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Tender Cauliflower Covered in Creamy Cheddar Cheese Sauce for a Comforting Low-Carb Twist on Macaroni and Cheese
Macaroni and cheese is one of those foods that practically defines comfort food.
It's warm, creamy, cheesy, and wonderfully simple. Unfortunately, traditional macaroni is made from flour and brings quite a few carbohydrates along with all that cheesy goodness.
But maybe the macaroni isn't the part we love most.
Maybe it's the cheese sauce!
That's the idea behind this Keto Mock Mac & Cheese.
Instead of pasta, we're using tender cauliflower florets and covering them in a creamy homemade sharp cheddar cheese sauce. The cauliflower gives us something substantial to bite into while carrying all that wonderful cheesy flavor.
No macaroni required.
Why Cauliflower?
Cauliflower has become a keto kitchen favorite for good reason.
Its mild flavor allows it to work with all kinds of seasonings and sauces, and when it's cooked properly, it becomes tender without completely falling apart.
For this recipe, I like cutting the cauliflower into relatively small florets.
We don't want huge pieces of cauliflower swimming in cheese sauce. Smaller pieces give you more cheesy coating in every bite and make the finished dish feel more like a casserole.
The most important thing is not to overcook it.
We want tender cauliflower—not cauliflower mush!
Keto Mock Mac & Cheese
Approximately 6 side-dish servings
Ingredients
6 cups cauliflower, cut into small florets
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Salt to taste, if desired
Optional Topping
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped almonds or an almond-flour crumb topping, optional
Paprika for sprinkling
Prepare the Cauliflower
Bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil.
Add the cauliflower florets and cook for approximately 4 to 5 minutes.
You want the cauliflower just tender enough to pierce with a fork while still maintaining its shape.
Drain it thoroughly.
This next step is important.
Allow the cauliflower to sit in the colander for several minutes so excess water can drain away.
You can even gently blot the florets with a clean kitchen towel.
Cauliflower contains a lot of water, and too much moisture can thin your beautiful cheese sauce.
Make the Cheddar Cheese Sauce
Place the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.
Once melted, add the heavy cream and softened cream cheese.
Whisk gently until the cream cheese has melted into the cream.
Add the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and black pepper.
Reduce the heat to low.
Gradually add the shredded cheddar cheese, stirring between additions.
Continue stirring until the cheddar has melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy.
Don't allow the sauce to boil.
High heat can cause cheese sauces to separate or become grainy.
Taste the sauce before adding any salt. Cheddar cheese naturally contributes sodium, so you may find that you don't need much additional salt—or any at all.
Bring the “Mac” and Cheese Together
Add the well-drained cauliflower to the cheese sauce.
Gently fold everything together until every piece of cauliflower is coated.
And that's when this dish starts looking really good!
You have tender little pieces surrounded by thick, creamy cheddar sauce—the part of macaroni and cheese many of us loved in the first place.
You can serve it immediately at this point.
Or...
We can make it even better.
Turn It Into Baked Mock Mac & Cheese
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Transfer the cauliflower and cheese mixture to a lightly buttered baking dish.
Sprinkle another 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar over the top.
For a little crunch, you can also add a very light sprinkling of finely chopped almonds or an almond-flour crumb topping.
Dust the top with paprika.
Bake for approximately 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling around the edges.
For additional browning, place the casserole briefly under the broiler—but watch it carefully because cheese can brown very quickly.
Let the casserole rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
Why Use Sharp Cheddar?
You can certainly use mild or medium cheddar, but I prefer sharp cheddar for this recipe.
Sharp cheddar gives us more cheese flavor without requiring an enormous quantity of cheese.
That's especially helpful when you're making a mock version of a familiar food.
Since cauliflower doesn't taste like macaroni, we want the cheddar sauce to provide plenty of familiar mac-and-cheese character.
Freshly shredding the cheese from a block also helps the sauce melt smoothly.
Don't Overcook the Cauliflower
This may be the single most important tip in the recipe.
If you boil the cauliflower until it's extremely soft and then bake it again in the cheese sauce, the finished dish can become mushy.
Remember that it continues cooking in the oven.
That's why we're only giving it a short precooking time.
We want the finished cauliflower tender enough to eat with a fork but firm enough that you can still identify the individual pieces.
Add Some Vegetables
Here's another way to change the recipe.
Add a small amount of:
Chopped broccoli
Diced red bell pepper
Chopped spinach
Sliced mushrooms
Or a little diced celery
You don't need much. Even 1/2 cup of an additional vegetable can give the casserole more color and variety.
A broccoli-and-cauliflower version with cheddar would be especially good.
Make It a Main Dish
Although I designed this as a side dish, you can easily turn it into a meal.
Add cooked chopped chicken or turkey before transferring the mixture to the baking dish.
You could also add canned chicken for a convenient pantry meal.
Then serve it with a fresh green salad or another non-starchy vegetable.
Now you've turned Mock Mac & Cheese into a simple keto casserole.
What Can You Serve with It?
This dish can go anywhere traditional macaroni and cheese might have appeared on the plate.
Serve it alongside:
Roasted or baked chicken
Turkey
Salmon patties
Chicken patties
Pork
A large green salad
Steamed green beans
Broccoli
Roasted vegetables
It also makes a comforting side dish for a holiday meal.
Estimated Nutrition
Nutrition will vary depending on the exact brands and ingredients used.
Based on approximately 6 side-dish servings:
Calories: approximately 350 per serving
Total Fat: approximately 31 g
Protein: approximately 13 g
Total Carbohydrates: approximately 9 g
Dietary Fiber: approximately 3 g
Net Carbohydrates: approximately 6 g
Sugar: approximately 4 g
These values are estimates and don't include optional toppings or additional ingredients.
Can We Really Call It Mac & Cheese Without Macaroni?
That's why we're calling it Mock Mac & Cheese!
Cauliflower isn't pasta, and I'm not going to pretend that it is.
What we're recreating is the experience of a warm, creamy, cheesy comfort-food side dish.
And sometimes that's enough.
Instead of asking cauliflower to become macaroni, we're simply giving cauliflower one of the best things about macaroni and cheese:
A really good cheddar cheese sauce.
Another Familiar Favorite Gets a Keto Makeover
That's what I'm enjoying about these Keto Mock Recipes.
We're not trying to convince ourselves that zucchini really is an apple, cauliflower really is a potato, or cauliflower really is macaroni.
We're taking the qualities we enjoy about familiar foods and finding new ways to create them with ingredients that better fit a keto lifestyle.
With this recipe, that means tender cauliflower, a creamy homemade sauce, plenty of sharp cheddar, and an optional golden baked topping.
Comfort food can change.
It can still be delicious.
Love Comfort Food? Try Another Keto Mock Favorite!
If this creamy Keto Mock Mac & Cheese proves anything, it's that familiar comfort food doesn't have to disappear when you're eating keto—it can simply take a new form.
Next, try my Keto Mock Potato Soup with Cheddar Cheese, made with cauliflower, carrots, celery, and plenty of cheesy flavor for a warm and satisfying bowl of comfort.
And don't stop there! Explore more Keto Mock Recipes on Blissfully Keto, where we're turning familiar favorites into creative lower-carb dishes—from savory sides and soups to homemade pies and desserts.
Keep exploring Blissfully Keto—your next favorite mock recipe may be one you haven't tried yet!
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