for 5 minutes until it softens.
- Pick the Right Cheeses: I love using cheeses like gouda, gruyere, white cheddar or mild or sharp cheddar. They will make a great mac for you.
More Mac and Cheese Recipes
- Lobster Macaroni and Cheese
- Velvetta Mac and Cheese
- White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
- Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese!
Thank you Chanel Murphy of My Fabulous Food for sharing your amazing recipe!
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Overall it is a good recipe. I compared it to other cauliflower Mac and cheese recipes before I began and preferred this method of steaming the cauliflower to soften the florets rather than roasting or using them raw. I broke the cauliflower into bite-sized florets first, washed them, then steamed them. I seasoned them to my taste as instructed. Since I had a larger casserole pan to fill, I made extra sauce. If I were to make the recipe again, I’d also season the mascarpone – cream- egg mixture too so that the seasoned cauliflower doesn’t lose flavor after pouring on the sauce. Bacon was an extra treat I added in too. Overall a good recipe and something different to serve.
Thanks so much, doll!
My family DESTROYED this dish!! No one even missed the pasta. Will definitely be putting this in our rotation.
Looks delicious How! How much frozen cauliflower should I use?