Skinny Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Less fat AND less calories. Except taste and flavor is not compromised AT ALL! So cheesy, comforting and irresistible!
You know that saying, “Have your cake and eat it too?”
Well.
That’s what’s happening here.
You can have your cake.
With less fat.
And less calories.
With veggies sneaked in.
That you probably won’t even notice.
Because you’ll be too distracted by all that cheesy creaminess.
Don’t worry.
That’s completely normal.
Skinny Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Less fat AND less calories. Except taste and flavor is not compromised AT ALL! So cheesy, comforting and irresistible!
Ingredients
- 3 cups cavatappi pasta
- 2 cups cauliflower florets
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup half and half, or more, as needed
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- 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.
- Melt butter in a 9-inch oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in half and half, and cook, whisking constantly, until incorporated, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in cream cheese, Dijon and garlic powder until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in 1 cup cheese until melted, about 1-2 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more half and half as needed; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Stir in pasta and cauliflower; gently toss to combine. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
- Place into oven and bake until bubbly, about 12-15 minutes.
- Serve immediately, garnished with chives, if desired.
Did you make this recipe?
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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.
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!!
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!
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!
This looks brilliant! Can’t wait to try!
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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!!
Looks dlish! Can I double this recipe?
Yes, absolutely!
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.
I’M GOING TO MAKE THIS RIGHT NOW.
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.”
This was delish! Loved the garlic in the recipe…thank you for sharing it.
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!
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
I keep a list of recipes I’m going to make in the next couple of weeks. This just went to the top!
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!!
Love the lightened up mac and cheese but Butters…oh gosh…was he sleeping in that position? So darn cute!
Great recipe, can’t wait to enjoy this with our next cauliflower harvest in a few weeks!
Butters is absolutely adorable! And the mac & cheese would be adorable in my mouth right about now!