Image by Love and Lemons

It’s finally September, you know what that means? 

It’s time to settle down from the heat of the summer and get ready to welcome a cozy fall with some delicious comfort food! 

In all honesty, no one needs an excuse to eat some great comfort food. That’s why this week we are highlighting this amazing recipe that features crispy cauliflower and creamy cheese for a night of cheesy, gooey goodness! This is a gluten-free take on a beloved classic macaroni and cheese and can easily be made vegan with a single substitution! On the other hand, it pairs well with chicken or any other protein that can be served with macaroni and cheese, so feel free to customize to your heart’s content! 

We know meal planning can be stressful and take a lot of effort, so we try our best to make that easier for everyone! We prioritize health and flavor when we make our individual meals and when we collect recipes to share in our blog. If you’re looking for a quick, easy, and irresistible meal to try this week, this recipe is perfect for you! We’ve even taken the time to find the perfect pre-prepared sides to go alongside this meal and make dinner a breeze, so make sure to check out our suggestions below! 

Image and recipe inspired by Love and Lemons and Baking Mischief

Prep Time: 10 minutes 

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Cheese Sauce*

• 1 ½  cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• ¾ teaspoons cornstarch
• ¾ cup evaporated milk
• 1 garlic clove
•  ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 pinch salt, to taste
• 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper, to taste

Cauliflower

• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 large cauliflower, just over 2 pounds, broken into ½ inch florets
• ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
• Parmesan or Vegan Parmesan, to garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Combine the shredded cheese and cornstarch in a large bowl and toss until the cheese is evenly coated. Set the mixture aside.
2. Pour the evaporated milk in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Remember to stir the milk occasionally until it begins to simmer. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to broil.
3. Remove milk from heat and slowly stir in the cheese until it has completely melted. Sprinkle with salt, paprika, cayenne, and add the garlic clove and set aside.
4. In a large pot, bring salted water to a bowl. Place cauliflower florets in water and boil for 5 minutes. Once finished, drain florets and place into a large bowl. 
5. Combine cauliflower and cheese sauce, stirring until florets are evenly coated, and then transfer to a prepared 8x8 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and place in the oven to broil for 2 minutes. Make sure to keep an eye on the dish and remove from the oven once the top layer begins to brown. 
6. Let cool and garnish with Parmesan or vegan Parmesan and enjoy! 

*To Make Vegan

To make this recipe vegan, all that needs to be adjusted is the cheese sauce. We recommend this recipe for vegan cheese sauce by Love and Lemons that you can find HERE.

Stress-Free Sides to Savor Alongside this Recipe!

Here at Mealfit, we do everything we can to make healthy eating easier for everyone! That’s why we work so hard to find new, interesting, and delicious ways to get healthy food from our kitchens to your table. Whether it’s with our individual meals and weekly specials or our expertly curated recipe catalog on our blog, we think everyone should have access to health and delicious meals that don’t require a huge time commitment.

Another way we help people get the healthy food they need without having to dedicate time they don’t have is with our Meals by the Pound selection! We offer a variety of different ingredients in bulk to make meal-prepping a breeze, and the best part is, we’ve already done the cooking for you! With our Meals by the Pound, all you need to do is reheat your ingredients and you can have dinner ready and on the table in only a few minutes! 

For this week’s recipe, we have a few recommendations on what to pair with this cheesy dinner:

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

“Diced and house seasoned Sweet potatoes are a great carb source and can be used in a number of ways in your meal prep. Paleo-Friendly.” 

You can order it HERE!

Vegetable Medley

“A mix of Squash and Zucchini and any other seasonal Vegetables that might be available at the time.”

You can order it HERE!

As we start to wind down from an eventful summer and move into everything that fall has to offer, don’t forget to take care of your body and your mind. Getting good quality and good tasting food is essential and with the help of Mealfit, it doesn’t have to be so hard to do! For more delicious recipes, be sure to check out our recipe catalog, otherwise, try out our individual meals, our weekly specials, or everything else we have to offer in our Meals by the Pound selection! 

We hope you enjoy this article for Creamy Cauliflower Mac & Cheese. If you tried incorporating these things into your regular routine, make sure to let us know! For more recipes, follow us on social media and make sure to check out our weekly blog posts where we share our new favorite recipes and must-know facts about food and living a healthy lifestyle! Check out the other meal options Mealfit provides such as our Weekly Specials, Individual Meals, and other Meals by the Pound.