Any Kitchen Will Do

Cauliflower Mac Bake

Our foster son Tall P makes really good cheesy scrambled eggs. Somehow he cooks the eggs just right and puts in just enough cheese right at the end to make it taste like baked macaroni and cheese. I won’t try to duplicate it, for it is something he does for us, so why try? He is the master! I had a hankering for them the other day when he was busy at school, so I decided to try a baked cauliflower version of mac n cheese. I think I found a great way to do a veggie version, although I bet he would not agree. I have to reveal here that Tall P is not a vegetable lover. He likes corn on the cob and vegetables in soup, and only if they are an unrecognizable puree added as a thickener and he does not know they were added. Yes, Paul, you now know the veggie soup secret! This dish was inspired by the cheesy eggs, created with cheesy veggies.  Go figure. It definitely appeased my craving for baked mac and cheese (not so much the Kraft version I grew up eating, but the baked stuff I discovered later in life). The dish was easy to prepare and bake, allowing me to time it perfectly with the smoked pork Big D made. Add some chimichurri to the pork and what a meal!

Cauliflower Mac Bake

1 large head cauliflower
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 eggs
1 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp red chile flakes
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 pound sharp white cheddar cheese, sliced into thin pieces
3 Tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Chop cauliflower head into bite-sized pieces, making sure stem pieces are a little smaller. Place white cheddar cheeses slices in the bottom of a 9×9 or 9-11 baking dish. Spread cauliflower evenly over cheese. In a medium bowl combine cream, eggs, garlic, salt, mustard and chile flakes. Whisk until well combined. Add cheese and stir until well coated. Pour cheese mixture over cauliflower, spreading it evenly. Make thin slices over butter and place them on top of cheese mixture. Place in preheated oven for 60 – 75 minutes. The thicker the cauliflower the longer the baking time to make sure the middle is baked soft. Remove from oven and let sit for five minutes before serving. Slice into six or nine pieces for side dishes – it should come out intact, but if it doesn’t, it will still taste awesome.