This cauliflower mac and cheese recipe is a perfect fit for your healthy eating routine.

Don’t get too hung up on the name – there’s actually no macaroni and only a small, healthy amount of cheese. Instead, we smothered the cauliflower with a rich, flavorful sauce, topped everything with cheddar, then baked it all to perfection.

Is Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Healthy?

Our version of mac and cheese is truly a healthy one.

Healthy eating is all about balance — getting a sufficient amount of nutrients while being cautious of some dietary components. Things like calories, sodium, and saturated fats tend to load down the average mac and cheese.

The culprit lies in the large amounts of dairy and salt used to make the sauce. Not to worry, we’ve found a solution. Our recipe calls for a perfect amount of these ingredients, leaving each serving with just 3.6 g saturated fats and around 300 mg sodium.

It’s also important to consume just enough calories for the day. Assuming this cauliflower mac and cheese to be a side dish, we limited each serving to just 143 calories.

The Healthy Cheese Sauce for Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

We get that you’re expecting a sauce full of cheese and cream so let’s not dance around the issue: This sauce doesn’t contain cheese. Instead, we made a cream sauce using cream, milk, and broth thickened with a roux and thoroughly seasoned.

If you’re not familiar, roux is a thick paste made by constantly stirring butter and flour over heat until the flour is cooked. Some recipes ask for a white roux while others (like gumbo) require a darker roux — a white roux that’s cooked for a bit longer.

Today’s recipe calls for a white roux, and it comes together in a matter of seconds. As soon as it’s formed, the liquids are gradually stirred in so the two combine to make a rich white sauce.

The liquid is typically just milk, but we also added chicken stock to make the cauliflower even more flavorful.

ingredients for cauliflower mac and cheese

Once a silky sauce is achieved, it’s time for seasonings. We kept things simple and only used salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Finally, stir in some heavy cream to take the richness up a level, and the delicious cream sauce is complete. All that’s left to do is toss it with the cauliflower, top everything with cheese, and wait for the oven to do its job. Kind of like our Twice-Baked Cauliflower Recipe and this Cauliflower Parmesan Recipe.

How to Make Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

To save some cooking time, you’ll need to partially cook the cauliflower before baking it with the sauce. You can do this in a traditional boiling pot or use a microwave instead.

Here’s a summary of what you need to do:

Preheat the oven to 480°F

Microwave (or boil/steam) the cauliflower

Make the roux

Add the liquids and seasonings

Toss the sauce with the cauliflower in a baking dish

Top it with cheese and breadcrumbs and bake

Sprinkle with parsley and enjoy

Retrieve the ingredients list as well as a more detailed guide in the cauliflower mac and cheese recipe card located at the bottom of this recipe.

1. What Is the Best Cheese to Use?

The best option is usually to stick with the traditional choice — sharp cheddar. Some recipes call for American cheese slices instead since the result is visually similar to cheddar, but taste-wise, we think cheddar is still the clear winner.

But again, the culinary world is vast and full of surprises. You can try using gouda, gruyère, cream cheese, brie, or even mozzarella instead, and maybe you’ll find a happy little surprise of your own.

2. Can You Use Frozen Cauliflower for This Recipe?

Not only can you use it but it’s also a more convenient option that helps you skip the cutting and the cleaning. It only requires 2 minutes in the microwave (or in the pot) to thaw, and then it’s as easy to cook as fresh cauliflower.

For more delicious casserole recipes, check out this roundup.

How Long Does Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Last in the Fridge?

Properly stored, it’ll last about 5 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.

You can transfer the leftovers to a smaller container (to save fridge space), cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it. To save even more space, portion the leftovers into Ziploc bags, flatten them out on the counter, seal them, then stack them in the fridge.

how long does cauliflower mac and cheese last

The leftovers can be reheated in one of two ways:

If you own a microwave, make sure your mac and cheese is in a microwave-friendly container first. It’ll need about 3 minutes if refrigerated, and 5 minutes if frozen.
Barring that, you can place everything in a saucepan with just a little water (1 tbsp per serving) and heat it until it bubbles. The process usually takes around 5 minutes for a refrigerated batch and 7 minutes for a frozen one.