March 2011
20 posts
Comfort Food Spin: Baked Cauliflower Mac & Cheese
I love mac & cheese, but I just can’t get down with all that pasta. After the success (and deliciousness) of the Cauliflower and Ham Gratin, I knew I had to put cauliflower to use in a take on mac & cheese.
Yes, this is the real thing. I cut mine up before I got a chance to snap a pic.
To make my cauliflower version, I used Alton Brown’s recipe, but tweaked it. I think my version is superior because the addition of spinach and chicken sausage make it a heartier, protein-rich dish. Oh, and it’s gluten-free! See below for my changes:
You’ll need (makes ~6-8 servings):
1/2 pound elbow macaroni2 heads cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces- 3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour1 tablespoon powdered mustard3 cups milk2 cups half and half mixed with cream1/2 cup1 yellow onion, finely diced- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg12 ounces2ish cups sharp cheddar, shredded, 1ish cup Monterey Jack- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh black pepper
- Add: 4-5 cups baby spinach
- Add: 1 package (5 links) pre-cooked roasted garlic chicken sausage, sliced
- Add to taste: crushed red pepper, basil, oregano
Topping:
3 tablespoons butter1 cup panko bread crumbs1 cup almond meal seasoned with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepperMake it:
This is where Alton and I totally diverge, so I’ll just give you my method.
Combine the cauliflower, sausage, and spinach in a large bowl. Then, melt butter in a large sauce pan. Stir in the onion, half and half/cream, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Keep stirring until the cheese melts. Season well with salt, pepper, etc.
Add the cauliflower, sausage, and spinach to the sauce and coat well, then pour into a large casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and then sprinkle with almond meal. You could use Alton’s method of tossing the almond meal in butter before you add it, but I didn’t think the dish needed more richness.
Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes (covered), then another 10-15 minutes uncovered, or until the cauliflower is tender.
February 2011
75 posts
The only pizza dough recipe you'll ever need. →
thepioneerwoman.com
Basic Pizza Crust
Prep Time: 5 Minutes | Cook Time: | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Instant Or Active Dry Yeast
- 1-½ cup Warm Water
- 4 cups All-purpose Flour (I like to sub 2 c whole wheat flour, any more than that & it starts getting cardboard-y)
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ⅓ cups Olive Oil
Preparation Instructions
Sprinkle yeast over 1 1/2 cups warm (not lukewarm) water. Let stand for a few minutes.
In a mixer, combine flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed (with paddle attachment), drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour. Next, pour in yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined, and the dough comes together in a sticky mass.
Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil, and form the dough into a ball. Toss to coat dough in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set it aside for 1 to 2 hours, or store in the fridge until you need it.
Note: it’s best to make the dough at least 24 hours in advance, and 3 or 4 days is even better.
When you are ready to make the pizza, grab HALF the pizza dough (recipe makes 2 crusts) and squeeze the dough toward the bottom to form a nice, tight, pulled ball. You can roll out the pizza with a rolling pin if you’d like, but sometimes it’s just as easy to throw it around and pull and stretch till it feels right. And when the crust is nice and thin, lay it on an oiled baking sheet or pizza pan. Drizzle a little olive oil on the dough and spread it with your fingers. Very lightly sprinkle some salt on the crust.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Top your crust with your toppings of choice. Then bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and toppings are bubbly.
