Macaroni Cauliflower Cheese Bake Recipes

SKINNY CAULIFLOWER MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• In 4-quart saucepan, heat water to boiling over medium heat. Add cauliflower and macaroni; cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until macaroni is tender. Drain; return to saucepan, and cover to keep warm.
• Meanwhile, heat oven to 350°F. Spray 2-quart glass baking dish with cooking spray. In 2-quart saucepan, stir milk, flour, mustard, salt, black pepper and red pepper with whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted.
• Add cheese sauce to cooked pasta mixture; mix well. Spoon into baking dish. In small bowl, mix bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle over pasta mixture in baking dish. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until edges are bubbly.

CAULIFLOWER MAC 'N' CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
• Put a large shallow ovenproof casserole pan on a medium heat with the butter.
• Trim, halve, wash and slice the leek and add to the pan. Stir regularly while you trim, slice and add the celery, then trim, chop and add the fennel, if using.
• Break the cauliflower into florets, then cut into 2cm-thick slices and finely slice the stalk and any nice leaves. Add the stalk and leaves to the pan and cook for 10 minutes, or until soft but not coloured, stirring regularly.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water for 8 minutes (5 if using macaroni). Reserving a mugful of starchy cooking water, drain the pasta and pour into a 25cm x 35cm baking dish (or divide between smaller ones), along with the cauliflower florets.
• Stir the flour into the veg pan for 30 seconds, then gradually pour in the milk, stirring all the time, followed by 500ml of water. Simmer for 5 minutes, then stir in the mustard and season with sea salt and black pepper.
• Let the sauce blip away until thickened while you coarsely grate the cheese.
• Stir the cheese into the sauce, then blitz until smooth with a hand blender, or in batches in a food processor.
• Pour over the pasta and cauliflower florets then, if you need to loosen it, add a little reserved pasta water - the sauce will thicken up as it bakes.
• Blitz your stale bread into crumbs in the processor (or smash up in a clean tea towel). Peel and grate the garlic. Pick the herb leaves, if using, and mix it all together with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• Scatter the crumbs over the pasta, grating over more cheese, if you've got it, then bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.

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 "MAC" AND CHEESE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the water with salt.
• Spray the baking dish with vegetable oil spray.
• Cook the cauliflower in the boiling water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well and pat between several layers of paper towels to dry. Transfer the cauliflower to the baking dish and set aside.
• Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan, and whisk in the cream cheese and mustard until smooth. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese, salt, pepper and garlic and whisk just until the cheese melts, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, pour over the cauliflower, and stir to combine. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese and bake until browned and bubbly hot, about 15 minutes. Serve.

CAULIFLOWER & BACON PASTA

Steps:

• Heat the grill to high and bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Grill the bacon slices for 5 mins or until crispy, then drain on kitchen paper and cut into small pieces.
• Cook the pasta following pack instructions. Add the cauliflower to the pasta pan for the final 8 mins, so that it is just tender, then drain, reserving 2 tbsp of the cooking water.
• Melt the butter in a small pan over a low heat, then stir in the flour and cook for a couple of mins. Gradually stir in the milk, mixing well between each addition. Bring to a simmer, then cook for a few mins until thickened. Season, add the mustard and half the grated cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth.
• Tip the pasta and cauliflower back into the pan along with the reserved cooking water. Stir through the cheese sauce and bacon, then transfer the mix to a baking dish. Mix together the breadcrumbs and remaining cheese, then sprinkle over the pasta. Cook for 5 mins under the grill until browned. Serve with a salad, if you like.

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.

MACARONI CHEESE WITH CAULIFLOWER AND BROCCOLI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water for 8 minutes until just tender. Place the cauliflower and broccoli in a steamer (or sieve) and set over the pasta for the last 5 minutes until almost tender. Drain the pasta and place in a 1.75 litre ovenproof baking dish with the vegetables. Melt the butter in a medium non-stick pan and stir in the flour. Cook for 1 minute until thick, then off the heat gradually whisk in the milk, keeping the mixture smooth. Return the pan to the heat and stir constantly until thickened. Simmer for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat, stir in the cheese, mustard and seasoning and pour over the pasta and vegetables. Sprinkle the crust over the dish. Cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the top is crisp and golden. Serve as it is, or with grilled or roasted meats.

