Cauliflower and Cheese Casserole (Faux Mac and Cheese)

Wow. I wanted a comfort food dish today, but without that heavy feeling that comes from pasta and cream. This works so well for me. This casserole is rich, gooey, cheesy and tastes fabulous. On a side note, it is full of fiber and lower in carbs than most mac and cheese recipes.

Ingredients (easily serves 6):

1 head of cauliflower, outer leaves and core removed

Cooking Spray

Salt and pepper to taste

1 (14.4 ounce) bag of frozen cauliflower florets, thawed

¼ cup flour

2 ½ cups low fat milk

Salt and pepper to taste

½ teaspoon turmeric (optional, but it is good for us and brings good color to the dish)

½ teaspoon dry mustard

½ teaspoon garlic salt

½ teaspoon onion powder

¼ cup grated parmesan

2 cups shredded low fat cheddar cheese

¼ cup dry bread crumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Cut the head of cauliflower into chunks (just a bit bigger than bite size). Toss the cauliflower pieces onto the baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.

While the cauliflower pieces are baking, begin making the sauce by pureeing the thawed bag of cauliflower florets in a food processor—use a little water if you need to so that this puree is very smooth and velvety. Move the puree to a large sauce pan and add the flour. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes (until it is warm all the way through) and then slowly stir in the milk. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat back to medium low. Add the seasonings. Add in the parmesan and cheddar in handfuls and stir until the cheese melts.

Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees F. Place the baked cauliflower in a casserole (maybe 2 quart size) and add the sauce. Stir well and then top with the bread crumbs. Spray a little cooking spray over the top of the breadcrumbs and bake for 50-60 minutes.