Thursday, October 4, 2012

Baked Mac and Cheese with Cauliflower

I love mac & cheese!  I have always loved my mom's home made mac & cheese when I was a kid and always looked forward to it when she would make it for dinner.  She usually didn't bake it though.  This recipe came from Penzeys, not the catalog this time, but from their store.  When you walk into a Penzeys spice store they usually have recipes around the store for you to peel off and take home with you.  They change the recipes in the store seasonally.  This recipe was one of them from the summer.  It was delicious!  It also can serve from 6-8 people, but between my husband and I we finished it in two days.  :-)

What you'll need:

12 oz. whole wheat or multigrain elbow macaroni
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into small florets
2 eggs
1 12-oz. can evaporated skim milk or 1 1/2 cups non-fat half & half (this keeps the fat content down without sacrificing the creaminess)
1/4 cup butter, melted (1/2 stick)
1 tsp. Regular Mustard Powder
1/2 tsp. Forward! or 33rd & Galena (both only at Penzyes)
1/2 tsp. Penzeys Freshly Ground Pepper
2 tsp. White Onion Powder
1/2 tsp. Granulated Garlic Powder
2 cups shredded low fat Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
2 TB. dry bread crumbs, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook the macaroni to "al dente" according to package directions-about a minute less than fully cooked.  Add the cauliflower for the final 3 minutes of cooking.  While the pasta cooks, in a large bowl combine eggs, milk, butter, seasonings, and cheese mix well.






Drain the pasta and cauliflower well so it is nice and dry, and then add to the bowl with the cheese mixture.  Stir to combine.  Pour into a greased 9"x13" pan or 3 quart casserole dish.





Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  Stir.  Sprinkle with bread crumbs if desired and bake for 15 more minutes or until the sauce is bubbly.  Let sit for 10 minutes before serving to let the sauce thicken a bit.




Enjoy!  I know it looks weird in the pictures, and not like the cheese was mixed well, but it covered everything and came out the way it's supposed to look.  :-)

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