Baked Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Recipe (Low Carb, GF)
Baked cauliflower mac and cheese is a pasta free variation everyone will love! Parboil the cauliflower and bake with cheese and cream for the ultimate gluten-free comfort food. Low carb, vegetarian, and keto friendly.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¾ cup whipping cream
- 2 oz cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar from a block of cheese
- 1 cup shredded gruyere cheese from a wedge of cheese
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the cauliflower. Cook it until it just becomes fork-tender, which will take about 5-6 minutes.
- Drain the water and set the cauliflower aside while you make the cheese sauce.
- Heat the butter over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly so it doesn't burn.
- Stir in the heavy whipping cream, cream cheese, salt, pepper, and Dijon, and whisk until smooth. Stir in 1 cup of the sharp cheddar and ½ cup of the Gouda cheese and keep mixing until it's melted.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower in the baking dish and stir to combine. If you have a cast iron skillet like we're using, you can also just add the cauliflower to the skillet and combine it with the cheese sauce to make it a stovetop-to-oven recipe in one pan.
- Top the cauliflower mac and cheese with the rest of the shredded cheese (feel free to add even more!) and bake until it starts bubbling and is browned, which will take about 25 minutes. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Don’t overcook your cauliflower! If you do, your mac and cheese will be soggy.
- Be sure your cauliflower has drained fully before adding it to the cheese sauce.
- Add ham, bacon, or precooked shredded chicken to the cauliflower mac and cheese for an easy casserole-style dinner the whole family will love.
- Create a spicier version by adding cayenne or your favorite hot sauce to the cheese sauce.
- Instead of Gouda cheese, you can also use another variety of white cheese such as Monterey Jack or Muenster.
- We highly recommend shredding your cheese from a block or wedge of cheese, otherwise, the pre-shredded cheeses are covered in starch that adds extra carbs, plus it doesn't melt as well.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 575kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 21gFat: 51gSaturated Fat: 30gPolyunsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 150mgSodium: 766mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5g
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