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Cheesy, creamy and tasty – cauliflower spinach mac and cheese. Made in individual ramekins and topped with crunchy Parmesan – bread crumb topping.
Mac and cheese is one of my favorite dishes. Too bad, I do not make it very often! And the reason for this recipe is not necessarily to make mac and cheese healthy. Using cauliflower spinach sauce brings an amazing flavor, while it keeps it very creamy.
I used Havarti cheese, which made the mac and cheese very buttery. I’ve noticed that different people like to add different kinds of cheese, according to their taste, so feel free to do so.
Not a fan of spinach? You can totally skip it. The cauliflower sauce is good enough, but I love the addition of spinach.
I made it in 2 ramekins, but it could also be baked in a larger one, or oven safe skillet.
No roux, but I love the light and creamy spinach cauliflower sauce, packed with nutrients.
This recipe is quick and easy to put together!
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Cauliflower Spinach Mac And Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 cup elbow macaroni
- 3 cups water to boil pasta
- pinch of salt
For the sauce:
- 2 cups cauliflower florets
- 1 cup spinach, , packed
- 1 1/2 cups broth from boiling the cauliflower, , or chicken/vegetable stock
- 1/4 - 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 6-8 oz Havarti cheese, , grated or chopped
For topping:
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp parsley, (dried could be used)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Spray a casserole dish or ramekins with cooking spray.
- Prepare the sauce:
- Steam or boil cauliflower in salted water (or stock) for 10 minutes. Transfer to a blender, add spinach and 1 1/2 cups stock (or liquid left from boiling cauliflower). Puree until smooth. Add milk and butter, season with salt and pepper. If the sauce is too thick, add some more liquid to make it thinner.
- Bring water to a boil. Add salt and pasta. Cook pasta until al dente.
- In a large bowl combine pasta, cheese and sauce, mix well. Transfer to prepared ramekins (casserole dish).
- In a small bowl combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Add olive oil and parsley, mix with your fingers to combine. Sprinkle on top of mac and cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until top is crispy and sauce is bubbling.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The combination of cauliflower and spinach sounds so good Mira! Gorgeous pictures!
This is some serious deliciousness! I love me some cauli in anything, especially mac and cheese 🙂
You and I were on the same ‘cauliflower wavelength today’ 🙂 And I’m smitten with your recipe! Isn’t cauliflower wonderfully versatile!?
Cauliflower, spinach and cheese! Delicious combination, Mira! Loving it! pinning it too 🙂
Mac n’ Cheese is one of my favorite dishes too, but I hardly make it because it’s not exactly the healthiest dish in the world. However, your healthier mac n’ cheese allows me to enjoy the wonderful cheesy goodness, with some added good stuff like the spinach and cauliflower! Just brilliant!
Totally agree! I’ve had a very hard time stop eating this 🙂 Just love it! You can even skip the spinach 🙂
Oh! This is a stunning killer you have here! Damn gorgeous and awesome! 🙂
This is so crazy. I literally just went to the store and bought a head of cauliflower thinking “I’m going to make a cauliflower sauce tonight for dinner”. As soon as I get home, rather than look for a recipe, I decide to just read my favorite blogs instead. And boom! The first page I open is this awesome recipe. Now I have no excuse to put off making dinner ;). Thanks!!!!
Mmmm! I love that this would be a healthy wholesome meal in itself, Mira … nothing else needed! It’s clever that you don’t need to make the sauce with a roux … I reckon that Harvati cheese makes it creamy enough.
Love that you’ve made it in a little ramekin, too. 🙂
Great spin on a traditional dish!! Genius! I love the look of that sauce!! Need to make this for the family asap! Pinned!!
What a great way to make one of my favorites a little more healthy. I don’t get to eat mac & cheese enough, but now with this version it takes away allll those bad guilty feelings 🙂