Ellie Krieger’s Skillet Mac & Cheese (with cauliflower!)

This one is in honor of my new Ellie Krieger cookbook that I just love, “Comfort Food Fix.”  I’ve always wanted to try cauliflower in mac & cheese to bulk up the vegetable content (that is otherwise non-existent!) and slim down the high saturated fat cheese part.  I would say that you must have an open mind, and realize that it’s not going to be quite as cheesy and creamy as your traditional dish, but remind yourself that it’s a much healthier version.  It’s also great for kids (or picky spouses!) because you can dice the cauliflower small enough to disguise it under the cheese.

I made a few small changes to the recipe, but it is entirely Ellie’s creation that I just had to share with you!  Due to copyright laws I’m going to link you right over to her website since I only made a few slight changes to the recipe.  You can see my changes below, and reference the website provided for the full recipe and nutrition information as it will only be slightly off from mine.

Ellie Krieger’s Skillet Mac & Cheese (with cauliflower!)

In my version I altered the ingredients as the following:

6 ounces (1 ½ cups) whole grain elbow macaroni, cooked according to package directions (about 3 cups)
3 cups 1-inch wide cauliflower florets
1 ¼ cups Light and Crisp Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs (see recipe in above link)
3 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 cups cold 1 percent low-fat milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1.5 cups shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons mustard powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Cooking Spray

Instructions can be found using the above link.  My only alteration was using a 9 x 13 glass baking dish instead of a skillet.

Nutritional Information can be found at the link as well.

Enjoy!