Give Cauliflower The Mac And Cheese Treatment For A Dreamy, Creamy Comfort Meal

Mac and cheese is a cozy favorite for a reason. What's better than warm, chewy noodles enveloped in a rich cheese sauce? It's easy to make, quick, and delicious. But, have you ever thought about giving cauliflower the same treatment? This vegetable is bland on it's own, but mixed with cheese sauce, it's quite delicious. Take your cauliflower up a notch by trying this method out, and you might just have a new favorite side dish. 

For this method, break up your head of cauliflower into macaroni-sized florets. Steam them in a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water, and make sure you watch carefully so they end up al dente instead of mushy. You'll then want to pat the florets with a paper towel to dry, making sure to remove any excess water. Watery cauliflower isn't the most appetizing, and is easily avoidable with this crucial step.

Once you're happy with your florets, all that's left to do is combine with your favorite mac and cheese sauce and serve. A two-ingredient cream cheese and cheddar sauce can work, but there are other solid ways to zhuzh up the cauliflower base. For cheeses, you can use a shredded mix of cheddar and Gruyère. The cheddar is sharp and will complement the natural flavor of the cauliflower, and the Gruyère will melt nicely, making for a gooey and delicious cheese sauce. Onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper are also ideal add-ins for extra depth of flavor. When you add your sauce, be sure to gently fold it into the cauliflower — you don't want the veg to fall apart during the mixing process. The end product will be a luscious, creamy bite of cheesy cauliflower, without too much hassle. Who knew cauliflower could be so comforting? 

The dish is lovely on it's own, but if you want to upgrade it even further, there's a few easy ways to do it. Just like mac and cheese, the dish gets even better when you put it in a casserole dish, cover with breadcrumbs, and broil it in the oven. The crispy breadcrumbs will add extra texture and saltiness to the dish. Store-bought works great, but you can always use up stale bread and make them at home. When you steam cauliflower it loses some of its firmness, so you can always reintroduce that a touch of texture with this addition. 

If you want to punch your topping with a pantry staple, skip the breadcrumbs and give your faux mac-and-cheese a crunchy finish with Cheez-Its, instead. Crush them in a bag and sprinkle over the cauliflower for a buttery, cheesy boost of flavor. You can also mix herbs into the topping for a boost of aromatic flavor; thyme and rosemary should do the trick.

Sometimes you end up with a whole head of cauliflower in the fridge and you're just not sure what to do with it. The idea for this dish is taking that vegetable and zhuzhing it up with cheese sauce and add-ins. It's a creative way of spicing up plain ol' cauliflower.