Hidden Cauliflower Mac and Cheese is a great way to sneak in a healthy vegetable and mask it with delicious creamy mac ‘n’ cheesy comfort food.
This is a recipe for homemade mac and cheese with pureed cauliflower hidden inside. Your family may or may not notice, but it’s always fun to try and sneak in extra veggies!
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CAULIFLOWER MAC AND CHEESE
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Hidden Cauliflower Mac and Cheese might just surprise you. Cauliflower… I’m not a huge fan. I have friends go on and on about how much they love cauliflower and how many different ways they eat it – roasted, cut into thick “steaks”, made into “rice” which is just raw cauliflower cut to look like rice. You can’t fool me. The only way I eat cauliflower is if its covered in cheese or a wonderful dip. I will admit, however, that I do devour buffalo cauliflower bites.
How does one hide cauliflower in mac and cheese?
Good question.
I got a head of cauliflower and decided to steam it, puree it with half and half, and sneak it into some mac n cheese.
How to make cauliflower mac and cheese:
The only difference between my hidden cauliflower mac and cheese and regular mac and cheese is that I mixed in that smooth cauliflower puree.
You will still cook the pasta and then mix it into the cheese sauce. For my original version of this recipe, I used a combination of sharp cheddar and jalapeno jack because its what I happened to have in my frig, but any cheeses that melt nicely will do. Go ahead. Be creative.
I popped the pasta into the broiler for a few minutes to slightly brown the top because there are fewer things in this life better than crispy browned cheese straight from the oven (bacon, for example, is one of those fewer things). But there is a huge part of me that enjoyed the pasta more before I put it in the oven because it was just so creamy and yum.
Only you can decide what works best for you. Be sure to let me know if you pulled one over on your family and you got any non-lovers-of-cauliflower to eat it.
Want to make cauliflower mac and cheese?
Well, it had been a few years, almost four to be exact, since I had first made this recipe.
Needless to say, I wasn’t ever very happy with my original photos. My updated photos still aren’t anything fancy, but I’ll post the original photos below and you can decide.
Watch the Cauliflower Mac and Cheese recipe video below!
Hidden Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 16 oz macaroni
- 1 head cauliflower see notes
- 1/2 cup half and half divided
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 12 ounces cheese grated (roughly 3 cups, use sharp cheddar, pepper jack, gouda, fontina, gruyere, or a combination)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- fresh ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- In boiling salted water, cook macaroni. Cook just slightly al dente. Drain, do not rinse, and set aside.
- Separate cauliflower florets from stalk and steam until soft and tender. Puree in blender with 1/2 cup half and half.
- Combine butter and flour in pot over medium heat and whisk to form a roux. Add milk and bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add shredded cheese, cauliflower puree, garlic powder, mustard powder, and salt in large pot. Stir until cheese is completely melted. Add in drained pasta and stir until well combined. Serve with fresh ground pepper.
- If preferred, put in oven safe dish and broil on high 5 minutes to slightly brown the top, giving a toasted nutty flavor.
I can’t wait to make the cauliflower macaroni and cheese
Holly, You’ll have to let me know how you like it! -Krissy
Made this today. Sorry but I think it will be a miracle if my family eats it. I followed the recipe to a T. The flavor is too bitter and the texture if too grainy. I will stick with making a roux. Kinda bummed at the moment. I hate writing neg reviews and I usually don’t unless I really didn’t like the taste.
Hi Suzie, I’m very sorry to hear that! When I made it the texture was super smooth. I wonder if you steamed the cauliflower long enough? Mine was pretty fresh as well… not sure if that had anything to do with it. Mine didn’t taste bitter. The cauliflower taste wasn’t completely masked, but it was definitely more subtle than if you just had a side of it and it wasn’t bitter. Hopefully this won’t deter you from trying other recipes! -Krissy
Wow, delicious! My friend’s 8 year old who doesn’t eat veggies gobbled this one up! It was so creamy and delicious!
Awesome, Cindy! Thanks for letting me know! – Krissy
made this tonight, it was delicious and no one knew there was cauliflower in it! I added bacon!
Mmmm bacon. Yum!!! -Krissy
I had a Mac and cheese where the cauliflower was not pureed but finely chopped and included bacon. As a non veggie eater, do you have any suggestions? Any pitfalls that I might encounter? Thank you for this recipe, I am going to give it a try.
Hi Michelle, The texture of the cauliflower is masked in this recipe but unfortunately, you can still taste it a little bit. Give it a try and let me know what you think. I also love throwing in very small pieces of broccoli in the water during the last minute of boiling the pasta and mix that in as well (or instead of). Plus, as you wrote, bacon makes everything better! – Krissy
Hi there
Made this tonight. We all enjoyed it. if you do not like cauliflower you will not like it.
Cauliflower has a distinctive taste and you can taste it. It was delicious and super moist.
I like making a recipe exactly the way its told first time. Next time I would use fresh garlic.
thank you
Couldn’t agree more! Krissy
Have you tried freezing this recipe?
I have not… but if you do, will you let me know if it takes okay when reheated? Thanks, Krissy
Hello! If I wanted to make this then freeze & reheat for Thanksgiving – how long would you recommend reheating?
Hi Liana, I would just ensure that it’s fully thawed before you bake it. Then I think 30min covered with the last few minutes uncovered at 350F would do the trick.
Like some earlier comments, I found the cheese sauce to be grainy when following the directions (not the recipes fault, but it will come down to blender power). I used my immersion blender afterwards to smooth it out which fixed it up. Definitely steam the cauliflower until it can easier be pierced with a fork and blend the heck out of it!
Totally agree! Thanks for the feedback, Kait!
Could I use Dijon mustard instead of mustard powder? If so, how much? Planning on using Dijon. I used to work in a restaurant that made Mac n cheese with a bit of dijon and it was delicious. I just don’t feel like going to the store for one ingredient that I will never use for anything else.
Absolutely! I would start with a teaspoon and work up from there depending on taste.
Very good recipe. I followed instructions, and put a few extra items in:
Some cayenne pepper powder and paprika. Saw the roux and figured it would be nice with a touch of heat.
I roasted part of the cauliflower head with salt, pepper, olive oil and white vinegar. Did it at 375 for 30 minutes. Added to mac and cheese mixture right before baking.
Excellent suggestions!!!
I make a similar recipe all the time, it’s the only mac’n’cheese we eat. Going to try it with a few tweaks off your recipe tonight!
Having people over so steam in bag cut cauliflower florets to start cuts down prep time 🙂
I second the paprika and cayenne addition. I also add panko (or crushed goldfish!) and more cheese to the top before broiling
I always make a double batch and freeze half with the similar recipe, never any problems. Just dont put the extra cheese or panko/crackers on before you freeze. Let it thaw, 350 for about 30-45 with foil on until heated through then remove foil, top and broil on low for a few mins to get golden brown and bubbly!
Instead of half and half and flour, I used an immersion blender to blend cottage cheese with the cauliflower and a little of the veggie water, and used plain, unsweetened almond milk instead of dairy milk because that is what I had on hand. I also put in the oven afterwards with a little panko on top for 15 minutes. It was fantastic- highly recommend!