Skinny Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
A lightened-up mac and cheese that you can eat guilt-free, and it’s the perfect way to sneak in some veggies for your picky-eaters!
When you’re a food blogger and you have your camera in-hand, ready to do a photoshoot with all the food and plates staged, and then your 4-month old corgi puppy does something really strange – well, you kind of have to stop everything you’re doing and take pictures of him instead.
MY OTHER RECIPES
And then this is what you do when you’re using a macro lens. Don’t mind that crumb on his nose. It’s probably a food crumb. He gets a lot of those. That and leaf crumbs. He manages to find those everywhere around the house.
But enough about Butters – let’s talk mac and cheese! But not just any kind of mac and cheese. I am so excited to share with you a skinny, lightened-up mac and cheese that you can stuff your face guilt-free!
Now after I discovered my newfound love for cauliflower after making this and this, I just had to find a way to sneak it into some good ol’ mac and cheese, my absolute favorite kind of comfort food. But since bikini season is just around the corner, I swapped out some ingredients to lighten it up to keep me from gaining a gazillion pounds before our Cabo trip. After all, who has any kind of self-control over mac and cheese?
And since this is already lightened up and chockfull of cauliflower, I just couldn’t help but add a bread crumb topping. It’s a completely optional step, but I personally can’t have mac and cheese without that crunchy goodness. Either way, this will be one mac and cheese you’ll want to make again and again. Even your picky eaters will be begging for seconds!
Skinny Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
A lightened-up mac and cheese that you can eat guilt-free!
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1/3 cup Panko*
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1 cup elbows pasta
- 2 cups cauliflower florets
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
- 1/4 cup 2% milk, or more, to taste
- 1 cup shredded gruyere cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9-inch baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add Panko and cook, stirring, until browned and toasted, about 3 minutes. Stir in parsley; set aside.
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Within the last 3 minutes of cooking time, add cauliflower; drain well.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the pot. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring often, until onions have become translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in pasta, cauliflower, sour cream, milk and cheeses, a handful at a time, until smooth; season with salt and pepper to taste. Add more milk as needed until desired consistency is reached.
- Spread pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Place into oven and bake until bubbly, about 12-15 minutes.
- Serve immediately, sprinkled with Panko, if desired.
*Panko is a Japanese-style breadcrumb and can be found in the Asian section of your local grocery store.
The noodles are just vehicles for the cheese sauce anyway, bring on the healthier cauliflower cheese vehicle!
I can’t get over how cute Butters is and I’m in love with this mac & cheese!
This looks delish. Love that it’s cauli-based, and no doubt, everyone else will too L:)
And Butters. Holy cuteness!! He gets cuter with every single pic!!
This sounds delicious – but the corgi photos made my day. 🙂
This mac and cheese looks so freaking GOOD! Love this recipe!
This sound really good. The kids are busy during the week so I was wondering if this can be frozen if I make two pans. Should I freeze the second pan before or after baking? How long should I bake the frozen mac and cheese if it’s not baked and how long to heat it up if it is already cooked but still frozen? This would be a quick hands off meal since I could just bake some chicken while the mac and cheese are cooking or reheating.
Did you end up freezing a pan Sabone? Before or after baking? Ta!
A skinny mac and cheese I definitely a recipe I want to try out! This looks divine!
I don’t know how you ever drag yourself away from that damn cute Butters!!!! He is so ADORABLE!!!! Thanks for sharing your doggie with us along with the yummy recipes. I’m trying this tonight!
You might be psychic…look into it. Last night I literally doodled a note on the back of a receipt to find a recipe for cauli mac and cheese…..So excited to try this out! thanks for all the delish recipes!
Mac and cheese and Butter nose- perfect pairing!
This looks SO delicious! Just shared the recipe with my fitness clients, they’re going to love it. Thanks for sharing =)
This would be great for Meatless Monday! Can’t wait to try it!
That mac and cheese looks so delicious-and your puppy is ADORABLE! Oh my goodness……….
This looks and sounds fantastic! I love how it’s so easy to make a dish a lot lighter with a few adjustments. You clever cookie you 😉 Thanks for a great recipe 😀 x
You’re going to Cabo AND you get skinny mac n cheese?! Lucky girl 🙂
Butters is absolutely adorable! And the mac & cheese would be adorable in my mouth right about now!
Great recipe, can’t wait to enjoy this with our next cauliflower harvest in a few weeks!
Love the lightened up mac and cheese but Butters…oh gosh…was he sleeping in that position? So darn cute!
Growing up, we only ate Kraft mac ‘n cheese because that’s all my mom had the time or energy to make, but now that I’m an adult and less of a picky eater, your cauliflower version looks phenomenal! I finally got on the cauliflower bandwagon last fall, and I’ve been loving it ever since. Plus it gives me an excuse to eat more cheese and pasta — always a good thing! 🙂 Have a fabulous trip to Cabo!!
I keep a list of recipes I’m going to make in the next couple of weeks. This just went to the top!
