Make Baked Cauliflower Mac and Cheese (Delicious and Cheesy)

• Food: Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
• Writer: Lizzie Green
• Content-Type: Food Blog

The BEST way to consume your vegetables is with this recipe for baked cauliflower mac & cheese! Tender cauliflower florets are covered in an oozy, gooey cheese sauce.

This cauliflower mac and cheese recipe is, in my opinion, the most entertaining one ever. It’s scrumptious, cozy, and ironic.

There isn’t any “mac” or “cheese” to be found here. What you will discover is a large quantity of cooked cauliflower topped with crispy panko breadcrumbs and covered in a gooey, oozy vegan cheese sauce.

Don’t be skeptical if you are. Surprisingly addictive, this mac and cheese contain cauliflower. When I first cooked it, I gave myself a little serving.

I went back for another, and another, and another a little while later. Even if it differs slightly from the traditional mac, it nevertheless fulfills all the warm, “cheesy” requirements. You won’t be able to get enough of it either, just like I can’t get enough of it.

Ingredients for the Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Recipe

This recipe for cauliflower mac and cheese just calls for a few ingredients:

• Of course, cauliflower! A head of cauliflower that weighs slightly over 2 pounds is a good size to look for. Make careful to separate it into tiny florets for this recipe, roughly the size of macaroni.
• Vegan cheese sauce Although that thick, creamy sauce appears to be prepared with cheddar cheese, I can assure you that it is completely dairy-free. Potato, sweet potato, and cashews have been combined to give it a thick, oozy texture. The delicious cheesy flavor of nutritional yeast is added.
• I add cayenne pepper and smoked paprika to the cheese sauce to give it a smoky, spicy flavor.
• And for crunch, panko bread crumbs! Use gluten-free panko to convert this dish to a gluten-free version.

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Recipe

The recipe for this cauliflower mac and cheese couldn’t be simpler! This is how it works:

Make the cheese sauce first. To enhance the flavor, blend the vegan cheese sauce ingredients with an additional garlic clove, smoky paprika, cayenne, and salt. Set aside after seasoning to taste.

Cook the cauliflower next. Cook the florets for 5 minutes after placing them in a big saucepan of salted boiling water.

After that, combine the cheese sauce with the cooked cauliflower. Drain the cauliflower and place it in a big basin once it is soft. Pour the cheese sauce over the florets, then swirl to coat them well.

So smooth!

To finish, broil. Put the panko on top of the cauliflower mac and cheese after you transfer it to a baking tray. The topping should be gently browned when broiling.

Enjoy!

Serving Ideas for Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Even though this “mac n cheese” is delicious on its own, feel free to serve it with a little extra cheese.

Jack always smothers his with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and I enjoy topping mine with vegan parmesan. We each add some freshly chopped parsley to the dish.

With a piece of crusty bread or focaccia to mop up the cheese sauce at the bottom of your bowl, enjoy this dish as a light dinner on its own.

It makes a tasty side dish, too. Serve it with tomato soup, chili made with vegetables, your preferred protein, or a baked potato with all the toppings.

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

This recipe is SO tasty and entertaining! It’s creamy and comforting like conventional mac & cheese but cooked with vegetables rather than pasta.

Ingredients

• 1 recipe Vegan Cheese Sauce
• 1 additional garlic clove
• ½ teaspoon additional sea salt
• Heaping ¼ teaspoon of smoked paprika
• Pinch of cayenne
• 1 large cauliflower, just over 2 pounds broken into ½-inch florets
• ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
• Parmesan or Vegan Parmesan, for serving, optional

Instructions

1. Prepare the cheese sauce as directed, adding the extra garlic clove, an extra 1/2 teaspoon of salt, the smoky paprika, and cayenne.
2. Heat the broiler in the oven.
3. Cauliflower florets should be boiled for 5 minutes after a large pot of salted water comes to a boil. Transfer to a big basin after draining. Add the cheese sauce and mix it thoroughly. Place in an 8×8-inch baking dish, then sprinkle with panko. The topping should be lightly browned after 2 minutes under the broiler. Remove from the oven, if preferred, and top with Parmesan or vegan Parmesan.