If you are like me and on a house arrest staycation due to the Coronavirus outbreak, then chances are you have either eaten all of your snacks in the house or you now have the extra time to try new recipes. I have not eaten all of my snacks yet but I have dabbled in trying new recipes. Speaking of which, if you are a fan of comfort food like macaroni and cheese, you will love today’s’ post. Today I’ll share what happened when I tried Darius Cook’s Cauliflower Keto Mac and Cheese.
I have shared with you a few of my previous semi-healthy low carb recipes and you all seem to love these. Since many of us are now spending more time at home, I figured it would be a great time to share what I’ve been up to lately. As a person that is trying to be cautious of carbs and sugar for better health, I stumbled upon this cauliflower mac and cheese recipe by Darius Cook on YouTube. Yes, I said that right. This recipe is pasta free but oh so good.
Here are the supplies and ingredients you will need to get started.
Supplies:
Strainer
1 Large Chopping /Chef’s knife
Cutting Board
1 Large Salad Mixing bowl
Two Large pots (approx. 4 quarts)
9 x 12-inch casserole dish
Non-Stick spray
Large Spoon
Ingredients:
1 Fresh Head of Cauliflower OR 1 lb. /32 oz. of Frozen Cauliflower florets
1 ½ C. each of 4 types of cheese (You choose a mix of cheeses you like)
Sharp Cheddar Cheese (shredded)
Mild Cheddar Cheese (shredded)
Mozzarella Cheese (shredded)
Mexican 3- Cheese (Pepper Jack, Cheddar, Asadero) (shredded)
4 Tbsp. Butter
1 ½ C. Heavy Cream
1 C. Mascarpone Cheese OR Substitute with 1 – 8oz. Package Cream Cheese
2/3 C. Sour Cream
1 tsp. Garlic powder (or to taste)
½ tsp Salt (or to taste)
½ tsp Black Pepper (or to taste)
Xanthium Gum (optional)
Directions:
- Using one of your large pots, fill it halfway with cold water with a dash of salt and set to boil on the stove.
- While your pot is on the stove you can prepare the cheese sauce and cauliflower.
- First grab your cutting board, bowl, cauliflower, and chopping knife. Unwrap and wash your fresh cauliflower and chop into large florets. Place your large florets into your bowl and set aside.
- Now, let’s prepare the cheese sauce. In your second large pot, set on the stove and set heat to med-high.
- Add your butter, heavy cream, seasonings, and shredded cheeses. (Note: Save a large handful of shredded cheese to the side as we will use this to top off your casserole dish.) Stir slowly and mix well as you add each ingredient.
- Add your optional Xanthium gum and sour cream last. You’ll want the mixture to be smooth, uniform and slightly bubbling. Set heat on med-low.
- At this time, your other pot of water should be about boiling. Add in your fresh cut cauliflower florets to the pot of boiling water. Once the cauliflower starts boiling, cook for 3-5 minutes. Be sure not to exceed 5 minutes to avoid soggy cauliflower.
- Next, when finished cooking the cauliflower, remove from heat. Using your strainer, drain off the water from the cauliflower.
- Now add your cooked cauliflower florets to your pot of cheese sauce. Fold and mix the cheese sauce with the cauliflower so all the florets are fully covered.
- Lastly, it’s time to remove the pot from heat and add the cauliflower and cheese sauce mixture to your casserole dish. Spray your casserole dish with nonstick spray and pour the mixture in.
- Add that final handful of shredded cheese you set aside earlier to the top of your mixture. It will look like so.
- Set your oven temperature to 400 degrees. Set your casserole dish on the middle rack, close the oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. When finished, remove and set for 5 minutes.
- Serve as a delicious side with dinner. For us, this makes 6 large side portions with dinner. Yummy!
Final verdict
So how did my keto mac and cheese turn out? Delicious! I never knew cauliflower could taste so good! The best part about this is that it’s low carb, keto-friendly and a great option for diabetics too. If you want even more zing of flavor, you can add bacon bits to your mac and cheese. I must give a shout out to Darius Cook for sharing this great recipe. I’d recommend it for sure.
You can see how he works in the kitchen below or check out his website here. Give it a try. I know you’ll love it.
Let me know in the comments below, are you a fan of mac and cheese? Are you going to give this recipe a try? Don’t forget to pin and share this post with a friend!
If you enjoyed this post, check out a few other recipes I’ve tried below.
Guilt free pumpkin spice holiday cookies
My tasty flatbread pizza recipe
Low Carb Breakfast -Veggie & Cheese egg bake recipe
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