Baked cauliflower mac and cheese

One of my kids’ favorite dishes - and let’s be honest, mine too - is mac and cheese. But we’re trying really hard to nix the simple carbs (e.g.: pasta) and eat more veggies. This dish makes that super, super easy. I’ve been exploring more and more using cauliflower as a filling side dish for our dinners, and so far this one takes the cake! You can even roast the cauliflower ahead of time and keep it in the fridge if you don’t have time to make it all in one go.

Ingredients

I large head of cauliflower

3 tbl olive oil

½ cup plain, whole fat Greek yogurt

¼ cup half and half

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Chopped scallions for topping (optional)

Salt and pepper

Directions 

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 429º. Separate the cauliflower into bite site florets and chop the stems. In a large mixing bowl, toss the pieces with the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Brush a large baking sheet with olive oil and spread out the florets. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until soft when pierced with a knife.

Step 2

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the Greek yogurt with the half and half. Mix in 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese.

Step 3

Add the roasted cauliflower to the yogurt and cheese mixture and toss to combine. Transfer the mixture to a glass baking dish, and top with the cheddar cheese. Put back in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and a little golden on top. Top with scallions if you’d like.

Step 4

Watch your kiddos eat cauliflower like it’s pasta. :)