Paige Harris This Cauliflower Cream Mac & Cheese is vegan, nut-free, & gluten-free, making it fit for almost any lifestyle. Whip up a batch & get your comfort on!
Ask anyone what their favorite food was growing up, and chances are it’ll be good ol’ Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. It had all of your important food groups: pasta, cheese, and food dye.
All kidding aside, there’s just something about mac & cheese that screams comfort food. Picture this: a blustery Iowa winter day, an oversized sweater, a pair of fuzzy socks, and a bowl of this “cheesy” goodness.
But since I’m a little more food savvy now than I was in 2005, I healthified up the boxed stuff.
Since ingredients like gluten can be a big problem for many — and causes some inflammation in everyone — this Cauliflower Cream Mac & Cheese is made with rice pasta, specifically Trader Joe’s Organic Brown Rice Fusilli. I’ve gotten gluten-free pastas made out of lentils and black beans too, but rice is my favorite. It tastes exactly like “normal” pasta. Switching to it is a great way to level up your health without making any major changes!
But the real star of the show is my Cauliflower Cream sauce. That’s right — this recipe contains an entire bag of frozen cauliflower. Talk about added veggies!
The rest of the magic comes from tahini for smoothness, nutritional yeast for cheesiness, and non-dairy milk to thin it all out. I like to make my sauces a little on the thick side, but you can always up the milk to your preference. I used unsweetened almond milk when I made it, but oat milk is a great way to make it nut-free!
And please please PLEASE don’t skimp on the spices! You’re a grown-up. You deserve to eat food full of flavor.
One last thing before I leave you to your new favorite recipe. I’m not vegan, so I topped my meal prep with a delicious batch of Homemade Chicken Nuggets for protein. I recommend you do the same! The recipe for that one will be coming soon. Click the button at the bottom of this post and sign up for the email list to find it before anyone else!
Cauliflower Cream Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 1, 16 oz bag of organic brown rice pasta
- 1, 16 oz bag of frozen cauliflower
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened almond)
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
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Make your rice pasta according to package directions. While waiting for the water to boil, start the next steps for the sauce.
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Place the frozen cauliflower into a microwave-safe bowl along with ~3 Tbsp of water. Cover with a plate and microwave until heated through, between 6 and 8 minutes, stirring halfway.
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Scoop the steamed cauliflower into your food processor and buzz until it becomes a thick paste. If you don't have a food processor, you could also mash the cauliflower down with a fork in a large bowl.
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Add in the tahini, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, sea salt, garlic powder, and smoked paprika and blend until smooth.
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Lastly, with the food processor still running, slowly add the non-dairy milk until your sauce reaches the consistency you want. You may want to add a little more than 1/2 cup if you want a thinner consistency!
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When the pasta is done, drain it and return it to the pot. Pour in your cauliflower cream sauce and stir until combined.
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Plate and eat!
[…] made my Cauliflower Cream Mac & Cheese a handful of times. And I’ve definitely been going through heaps of salsa and rice and eggs […]