This Cauliflower Pepper Jack Mac & Cheese from The Whole Smiths is not only absolutely mouth-watering delicious but it’s a great way to enjoy the flavors of mac ’n cheese without the gluten. Not to mention a great way to get your veggies in! And just 5 ingredients. Is there anything cauliflower can’t do? I think not.
Ohh Mac ’n Cheese, is there anyone who doesn’t love you? Nope, we all do. It’s a fact. Whether it’s a crummy boxed mac ’n cheese or a 4-cheese gourmet mac ’n cheese, it’s all good one way or another.
What’s not-so-good about it are the gluten and grains some of us have a hard time digesting. I often have to skip over traditional macaroni and cheeses, much to my heart’s dismay. But what happens when you replace that gluten-carb-heavy pasta with… a vegetable? Magic, that’s what.
Get more vegetables.
If you’ve been looking for a way to get more vegetables into you and your family’s bellies, here it is. Cauliflower Pepper Jack Mac ’n Cheese. Don’t let the pepper jack throw you off though, it’s not all that spicy. If you’re concerned about it being a bit too spicy for the littlest family members feel free to use a regular jack cheese and omit the green chiles.
And let’s talk about this 5-Ingredient bit now shall we? I said it’s a 5 ingredient recipe, didn’t I? But there’s more than 5 ingredients on the ingredient list here, you say. I don’t consider panty and refrigerator staples in that 5-ingredient component. Here’s why, these are ingredients you should always keep on hand in your home if you are looking to make this whole food eating gig easy. Things like salt, milk and butter are all considered staples and aid you in cooking simple meals and recipes. You should only need to shop for 5 additional ingredients. To read more about my 5-Ingredient philosophy and to download a handy panty and refrigerator checklist head over here.
You can do this.
Don’t stress out about this recipe, make do with what you have. You wanna use cheddar cheese? Use cheddar cheese. You want more cheese? Sprinkle some more over top. And don’t stress out too much about the size of your baking dish. In the instructions below I recommend a “medium” sized dish, roughly a 10 x 7 inch pan is fine. Give or take. This isn’t baking a cake, as long as you have a hearty layer along the bottom you’ll be just fine. My favorite baking dishes are from Le Creuset. The are timeless and hold up well after many upon many uses.
With that said, on to the recipe!
Tips:
- If you’re short on time, steaming your cauliflower will work as well. Just make sure not to over-
steam your cauliflower as you’re likely to end up with cauliflower mush ’n cheese. - Feel free to replace the pepper jack for standard, regular jack cheese for sensitive palates.
- This recipe works equally great replacing the cauliflower with broccoli, go ahead and mix it up!
- Don’t worry too much about whether you use cream or milk or low-fat milk versus full-fat milk. Use what you have on hand and know the higher the fat content of the milk you use, the creamier it will be.
Can I use this sauce with regular pasta?
Yep! Not a problem. It will still be rich and creamy and delicious.
Any way to make this recipe dairy-free?
I have not recipe tested this with alternative cheeses and milks. It’s always worth a shot but note that it will have a very different flavor and texture profile.
Does this freeze well?
While this recipe is fantastic for leftovers (feel free to double batch it!) it doesn’t freeze fantastically. I mean, you can, but it will lose a bit of it’s texture.
Cauliflower Pepper Jack “Mac” ’n Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower broken down into small florets
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 yellow onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 cup cream or milk
- 2 1/4 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
- 1 4- ounce can green chiles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450* F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toss the cauliflower, olive oil and 3/4 teaspoon of the salt together in a large bowl until the cauliflower is fully coated.
- Spread the cauliflower onto the parchment lined baking sheet in one even layer and bake it for 20 minutes.
- Add the onions to the large bowl and stir the vegetables around to coat them with any excess olive oil. If there is not enough remaining olive oil in the bowl simply add an additional 1/2 teaspoon.
- After 20 minutes, add the onions to the baking sheet with the cauliflower and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Set aside.
- Heat a stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Once the pot is hot add the butter. When the butter melts, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until it is fragrant and lightly browned. Add the cream, remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt and black pepper.
- Raise the temperature on the stove to medium-high and heat for 2 minutes until the cream starts to bubble.
- Add 2 cups of cheese into the cream and stir it until it is melted. Add the green chiles and stir to combine.
- Add the roasted cauliflower and onion to the pot of cheese sauce and lightly toss to coat.
- Add the cauliflower to a medium sized baking dish and sprinkle 1/4 cup of the shredded pepper jack over top. Don’t stress about the exact size of your baking dish, as long as you can get a solid layer across the bottom it will work. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until it is bubbly. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you’re short on time, steaming your cauliflower will work as well. Just make sure not to over-steam your cauliflower as you’re likely to end up with cauliflower mush ’n cheese.
- Feel free to replace the pepper jack for standard, regular jack cheese for sensitive palates.
- This recipe works equally great replacing the cauliflower with broccoli, go ahead and mix it up!
- Don’t worry too much about whether you use cream or milk or low-fat milk versus full-fat milk.
- Use what you have on hand and know the higher the fat content of the milk you use, the creamier it will be.
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