MAC AND CHEESE WITH ROASTED CAULIFLOWER
As mentioned back in December’s post, Mama’s Organized Chaos is partnering with The Foodie Physician. We get a sneak peek and a chance to review some of the recipes from her book that is being released in 2016! See below for our full review and the recipe!
Her new book, entitled Natural Baby Food, will be published in early 2016 by Hatherleigh Press. You can pre-order this book on Amazon! The book has over 125 recipes and includes food for toddlers and even purees for babies.
As a part of this event, Mama’s Organized Chaos discussion group members are reviewing 5 recipes. In December, we tasted and reviewed the Mac and Cheese with Roasted Cauliflower. Stay tuned for tasty reviews of the following recipes as well:
– Sweet potato pancakes
– Turkey Florentine meatballs
– Zucchini tots
– Tropical Rice pudding
Our Review of Mac and Cheese with Roasted Cauliflower
So first off, my personal opinion is that this recipe is amazing! I love the flavor and the health benefits of the cauliflower. My family has already made this twice. The leftovers save and reheat well which is a surprise for a mac and cheese recipe! The preparation is a bit more than I like to do on a weekday with my hands full, so this is definitely a weekend meal that I make when my hubby is home to help prep or distract our daughter. That being said, the prep really isn’t all that difficult if you don’t have a 1 year old climbing on you! LOL! As a group we rated this meal as Mama approved and baby/toddler approved! The full results with some quotes from our mamas are posted below as well. This is definitely a keeper in my book and we will be making this for years to come!
RECIPE 1: Mac and Cheese with Roasted Cauliflower
RATING Overall Baby/toddler Approved? YES
3 voted yes
2 voted no
Quotes:
My child it weird about textures…
I made it with sharp cheddar (which is what we usually eat) but I think it might have been too rich for them.
RATING Overall Mama Approved? YES
ALL voted yes!
Quotes:
Even the leftovers were good!!
This was great!
My husband devoured it. I never roasted cauliflower before, but I loved that!
RATING Taste (Baby/toddlers thoughts)
Please rate on a 1-5 scale below.
5 loved the taste- 1 vote
4 liked the taste- 2 votes
3 taste was ok – 0 votes
2 somewhat disliked the taste- 0 votes
1 disliked the taste- 2 votes
Quotes
I liked it, my 11 month old liked it, but my 4 year old, who loves mac n cheese And loves Cauliflower did not. …I’m thinking the mustard flavor was too much
14 month old loved this! She enjoyed trying to use her fork to pick up the pieces and didn’t even seem to notice the cauliflower.
My seven-month-old ate it up. Can’t tell like vs. love with him because he eats most stuff, but he definitely gobbled it up!
RATING Taste (Mama’s thoughts)
Please rate on a 1-5 scale below.
5 loved the taste- 2 votes
4 liked the taste- 4 votes
3 taste was ok – 0 votes
2 somewhat disliked the taste- 0 votes
1 disliked the taste- 0 votes
Quotes:
I loved this dish!! Definitely making again!
It was good! Next time I think we will use mild cheese and add some bacon (because that’s how we roll)
It was tasty! I will add more cauliflower next time. Mine was very saucy (which isn’t a bad thing!)
I will probably play with the cheese flavor a little. I liked it, but Daddy wanted more flavor. Bacon is a great idea!
RATING Ease of Preparation
Please rate on a 1-5 scale below.
5- very easy to prepare
4- somewhat easy to prepare – 2 votes
3- moderate preparation – 4 votes
2- somewhat difficult to prepare
1- too difficult/time consuming to prepare
Quotes
We really liked it….making it again soon! haha
It was good!
Here is the full recipe for you to try! Enjoy!!!
Mac and Cheese with Roasted
Cauliflower
Makes about 5 servings
Skip the boxed macaroni and
cheese and make this dish instead! My mac and cheese is easy to make and so
much healthier. It gets a nutritional boost from cauliflower, which is packed
with powerful antioxidants as well as fiber, protein and an impressive array of
vitamins and minerals. Roasting the cauliflower in the oven caramelizes it and
intensifies the flavor. You can substitute broccoli if you desire.
3 cups
small cauliflower florets
1
tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces
elbow macaroni, preferably whole grain
2
tablespoons unsalted butter
2
tablespoons flour
2 cups
milk
½
teaspoon Dijon mustard
5 ounces
shredded cheddar cheese (about 2 cups)
Salt and
pepper, to taste
Preheat
the oven to 425°F.
Place
the cauliflower florets on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Toss the
florets with the oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until
edges are browned and cauliflower is cooked, 15–18 minutes.
Meanwhile,
bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the macaroni according to package
directions. Drain.
Melt the
butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until a
smooth paste forms. Cook1-2 minutes until the paste is light tan in color.
Whisk in the milk, and bring to a simmer, whisking often, until a smooth sauce
forms. Whisk in the mustard and ½ teaspoon salt. Simmer the sauce for a few
minutes until it is thickened. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the
cheese until fully melted.
Add the
cooked macaroni and roasted cauliflower to the sauce and stir to combine well.
One
serving: Calories 425; Fat 19.8g (Sat 11.7g); Protein 18.5g; Carbs 44.4g; Fiber
5.1g; Sodium 479mg