BAKED CAULIFLOWER "MAC" AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
• Place 1 inch of water in a large pot with 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Add the cauliflower and cook until tender crisp, 6 to 7 minutes. Drain and set aside in a large bowl.
• Heat butter and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook about 2 minutes.
• Stir in flour. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring continually 3 - 4 minutes, to cook out the flour.
• Add the milk and continue whisking, raising heat to medium-high until it comes to a boil and becomes smooth and thick, about 2 minutes stirring; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper.
• Once it becomes thick, remove from heat completely onto another burner if possible. Add the cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup at a time mixing well until cheese is all melted.
• Stir in cooked cauliflower, then pour into a baking dish and bake until bubbly and golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. Then broil 2 minutes, or until the top is slightly browned.

MACARONI CAULIFLOWER CHEESE BAKE

Steps:

• TO PREPARE YOUR PASTA:.
• Remove the outer green leaves from the cauliflower and discard.
• Slice the end off the cauliflower stalk.
• Cut the head into small florets.
• Halve the thick stalk lengthways then slice thinly.
• Grate the cheddar cheese and parmesan into a large bowl.
• Finely chop the parsley stalks and leaves.
• TO COOK YOUR PASTA:.
• Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.
• Add the macaroni and all of your cauliflower and cook according to the macaroni packet instructions.
• Place the bowl of cheese over the saucepan and add the creme fraiche.
• Carefully stir every so often until the cheese is smooth and melted.
• If the water boils up underneath the bowl, just turn the heat down slightly.
• Add all the chopped parsley to the melted cheese and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
• Carefully remove the bowl of cheese using a towel or oven gloves and set aside.
• Drain the macaroni in a colander over a bowl, reserving the cooking water.
• Return the pasta to the pan, pour in the melted cheese and stir.
• It should have a lovely silky consistency, but if it's too thick, add a splas of your cooking water to thin it out a bit.
• At this point you can either serve the macaroni as it is, or finish it under the grill to make it crispy and golden on top.
• To do this, preheat your grill to medium heat.
• Add 150ml of the reserved cooking water to the macaroni, stir in, then transfer to a baking dish.
• Place under the grill until golden and bubbling.
• TO SERVE YOUR PASTA:.
• Divide the pasta between plates or bowls, or place the baking dish in the middle of the table next to a nice green salad and let everyone help themselves.

BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH CAULIFLOWER AND HAM

Steps:

• Blanch cauliflower for 5 minutes.
• Refresh under cold water; drain well.
• Cook pasta until al dente.
• Refresh under cold water; drain well.
• Cook onion in 1 tblsp butter over moderately-low heat until softened; stir in flour and cook 2 minutes.
• Whisk in milk, cream, Worcestershire Sauce, ketchup, mustard powder, cayenne pepper and nutmeg and bring just to a boil, stirring, and simmer for 3 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350F and place rack in center of oven.
• Add 1 cup of Cheddar and all of the Parmesan, stirring, until completely melted.
• Stir in macaroni, cauliflower and ham and season.
• Mound into prepared baking dish and top with remaining Cheddar.
• Toss breadcrumbs with remaining 2 tsps butter (melted) and sprinkle over cheese.
• Bake for 25 minutes, or until topping is golden.

BAKED CAULIFLOWER MACARONI & CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray a ceramic or glass baking dish with cooking spray.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add cauliflower florets and boil for one minute. Remove with a slotted spoon.
• Cook pasta shells in the same water, following instructions on the Horizon package. To the drained pasta, add 1/2 cup milk (instead of 1/4 cup as shown on the package), 2 tablespoons butter, and packet of cheese powder.
• Stir in cream cheese and Cheddar cheese; mix well until combined and cheese is melted. Add cauliflower and mix. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
• Spoon macaroni and cheese into prepared baking dish. Smooth out the top.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter. In a small bowl, mix together panko breadcrumbs, melted butter, salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese.
• Bake until the breadcrumbs are golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes.

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.