The mac and cheese looks good, but I can’t get over how cute that nose is!!! Such an adorable puppy and I’ve never seen one sleep in that position! Love that puppy and all I want to do is kiss that nose with the crumb on it! Can you tell I’m a dog lover? LOL
Wow. Made this and damn was it gooooooood! I wouldn’t really say skinny though…just as decadent as ever, in fact. I added in spinach and grated carrots and I think more cauliflower than called for. Also used a smoked gouda instead of the gruyere because it’s what I had and it was a great choice. Thanks so much!
This was delish! Loved the garlic in the recipe…thank you for sharing it.
This is the perfect guilt-free version of mac and cheese!!! Can’t wait to try it! I wanted to check that the cauliflower should be cooked before mixing with the mac or are the florets raw? Thanks!!!
Vee, the cauliflower should be parboiled. Please refer to the directions:
“In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Within the last 3 minutes of cooking time, add cauliflower; drain well.”
I’M GOING TO MAKE THIS RIGHT NOW.
Can I use frozen cauliflower for this recipe? If so, how long should I boil it for?
It is best to use fresh cauliflower in this recipe. If you only have frozen cauliflower on hand, I recommend thawing completely before boiling it as indicated in the directions.
Looks dlish! Can I double this recipe?
Yes, absolutely!
A guilt-free mac and cheese! Count me in. I love sneaking veggies into my dishes because sometimes I just find it so hard to make sides. It’s almost like having your cake and eating it too 🙂 I can’t wait to try this!!
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This looks brilliant! Can’t wait to try!
Holy moley this looks good. I’ve been trying to get more cauliflower into my diet. This is the perfect excuse. AND OMG YOUR DOG IS SO CUTE!
Made this today. Had to make a few substitutions just because we were short on ingredients. Used string cheese instead of gruyere…used garlic pepper instead of garlic and onions…used bread crumbs instead on panko. Had to use the cauliflower that was stinking up the fridge. This was amazing. To top it off, my 16 month old gobbled it up too! Will try with 100% of the ingredients again soon but even with changes it was fabulous!
Made this tonight! I didnt have a small dish like that so i put it in a large baking dish and it didn’t bake as well but was still delicious! Didn’t have elbow so I just used some other small pasta. I also added carrots. It tastes so good but next time no carrots and less pasta! Thanks!!
Is this healthy??? How many calories are in it??? Im doing the 21 day fix and this is of the meals for it but doesn’t tell me the calorie intake
Molly, it is best to use online resources to obtain nutritional information.
I calculated it at 4 servings for 453 calories per serving. This will vary slightly w different cheeses, pastas, etc.
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This was a high end Mac and cheese–I used a smoked gruyere which was killer. My two Kraft Mac and cheese-loving children were converts!! Thank you for this delicious, satisfying, healthy dish!
I’m not sure I’ve ever written in about a recipe before, but I had to in this case because this is a phenomena recipe. It’s not even a good substitute for my old homemade recipe. I like it better. Outstanding. Thanks for sharing!
Just stumbled upon on your blog searching for cauliflower mac and cheese and this looks good! Can’t wait to try this and a lot more of your recipes. Also, your red pot is adorable. Do you mind sharing where to get one like it? Thanks!
The brand of the pot is Le Creuset – you can purchase it through major department stores, Amazon, Williams-Sonoma, and of course, the Le Creuset store.
Had this recipe saved to my Pinterest & just got around to making it tonight. Directions were easy to follow & I’m currently stuffing my face.
Hi! Is there a less expensive cheese I could use instead of Gruyere? A cup of that sounds like alot! Maybe a low-fat cheese? Thanks so much!
Jessica, Swiss cheese or Jarlsberg would be great substitutes. Hope that helps!
Looks reallygood,
just would like to know what the weight watchers points would be and the serving in this recipe
Debbie, I try my very best to provide nutritional information for my recipes. However, if they are not available, it is best that you use free online resources at your discretion (you can gooogle “nutritional calculator”) to obtain such information.
Wow! Spent all day filming and came home to make this for the kiddos. So glad I happened upon this recipe. Thank you so much! This is the best Mac ‘n’ Cheese we’ve EVER had.
Milk? Did I miss something in the ingredients? I’m making it right now, so I’ll put a splash of milk in.
Thanks
Yes, Debbie. 1/4 cup milk is already listed in the ingredients section.
Do you know how many calories are in this dish? Thank you for making so many incredible dishes.
Nutritional information is provided only for select and new recipes at this time. However, if it is not available for a specific recipe, it is best that you use free online resources at your discretion (you can gooogle “nutritional calculator”) to obtain such information.
I’m making this for a pot luck tomorrow and would like to use a 9×13 glass baking dish, should I multiple things by 2 or 3 for a dish that large?
I worry that doubling the recipe will be too much. It may be best to increase the recipe by 1.5 to use a baking dish of that size.
hello! I just made this succulent dish! yummmmmmmmmm…one question..can I freeze this?
