Veggie ‘Mac & Cheese’
Veggie ‘Mac & Cheese’
I recently came up with this recipe when on a low carb diet. However, it has since become a favorite side dish whether we’re doing low carb or not. It is THAT GOOD! Hope you’ll give it a try.
Ingredients
- 4 cups Uncooked Cauliflower Florets or Broccoli Florets or mixture of both, washed & patted dry.
- 2 Farm Fresh eggs
- 2 cups Heavy Cream
- 2 tsp Dry Mustard
- 1 1/2 cups Shredded Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- 1 ½ cups Shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Pepper
- Cayenne Pepper (optional)
- Fiesta Brand Chicken Rub or favorite Seasoned Salt
- Worcestershire Sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Shred cheese in food processor or with hand grater.
- In a large bowl, using a wire whisk, beat eggs and cream together until well combined.
- Add a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, a teaspoon of Chicken Rub or seasoned salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
- Mix well.
- Use cooking spray or spread room temp butter to grease 1 ½ to 2 quart casserole dish
- Sprinkle layer of cheese, then layer of veggies then repeat with cheese & veggie layers 2 more times, ending with cheese. Use cooking spray or room temp butter to grease dish.
- Slowly pour the egg/cream mixture evenly over the veggie/cheese mixture.
- Bake 45 minutes on middle rack in oven and check for doneness by inserting a knife in center to see if any liquid is remaining.
- If still liquid in center, return to oven and bake another 5-7 minutes and check again for doneness.
- Continue this process until center is no longer milky, but more of a custard consistency.
- You may need to lightly cover the top with foil to prevent too much browning, depending upon your oven.
- Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Feel free to use any combination of cheeses you prefer. I often use the pre-packaged shredded Chihuahua cheese (Mexican mozzarella) as part of my mixture and also love Gruyere in this dish.
You may have a bit of moisture in the casserole when you dip into it, as the veggies sometimes expel some of their natural water. If this happens, simply dab the bottom of the dish with a paper towel to soak up the extra liquid.
This is even better served as leftovers! Simply rewarm in a microwave set at 30% power until temp is to your liking.
I sometimes add sauteed onion and/or poblano or hatch chile pepper to the veg/cheese mix. Feel free to experiment with other veggies, as well.
Keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days.
For best results, grate your own cheese. It makes a huge difference in creaminess and flavor.
Serves 6-8 people as a side dish or 4 people as a main dish.
I cut this recipe in half when making for just my husband and me and we still have enough to enjoy later with another meal.
