Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

If my kids are going to live off of mac and cheese, it's going to be made with real ingredients, tons of protein, and veggies. This cauliflower mac and cheese packs a nutritious punch, but its cheesy goodness still satisfies those little picky eaters. No more oatmeal for dinner!

Since joining WW, I've become obsessed with making a solid Mac and cheese recipe that is easy to make, used real cheese, and something my kids will eat.

If they had it their way, my kids would eat Panera Mac and Cheese for every meal. They're obsessed.

I make a pretty epic yet unhealthy Mac and Cheese for holidays using heavy cream, tons of butter, and plenty of cheese, but that's a rare indulgence instead of a regularly served meal in my house.

This cauliflower mac and cheese is a hidden vegetable delight

This Mac and Cheese was the bomb. I used the same cheeses and same special ingredients found in my regular Mac and cheese, but at a fraction of the points.

Even better, the base of this Mac and Cheese is vegetables, but my kids unknowingly ate them! There's currently an ongoing vegetable battle in my house at the moment.

If you've got family members opposed to vegetables, but you're trying to get them to eat better food that's not in a blue box, give this a shot. This recipe makes 9 servings at 7sp a cup.

It's filled with protein and veggies, so if your kids are living off of mac and cheese like mine, you'll have the satisfaction that they're eating something healthy.

Print Recipe

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Cauliflower mac and cheese takes a kid (and adult!) favorite and lightens it up for a protein and nutrient-packed dinner.

Ingredients

• 1 box Barilla ProteinPlus Elbows
• 2 packages Wegmans Organic Frozen CauliCreme* 16 oz packages
• 8 oz Cabot Sharp Light Cheddar
• 6 oz Light Jarlsberg Swiss
• 1.5 oz Grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup Nonfat Greek Yogurt
• 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 tbsp Hot sauce or more depending on preference of hot sauce
• 1 tsp Nutmeg
• Kosher salt to taste
• Ground Pepper to taste

Instructions

• Boil pasta as directed on the box. MAKE SURE TO salt the water (to basically be ocean-like salty water). In a separate pot, melt the CauliCreme as directed.
• As the CauliCreme is cooking, shred the cheese. Please do not use shredded cheese. Sure, it's slightly a pain, but block cheese melts so much better; shredded cheese has additives to make it not clump.
• Turn the CauliCreme down low and mix in the Dijon, hot sauce, nutmeg, and all the cheese. I like to reserve about 1/4-1/2 c of cheese to add at the very end--you do you. Once cheese melted, add 1/4 c of Greek Yogurt.
• Once your pasta is Al dente, drain the pasta but reserve about 1/2 c of pasta water. Mix the pasta in with the cheese sauce to coat the pasta. If needed, add a little pasta water to help cost the sauce. I sprinkle the remaining cheese in as I toss in the pasta for extra meltiness. You could also sprinkle on top, and heat it in the oven.
• Serve immediately, and laugh as your kids unknowingly eat cauliflower.

Notes

*Don't have a Wegmans? Try their recipe to make your own CauliflowerCreme

If you're unlucky enough to not live near a Wegmans, you're missing out. Here is the link to their Cauliflower Cream recipe.

My kids also enjoyed this lightened up mac and cheese with speck for a holiday twist on their favorite.

This was a hit with both of my kids. If you make it and like it as much as they did, let me know! Tag me on Instagram @dwardcooks or use the hashtag #dwardcooks. I love seeing other people enjoy my recipes as much as my family!