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It was Canadian Thanksgiving a couple of days ago. Since I couldn't find a turkey anywhere, I just decided to make myself a yummy low carbified (is that even a word) cauliflower mac and cheese! I used to make lots of cheese sauces for lasagnas in my gluten eating days, so I based the cheese sauce recipe on that!
My usual cheese sauces are usually based with butter and flour, but it was quite easy to convert it to a low carb version. Just added a bit of xanthan gum and cooked it for a bit longer and it was the creamiest and most delicious sauce ever!
I flavoured it with some mustard and nutmeg as those are my go to spices for cheese sauces. You know, you can also use this cheese sauce to pour over any veggies or meat as it's super yummy!!!
I also added a bit of crushed pork rinds on top to give it a bit of crisp! I used these humongous cauliflower heads so it made about 5 portions. Ate some every meal since this weekend haha! You should also try making a Jalapeno Popper Cauliflower Mac and Cheese for a spiced up cauliflower cheese recipe! Or this low carb cheesy cauliflower casserole for the best cauliflower dinner ever! Another cauliflower I love to make, especially for the holiday season is my cauliflower stuffing! You don't need bread to make stuffing as cauliflower is just as good!
Low Carb Three-Cheese Cauliflower Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 large heads cauliflower (1kg/35.2oz)
- 30g orange cheddar (1 oz)
- 1 tbsp pork rinds (crushed)
- pinch parsley
Three-Cheese Sauce
- 100g white cheddar (3.50 oz)
- 200g orange cheddar (7 oz)
- 50g parmesan (1.7 oz)
- 3 cloves roasted garlic
- 120ml almond milk
- 180ml heavy cream
- ½ tsp xanthan gum
- ½ tsp mustard powder
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Separate the cauliflower into small florets. Put a large pot to boil and add the florets inside. Boil until slightly tender. Try not to overcook the cauliflower as it tends to break apart easily. Drain the water out and place the cauliflower florets in a large baking dish.
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.
- Grate your three cheeses. Mince the garlic cloves. In a small non-stick pot, add the almond milk, heavy cream and garlic. Put to boil. Turn off the heat and add the cheeses a little at a time while always whisking. Continue to whisk and continue to add the cheeses in small batches until it has all melted.
- Once the cheese is melted, add the mustard powder, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add the xanthan gum, turn up the heat to high and continue whisking for a good 5-8 minutes until the cheese sauce has considerably thickened and simmered down.
- Pour the thickened cheese sauce over the cauliflower florets in the baking dish. Add the shredded 30g orange cheddar over the entire dish and sprinkle some of the crushed pork rinds and parsley evenly.
- Place into the oven and bake for 10 minutes on the high rack just to melt that cheddar and crisp up the pork rinds!Take it out and enjoy!!
Nutritional information is provided through calculations made on fatsecret.com. They are approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on mypcoskitchen.com. Sugar alcohols are included in the fiber count. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber (which include sugar alcohols).
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Patricia Brooks
Can you give me a good substitute for the pork rinds. cant do those at all
Pat
What can I substitute for xantham gum?
Mira
Hi Pat, for a low carb option guar gum or tempered egg yolks might work. Or else usual starches like tapioca or arrowroot.
Amy
What can I substitute for the almond milk/flour?
Mira
Hi Amy, you can use more heavy cream instead of the almond milk. I don't use any almond flour in this recipe, though.
Liz
I just had to comment that this the greatest recipe - ever! I'm 2 weeks into Keto and have been using a lot of your recipes (thank you - by the way!) but this one blows every other one out of the water for sentimental reasons. The cheese mixture and texture tastes EXACTLY like my grandmother's secret mac and cheese. Talk about nostalgia and warm fuzzy feelings. Thank you for not only providing a delicious meal, but bringing on the wonderful memories surrounding that taste! 🙂
Kathy McC
Hi there! I made this today. Boiled the cauliflower for about 10 minutes total on medium high. I didn't have white cheddar so I used a mix of mozzarella and provolone. Also didn't have heavy cream so I used 1/2 milk and 1/2 half and half. Instead of xanthan gum i used tapioca flour and the sauce consistency was just fine. Delicious!!! Thank you so much.
Mira
Hi Kathy! Thank you! Tapioca or arrowroot works just fine for this recipe:) Glad you liked it!
Alicia
Looks yummy! Please cut ties with NRA.
Mira
Thank you! I'm not sure what you mean? I'm Canadian and have no ties whatsoever with the NRA..
Dee
What a moronic comment. WTH???
Hélène Nicole
So yummy! Thanks so much for cooking like this!