Creamy Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Recipe (With How-To Video)

November 29, 2017

(This mac and cheese recipe is super easy—just watch the video!)

I count myself among those who discourage hiding vegetables, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t play with the way I serve them.

Whether or not you’re like me and always tell your kids about the veggies they’re eating (even when they’re “invisible”), this Creamy Cauliflower Mac and Cheese is a sure hit! I count myself among the unfortunate many when it comes to having kids that both don’t like vegetables, and only want to eat their favorite foods (like mac and cheese) every. single. day. of. the. week. I know all too well the need to be creative when serving vegetables. And I’ve tried every which way to give mac and cheese a nutritional boost, whether it be pureed spinach (too green), adding some tomato and basil (not “mac and cheese-y enough”), or adding peas (they were simply picked out). So when my kids said no to my mac and cheese made with cauliflower florets, I decided to try this mac and cheese recipe that incorporated the cauliflower right in the sauce.

Instead of tossing florets with pasta and cheese, Bittman purees steamed cauliflower to create a base for cheese sauce. The cauliflower adds great flavor, gives it a mega nutritional boost and, also adds a creaminess that you will not believe.

I don’t make a point in not telling my kids that there are veggies in the mac and cheese recipe. It’s not about hiding vegetables, it’s about making them understand that veggies taste really good, especially in their favorite food like pizza and mac and cheese.

This one tastes so good that it piques their curiosity in cauliflower. If you plan on keeping the creamy veggie a secret, be sure to serve this creamy cauliflower mac and cheese with side veggies or a salad—you know, to make a healthy point.

Stacie Billis is a food writer, recipe developer and blogger at One Hungry Mama. As a mother of two hungry boys, she knows that kids change the way we cook, but they don't have to change how well we eat. Selfish? Sure, but it turns out that feeding kids the good foods we enjoy is the best way to inspire healthy habits for life. Knowing this, Stacie is putting her MA in child development, experience developing an organic family food brand and passion for delicious food to good use as a galvanizing voice for parents in the food revolution. You can also find Stacie as One Hungry Mama on Twitter and Facebook.