Cauliflower And Mushroom Mac And Cheese Recipes

MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Add cauliflower during the last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain and transfer to a bowl.
• Reduce heat to medium and add oil to the pasta pot. Add onion, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, just until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Mix in pasta-cauliflower mixture, Cheddar cheese, sour cream, milk, and Dijon mustard. Transfer mixture to a shallow 3-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Top with parsley before serving.

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.

CAULIFLOWER "MAC AND CHEESE" BAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Cook cauliflower in boiling water in large saucepan 4 minutes; drain well.
• Melt 2 Tbsp. margarine in large saucepan on medium heat. Add onions; cook and stir 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Stir in flour and mustard; cook and stir 1 minute. Whisk in milk; cook 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Add 1-1/4 cups Cheddar and 3 Tbsp. Parmesan; stir until Cheddar is melted. Add cauliflower; stir to evenly coat. Spoon into 2.5-L casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray.
• Microwave remaining margarine in medium microwaveable bowl on HIGH 30 sec. or until melted. Stir in bread crumbs and remaining Parmesan; sprinkle over cauliflower mixture.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through, topping with remaining Cheddar for the last 5 minutes.

CAULIFLOWER & MACARONI CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook the macaroni following pack instructions, adding the cauliflower for the final 4 mins.
• Melt the butter in a pan, then stir in the flour and mustard powder and cook for 2 mins. Gradually add the milk, stirring all the time to get a smooth sauce. Add three-quarters of the cheese and some seasoning to the sauce.
• Drain the macaroni and cauliflower and stir into the cheese sauce. Transfer to an ovenproof dish, then sprinkle over the remaining cheese and flash under a hot grill until golden and bubbling. Serve with a green salad, if you like.

CAULIFLOWER AND MUSHROOM MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• For the mushrooms: Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
• Increase the heat to high, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the mushrooms and cook until golden brown and soft, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and cook until reduced; season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• For the mac and cheese: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Put the milk into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat.
• Heat the oil in a large ovenproof saute pan over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the cauliflower, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Cook until slightly soft, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of water, cover loosely with foil and cook in the oven until soft.
• To make the bechamel, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in 4 cups of the milk and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and the flour taste has been cooked out, about 7 minutes, adding more milk if the sauce is too thick.
• Remove the cauliflower from the oven and transfer to a blender with 1 cup of the milk and blend until smooth. Add the cauliflower puree to the bechamel and stir until combined. Slowly whisk in the fontina, Monterey Jack, asiago and Parmigiano-Reggiano until smooth, adding more hot milk if too thick. Mix in the nutmeg. Pour the sauce over the pasta, add the mushrooms and stir well to combine.
• Butter a 10-inch baking dish, transfer the pasta mixture to it and bake until bubbly and the top is lightly golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• For the breadcrumb topping: While the mac and cheese is baking, melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the anchovy paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the chiles and garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the breadcrumbs and cook until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper.
• Serve the mac and cheese topped with some of the breadcrumbs and a drizzle of white truffle oil. Garnish with parsley leaves.