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Baked Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese

A quick and delicious way to put cauliflower in your macaroni and cheese.

Course Main Dish, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword cauliflower, cheddar cheese, cheese, macaroni
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 4 minutes
Resting time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 59 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Author Laura

Ingredients

Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese Base

  • 1 tablespoon oil (any type)
  • 1/2 pound elbow macaroni or other small pasta of approxmiately that size
  • 1/2 head cauliflower, cut into small pieces about the size of the macaroni About 3 & 1/2 cups/1 lb/454 g
  • 1 & 1/2 - 1&3/4 cup ricotta or cottage cheese (preferably full fat but part skim also works) Ricotta I used was 15 oz./425 g
  • 4 cups milk (preferably full fat, but part skim also works) 1000 ml
  • 1 & 1/2 teaspoons dried mustard
  • 1 large pinch ground red pepper (cayenne)
  • 1 large pinch ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper (ground)
  • 3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt (or a bit more to taste)
  • 1 & 1/2 pounds hard cheese, preferably sharp or extra sharp cheddar, possibly mixed with some parmesan or Romano, grated, chopped small or shredded 678 g

Topping

  • 2 cups Panko (crispy Japanese-style breadcrumbs) 5 & 1/2 oz/158 g
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 oz/30 g
  • 2 tablespoons goat cheese or cream cheese, at room temperature 1 oz/30 g
  • 1/4 cup cheddar or other hard cheese, grated, chopped small, or shredded 1 oz/30 g

Instructions

Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese Base

  1. Oil the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13-inch pan (23 x 33 cm). Set pan aside and preheat oven to 375° F/190° C with a rack in the middle or upper third of the oven.

  2. Microwave (with cover) or steam the cauliflower. I microwaved mine for 4 minutes, stirring halfway through and let it rest for 1 minute afterwards. Drain out any excess water, then mix with macaroni and spread evenly over the pan and set aside.

  3. Combine the milk, seasonings, and cheeses. Put them in a blender and combine them at medium speed. See note. Once combined, pour it over the macaroni and cauliflower, gently poke a few holes (to make sure the liquid is well dispersed) and let the casserole sit on the counter for 10 minutes.

  4. Tightly cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Topping

  1. While casserole is baking, make the topping by combining the panko, butter, cream or goat cheese and the hard cheese. Initially you can use a fork but by the end, use your hands to achieve a well-combined mixture.

  2. Take the pan out of the oven, remove the aluminum foil cover, and gently stir it to make sure the liquid reaches all parts of the casserole. After the stirring, add the topping in an even layer over the base. Return the pan to the oven and cook for about another 30 minutes, until the topping is browned and the milk/cheese mixture is bubbling at the edges. Let the casserole stand for about 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Recipe Notes

I found it easiest to chop my cheese in a food processor. It doesn't matter what shape the cheese is in, grated, shredded, or chopped, because it will melt.  If necessary when combining the milk, seasonings, and cheeses, do it in 2 batches. If you do it in 2 batches and they are not identical, that's fine - just pour them into a pitcher or bowl to combine them before pouring themn over the cauliflower and macaroni.