This homemade version of Baked Mac and Cheese with Cauliflower is creamier, and more flavourful, than any mac and cheese you've ever had. Easy to make, comforting, satisfying, and completely worth the effort.
Prep Time25 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
Total Time45 minutesmins
Servings: 6
Ingredients
For the Cauliflower
1head cauliflower, broken into florets
1 - 2tablespoonsolive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Mac and Cheese
1poundmacaroni pasta (elbows) or other short, tube-shaped pasta, such as shells, cavatappi, farfalle, bow-tie, or fusilli
Kosher salt
4tablespoonsunsalted butter
1large shallot, minced
1clovegarlicfinely grated, or minced
3tablespoonsall-purpose flour
4cupswhole milkyou can use 2%
1teaspoondijon mustard
Freshly ground pepper
8ouncessharp or aged white Cheddar cheesegrated
8ouncesGruyèregrated
For the Topping
1 1/2 cupscoarse breadcrumbs or panko
1/2cupfiinely chopped tasted pecansoptional
1 - 2teaspoonsfresh thyme leavesoptional, or use dried thyme
1/2cupfinely grated Parmesan cheeseoptional
3tablespoonsmelted butter or olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
Place an oven rack 10 inches from the broiling unit and turn the broiler on. Place cauliflower florets on a large baking sheet in one layer. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive and season with salt and pepper to taste. Broil cauliflower for 4 - 6 minutes, checking after 3 minutes to make sure it isn't charring too quickly. Remove from oven, turn broiler off, and set cauliflower aside.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until it’s more al dente than you'd normally like your pasta to be. In other words, about 2 minutes less than your pasta package indicates. Reserve 1 cup pasta water then drain the pasta, rinse with cold water, and drizzle with a little olive oil to prevent from sticking. Set aside.
Place the same, now empty, pasta pot over medium heat and add the butter. Once butter is melted, add the shallots and garlic and cook until slightly softened, about 1 minute. Stir in the flour whisking constantly, until the flour is foamy and just starting to turn a light golden brown, about 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in about 1 cup of the milk, whisking constantly to avoid clumping. Add the remaining milk, mustard, and season with 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste. Bring to a bubbling simmer, and cook for about 5 minutes, whisking constantly to make sure the mixture is not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Once the milk mixture has thickened slightly (it should look no thicker than heavy cream), remove the pot from heat and allow to sit for about 1 minute. Add the grated cheese and mix until the cheese is completely melted. Taste and season with a little more salt and pepper, if needed. Add the cooked pasta, stirring to coat well. If the sauce seems a bit thick, add a few splashes of reserved pasta water (about 1/4 cup) to loosen. Stir in the broiled cauliflower, tossing very gently to coat.
Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
Combine breadcrumbs, pecans, thyme leaves, and Parmesan with the melted butter. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Use your hands to mix well to ensure the whole mixture is evenly coated.
Transfer the macaroni and cauliflower mixture to a 9 x 13 baking dish and scatter breadcrumb mixture evenly over the top. Bake in preheated oven until breadcrumb topping is slightly golden-brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.
Notes
Make Ahead And FreezeUnfortunately mac and cheese will lose some creaminess if made ahead. You can however follow two simply tips to to ensure a made-ahead mac and cheese remains saucy.#1: Make a thinner cheese sauce. When making the milk mixture, do not allow it to thicken very much. As soon as it looks the consistency of heavy cream, and lightly coats the back of a spoon, remove it from heat.#2: Allow the cheese sauce to cool completely before adding the pasta. This prevents the al dente pasta from cooking any further, or absorbing too much of the sauce, before it is refrigerated. Make ahead and refrigerate: Following the tips above, assemble the dish completely in the casserole without baking. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and refrigerate for up to 8 hours or up to 2 days. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425°F and bake for 20 minutes, uncovered.Make ahead and freeze: Following the tips above, assemble the dish completely in the casserole without baking. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, then with aluminum foil. Place in freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to cook, place baking dish in refrigerator for around 24 hours to thaw. Preheat oven to 425°F. Remove foil and plastic wrap and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden on top and bubbly on the inside. You can also bake frozen: Preheat oven to 375ºF. Remove plastic wrap, cover again with aluminum foil, bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake until bubbly all over and lightly golden, about 10-15 minutes longer.