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
Hey Chungah! This recipe is really great, but I’d like to try it without noodles–just cauliflower. Would you recommend adding more cheese, cream, etc, if I used two heads of cauliflower instead of one?
If you plan to substitute cauliflower for the pasta, you won’t need to adjust the other ingredients.
Had to leave a comment – I made this last night, trying to find a recipe that made cauliflower appealing to my family. This dish it’s absolutely amazing! So delicious. A real work of art – all of the flavors balance perfectly. We will be enjoying this one over and over again. Everyone loved it! Thank you.
I think adding pureed carrots to the cheese sauce would make it that much more healtheier…..just a thought. looks amazing! Trying tomorrow!
I made a different sauce for this last night, but I added shredded zucchini with the cheese. Big hit with my husband!
This mac and cheese looks amazing! I was looking for a mac and cheese with broccoli to lighten it up but cauliflower is such a great idea! I cannot wait to make it tonight. Ps your pooch is too cute!
I’m thinking of doubling this recipe for a dinner party. Any suggestions? Just double everything?
Yes, that’s exactly right.
If it’s doubled, does it fit in a regular 8×13 casserole pan?
It should fit, but it may be a little tight. If there is excess mac and cheese leftover, you can always throw them into single serving ramekins as needed.
Thanks for sharing your fabulous recipes! Honestly, I am not one of those people that makes a lot of changes to recipes. But, I did make this with 1 cup cauliflower and 1 cup broccoli and it was really great.
just about to make cauliflower Mac and cheese and as usual went on Pinterest and you popped up, yet again! So making it with a fresh tomato and basil layer in the middle to lift it on a rather warm evening, popping breadcrumbs on top and a quick blitz under the grill.
I couldn’t find the nutrition values for this recipe
Nutritional information is provided only for select and new recipes at this time. However, if it is not available for a specific recipe, I recommend using free online resources at your discretion (you can Google “nutritional calculator”) to obtain such information.
Anyone know what the container breakdown is for 1 serving of this for 21 Day Fix?
love love love this recipe!! It has become one of our faves here, even with the kids. Yummy!
I made this dish on Monday for dinner. What a hit!!!! My picky daughter ate a huge bowl of this! My husband devoured half of the dish. It was amazing! I did make a couple substitutions. tThe recipe called for 1/2 cup sour cream, I used cream cheese (chive and onion) that I had on hand. I added peas for color and extra veggies, and I used regular seasoned bread crumbs in lieu of Panko. It was still creamy, scrumptious and very flavorful! I will be sure to make this again! The possibilities of add-ins is limitless! Thanks so much!
Sub Greek Yogurt for Reduced Fat Sour Cream… even healthier
The skinny cauliflower mac’ n cheese was amazing- really a nice, “grown up” twist on he dish. I did sub greek yogurt for sour cream because it’s what I had on hand, otherwise made as written. I really enjoy your recipes. Thanks so much! This one is a keeper.
Wonderful texture and flavor without velveeta. Reheats smooth. This was delicious and so easy to make. Makes a bigger batch than I was expecting.
Yum!! This is awesome. Trying to eat more veggies but still have great taste. Your lettuce wraps and other recipes keep me coming back to your site. Thank you so much!!
Quite possibly the CUTEST recipe post ever! And yummy too. This post made my day (and inspired me to make this dish!)
Thank you from a new fan!
This was absolutely fabulous, such a great twist on Mac and cheese…no butter or flour, freaking awesome. I used Jarlsberg cheese instead of Gruyere because it is what I had handy but otherwise made it as written. Thanks so much for your recipes, you hold a special place in my heart for turning me on to orzo 🙂 Keep them coming!!
This is awesome. I will definitely try this at home.
This recipe had a good base flavor, but the onion was so overpowering! Perhaps the onion I used was too large. I also had problems with the cheese melting to the correct consistency without the aid of a roux. I used Swiss in place of Gruyere. Unfortunately, had to throw this one out, wanted to like it though!
Sarah, I’m sorry that this recipe did not turn out the way you had imagined. I only post recipes that have been successfully tested in my own kitchen, and as you can see from the comments here, many of these readers have had great outcomes in the final dish as well.
I really hope you get a chance to try this again using gruyere. Substituting a different kind of cheese can yield very different results both in taste and texture.
I made this the other night and wanted to love it, but think I screwed up along the way. I doubled the recipie with two small heads of cauliflower, one cup of pasta, and I used mozzarella instead of cheddar(doubled all other ingredients). Unfortunately the sauce was REALLY watery and I’m just not sure what went wrong! I was expecting a more creamy cheese sauce, like an Alfredo. Any suggestions for when I remake?
Jourdan, you can try to add additional sour cream and cheese as needed until the desired consistency is reached.
really good – added an egg with milk before adding – really good!
YUM!!!! I made this tonight for dinner! It was a hit!!! Saved a little for my lunch tomorrow.
This is a repeat recipe for our home!