This baked Cauliflower Mac and Cheese recipe uses just a few simple ingredients and swaps cauliflower for the traditional pasta. If you are looking for a grain-free or veggie-forward take on macaroni and cheese, I know you’ll love this recipe!
You Need to Add Cauliflower Mac and Cheese to Your Menu, Trust Me!
I will be the first person to tell you that there is nothing like real deal macaroni and cheese, but if you want all the cheesy goodness in a more veggie-focused package then you’re going to love this recipe.
Instead of a making a cheese sauce, all you need for this dish is shredded cheese and just five more ingredients to whip up this simple recipe. Another great thing about this cauliflower version of macaroni and cheese is that it makes a smaller batch. This recipe gives you just the right amount for two people, plus a little leftover.
Here’s What You Need: Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Ingredients
- Cauliflower: the obvious ingredient! All you need is one head of cauliflower cut into small to medium florets.
- Cheese: for the ultimate flavor and texture, this recipe uses a combination of both sharp white and gooey mozzarella. If you don’t love sharp cheddar, feel free to use mild instead. For the best results, I recommend shredding your cheese by hand to ensure that it melts well.
- Egg: you’ll need one egg to help bind things together and ensure the cauliflower mac set up after baking.
- Sour Cream: this helps to give the mac and cheese an extra creamy texture and adds a little tang.
- Green onion: it might not be typical in traditional macaroni and cheese, but the green onion in this dish really takes it to another notch and adds so much flavor. Don’t skip it!
How to Make Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
My Tips and Tricks for Getting the Best Cauliflower Mac Ever
- Be sure to let your cauliflower cook until fork tender before removing it from the water.
- Drain the cauliflower well to ensure that you’re not adding extra water to the dish.
- Let the mac and cheese sit and cool for 15-20 minutes before serving. Because this recipe is using cauliflower instead of pasta, expect there to be a little liquid when you scoop into the casserole. Allowing the mac and cheese to sit and cool, helps to let the dish set so there’s not too much extra liquid.
More Really Delicious Thanksgiving Recipes
Here are few more of our reader favorite Thanksgiving recipes to add your menu this holiday season:
- Sheet Pan Harvest Roasted Vegetables
- Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- Brown Butter Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Brussels Sprouts Au Gratin
- Brown Butter Maple Glazed Carrots
- Creamy Slow Cooker Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing
- Honey Mustard Roasted Brussels sprouts
- Gluten Free Cornbread Stuffing
- Fall Harvest Salad with Maple Mustard Vinaigrette
- Healthier Green Bean Casserole
- Sausage Stuffing
Get all of our best Thanksgiving recipes, here!
I hope you give this Baked Cauliflower Mac and Cheese a try! If you do give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @allthehealthythings on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews and ratings help support All the Healthy Things and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you trust and love.
Print
The Best Baked Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This Cauliflower Mac and Cheese recipe uses just a few simple ingredients and swaps cauliflower for the traditional pasta. If you are looking for a grain-free or veggie-forward take on macaroni and cheese, I know you’ll love this recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 large cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, hand shredded
- 4 oz mozzarella cheese, hand shredded
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 egg, whisked
- 1/4 cup finely sliced green onion
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add the cauliflower and salt to a large pot and cover with water. Bring the water to a bowl and cook the cauliflower until tender, around 8-10 minutes.
- When the cauliflower is tender, transfer it to a colander and let it drain for 5-10 minutes. Then, add it to a large mixing bowl.
- Add 4 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, sour cream, egg, green onion, garlic powder, and black pepper to the mixing bowl. Stir until the cauliflower mixture is well combined.
- Transfer the cauliflower mixture to a baking dish and top with remaining 4 ounces of cheddar cheese. Bake the mac and cheese at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until it becomes golden brown and bubbly.
- Allow the mac and cheese to sit and cool for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Store: Wrap the casserole dish tightly with food safe wrap or aluminum foil. Store in the fridge for three to four days. You can also transfer the mac and cheese to an air-tight container to store.
Reheat: The easiest way to reheat this dish is in the microwave. Lightly cover the mac and cheese with a wet paper towel and microwave on high for thirty seconds to one minute at a time until warmed through.
Photography: Sasha Hooper
Ashlea never fails me when I want to try a new recipe! This was easy, quick and delicious.
Can frozen Cauliflower be used?
Hi Brenda! I wouldn’t recommend that in this recipe.
Delicious! Made this for a Christmas gathering as an alternative to the regular mac & cheese that was being served. I used frozen cauliflower and put it in a crockpot instead of the oven. Worked great!
Delish!
Great base recipe. I did change it up a tiny bit. I made a crunchy topping with pork rinds and parm instead of cheddar. I also cooked it on my Pit Boss smoker. It turned out amazing. I really like the addition of the egg, seemed to set it up great without the use of a roux. Thank you so much.
I made this as a side dish for a dinner party tonight and it was fantastic! One of my friends is keto, so I was looking for something he could eat without feeling left out, and everyone was raving about this all night–even those who aren’t keto. Thanks for an excellent recipe!
Happy to hear that, Rachel! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Delicious! I have a chronic condition and I have a hard time processing gluten, so thank you for this recipe! Perfect side dish and so easy! We steamed the cauliflower in the instapot, making the process even shorter. Then just added about 1/2 tsp of salt in the mix. So good!
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe, Lizette! Thank you for taking the time to share what worked for you and leave a review!
This is amazing! I was unsure if it would fill my Mac and cheese craving but it absolutely did. It was easy to make and the leftovers have been very convenient to eat cold out of the fridge. We also made your cauliflower soup last week. I am a bug fan of your recipes. Thank you for sharing your art!!
I’m so happy you loved it, Mary! Thank you for taking the time to leave such a kind review!
This is the best cauliflower Mac and Cheese I’ve ever had! Followed the directions exactly except I used Cabot Mac and Cheese blend. I even mixed it with buffalo chicken too to make buffalo chicken cauliflower Mac and cheese!
There is no way you meant 1 tbsp of salt. I saw that and did 1 tap and even still it was so salty (I love lots of salt) it was terrible!!! We dumped the whole dish. Please correct!
Looks great! Will make soon to go with a ham I’ll be cooking soon.
One thing to note, though. Orange cheese and white cheese are the same flavor-wise. There is only dyed cheese (orange) or natural cheese color with no dye (white).. The only reason cheese is dyed orange is for marketing purposes.
Yum!
For those of us counting our net carbs – are you able to provide more in depth nutritional information? Such as – fat , fiber , carbs etc .
Hi, Marta! all of that information is included in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.