Monday, September 19, 2011

Cauliflower Baked Mac & Cheese

Do you have trouble getting your kids to eat their veggies? 

(Try hiding it in their food.) 


Creamy Cauliflower Baked Mac & Cheese
((Printable Recipe))

2 tablespoons olive oil
salt
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock or water
2 bay leaves
1 cauliflower, cored and separated into pieces
8 ounces whole wheat pasta (any shape)
1/2 cup grated cheese (sharp cheddar, Emmental, Gruyere or a combination)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, to taste
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup or more whole grain bread crumbs

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Grease a 9-inch baking dish and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add some salt.  In another pot, add the stock (or water) with the bay leaves over medium-low heat. When it begins to bubble, turn off the heat and let it stand.

Cook the cauliflower in the boiling water until very tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Scoop out the cauliflower with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a blender or food processor. Add the pasta to the same water you cooked the cauliflower in.  Boil until the pasta is about half way cooked and still somewhat chalky inside.  (About 5 minutes.)

Remove the bay leaves from the stock. Carefully process the cauliflower with 2 cups of the vegetable stock and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Add the cheese, mustard, nutmeg and some salt and pepper. (You can work in small batches if it doesn't all fit.)  If the sauce is too thick, add another 1/2 cup of stock.  Adjust the seasoning to taste.

Pour the sauce over the pasta in your prepared baking dish.  You can stop at this point, cover it with foil and chill for 24 hours. Bring the pasta back up to room temperature before baking.

Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until the top is bubbling and brown.

Linked to: Delightfully Dowling, Everyday Mom's Meals, Mrs. Happy Homemaker, FaveDiets
(Recipe source: Mark Bittman)

8 comments:

  1. I wish I could make dishes like this and all my kids would eat it all up! It's so hard to make food they refuse to eat. It looks so delicious to me, though!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I can't please everyone in my family all the time. I'm a bit tough, but if you don't like it, you can wait until breakfast the next morning. :) Thankfully, everyone was in agreement with this one! (And typically I'M the one who doesn't like cauliflower!)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I tell moms this all the time. When all else fails...hide it!!! LOL Thanks for sharing at Church Supper! See you again next week.

    Everyday Mom's Meals

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have to try this. It really sounds delicious.This is my first visit to your blog, so I took sometime to browse through your earlier entries. I'm so glad I did that. I really like the food and recipes you share with your readers and I'll be back. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

    ReplyDelete
  5. Welcome, Mary! Thank you for stopping and by and leaving such a nice comment. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Of course! Why NOT put cauliflower in mac and cheese?? Brilliant!

    ReplyDelete
  7. What an ingenious idea for sneaking in some extra veggies into your meals. Thanks for linking this up to my hop!

    ReplyDelete
  8. At least the cauliflower is the same color. The blending is a good idea. Can't wait to try this one on the kids. I know I will like it.

    ReplyDelete