The other day I had a craving for stovetop macaroni and cheese. I know that we have a recipe for fried mac & cheese, but I wanted something that more closely resembled the quick pasta. Just like the boxed variety, this recipe came out quick and easy. You can cook the cauliflower while you whip together the cheese sauce. You’ll have this on the table in no time!
This cauliflower mac & cheese is creamy, cheesy, and colorful. The bright yellow hue comes from turmeric. The sauce is flavored with a touch of mustard, and garlic, but the star is cheddar cheese. We’ll add it in two stages: first to the sauce, and then before serving to create more stretch and pull. For another cauliflower side dish, the low carb mashed potatoes steam whole florets then mash with butter, sour cream, and heavy cream – a completely different texture and no cheese sauce involved.
In the pictures I garnished with a sprinkle of smoked paprika and dried basil. Try serving with some crumbled bacon, or some Asian grilled keto short ribs.
Yields 8 (3/4 cup) servings of Cauliflower Mac & Cheese
The Preparation
- 32 ounces frozen cauliflower, florets
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
The Execution
1. Cook the cauliflower florets according to the package instructions.
2. Bring the cream to a simmer. Use a whisk to stir in the cream cheese and mix until smooth.
3. Stir in 6 ounces of the shredded cheddar cheese. Save the other 2 ounces for later. Mix until the cheese melts into the sauce.
4. Add the Dijon mustard, turmeric, powdered garlic, salt, and pepper. The sauce will become a smooth yellow color.
5. Make sure that the cauliflower is drained, then add it to the cheese sauce. Evenly coat the florets with sauce.
6. Sprinkle on the remaining 2 ounces of cheddar cheese, then stir until mostly melted.
This makes a total of 8 servings of Cauliflower Mac & Cheese. Each serving comes out to be 292 calories, 25.5g fats, 4.6g net carbs, and 10.4g protein.
| NUTRITION | CALORIES | FAT | CARBS | FIBER | NET CARBS | PROTEIN |
| 32 ounce frozen cauliflower | 209 | 4.1 | 37.3 | 20.9 | 16.4 | 16.7 |
| 1 cup heavy whipping cream | 809 | 85.9 | 6.5 | 0 | 6.5 | 6.8 |
| 4 ounce cream cheese | 388 | 38.6 | 4.7 | 0 | 4.7 | 7 |
| 8 ounce cheddar cheese | 916 | 75.6 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 51.9 |
| 1 teaspoon dijon mustard | 3 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| 1 teaspoon turmeric powder | 10 | 0.1 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 0.3 |
| 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder | 5 | 0 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 1 | 0.3 |
| — salt and pepper | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 2340 | 204.3 | 59 | 21.9 | 37.1 | 83 |
| Per Serving (/8) | 292 | 25.5 | 7.4 | 2.7 | 4.6 | 10.4 |
Cauliflower Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 32 ounce frozen cauliflower florets
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 ounce cream cheese cubed
- 8 ounce cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the cauliflower florets according to the package instructions.
- Bring the cream to a simmer. Use a whisk to stir in the cream cheese and mix until smooth.
- Stir in 3/4 of the shredded cheddar cheese. Save the other 1/4 for later. Mix until the cheese melts into the sauce.
- Add the Dijon mustard, turmeric, powdered garlic, salt, and pepper. The sauce will become a smooth yellow color.
- Make sure that the cauliflower is drained well, then add it to the cheese sauce. Evenly coat the florets with sauce.
- Sprinkle on the remaining cheddar cheese, then stir until mostly melted.
This is such a satisfying dish! I’ve made it a couple of times now. This last time I finished off some ricotta cheese by adding it to the recipe. I serve it to myself with pepperoni slices on the top! Yum!
Pizza mac and cheese – what a great idea!
This looks good, but I’m a bit confused – the prep photos show it being put together in a stainless steel pan, but the presentation pictures appear to have it in a cast iron skillet. Which is it?
Stainless steel, but you could really use either as long as your cast iron is well seasoned . 🙂
Thank you for this recipe! It’s amazing!!!
Thank you Liz!
An actual sub for mac n cheese. This was absolutely fantastic thank you!!!
Thank you!
Can you use fresh cauliflower instead of frozen?
Sure!
I just made this (I can still taste it) with fresh cauliflower and I added some finely chopped bell peppers and I think my partner loves me more now.
This is the best kind of recipe review a person could hope for, lol!
can i use something other than mustard……or just leave it out altogether?
Sure! I think you could just leave it out. 🙂
left out the mustard, and it tasted fantastic……….already looking forward to the next time i can make this and experiment with new flavor combinations……….i found a new staple for my wife and I on our keto journey……….thank you
Nice! I’m so happy to hear that Matthew!
I LOVE IT
Is there an alternative to Turmeric that I can use? I don’t have any and would like to make this today.
You can leave it out! It just won’t be quite as yellow. 🙂
One word…AMAZING!
OMG…this is fantastic!
Delicious! I halved the recipe and omitted the mustard, turmeric, and garlic powder. Of course when my husband tasted it, he loved it.
Made this tonight and it was amazing! Will definitely be making this again. Thank you for your awesome recipes!
Glad to hear – thanks so much for the positive feedback!
Best cheese sauce ever – I could eat this every day – thanks
That’s a huge compliment – I’m really happy you enjoyed our recipe!
Do you think this could be done with riced cauliflower too?
It certainly could – it will just have a slightly different texture.
We just made this and it was very soupy, double checked everything and can’t figure out why. It’s delicious, just very liquidy. Although I am logged in on Disqus this won’t let me post the photo.
I roast my cauliflower in garlic flavored olive oil (garlic allergy here), I find makes a better texture for me. Gets all the water out of the cauliflower.
This is a very easy way to do it where you’re using frozen cauliflower which is typically more watery as well. With fresh roasted cauliflower, this would definitely be a lot more flavorful and have a better texture – it just takes a little bit more time. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
just wondering how many serving is that?
We recommend 8 servings, but it really depends on your macros and what dish you’re pairing it with. You may get 6, 10, or 4 servings out of it depending on how you’re using it.
I used half sharp cheddar and half medium block cheddar cheese instead. I topped it with a layer of sharp cheddar and parmesan cheese and baked it until it was a little brown on the top. I also microwaved my cauliflower so it wasn’t runny at all.
Just made this tonight! Wow! Awesome, Roasted the cauliflower first!
Great idea! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Hi, I was wondering is there any substitution in the ingredients for less fat (g)?
You could use less cream or cheese, both would reduce fat significantly.
This is one of my favorite recipes! I often use shredded gouda in it and it is divine! I saw one comment about it being soupy – make sure you drain off all the liquid from your cauliflower. You might even have to squeeze the water out a bit. So long as my cauliflower is well-drained, the consistency is perfect!
This dish is THE most delicious thing you will ever taste!!! I am not even kidding it is out of this world!! I’ve been begging my friend who makes this to make it for me for years and now she’s given me the recipe!!!!
This is cauliflower cheese. It's a centuries old British staple, especially with a Sunday roast. Why add the 'mac' to it.
My largest audience for the website is American, and this resembles mac and cheese in a way that most Americans would understand. You’re welcome to just call it caluflower cheese, though!