Day 8: Cauliflower Mac & Cheese

I have to admit that the meatloaf and mashed potatoes dinner made so much that we at it Tuesday night too. Wednesday night we went out to dinner before a school function. Since I have no dinners to blog about from the past two nights, I'll share a yummy and healthful recipe that I tried over the holidays. My Aunt Debbie served this at our extended family Christmas celebration in Atlanta. My family and I weren't able to make it this year, but I definitely heard about the delicious Mac & Cheese recipe with a healthy twist.

Aunt Debbie's Healthy Mac & Cheese

Grocery List:

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 12 oz. whole grain macaroni
• 4 slices multigrain bread (for breadcrumbs)
• 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley
• 1 onion
• 1 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1 1/2 cups grated extra sharp Cheddar cheese

Probably already have in your fridge or pantry (if not add to your list):

• 3 tsp. olive oil
• Sea salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

Directions:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees.
• Cook pasta according to package (about 7 to 8 minutes for al dente).
• Tear bread into pieces. Add to blender and pulse until bread becomes coarse crumbs.
• Add 1/2 cup chopped parsley, 2 tsp. olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Pulse until blended. Set aside.
• Wash and roughly chop cauliflower.
• Return pasta pot to medium heat. Add 1 tsp olive oil, chopped onion, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and cook over medium heat stirring until soft (about 5 to 7 minutes).
• Mix in cooked pasta, chopped cauliflower, cheese, sour cream, milk and mustard.
• Coat 3/4 quart casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
• Transfer mixture to casserole dish.
• Top with bread crumbs and bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

This was really different and delicious. The cauliflower adds an unexpected crunch. The recipe makes a ton -- especially if you plan to serve this as a side dish. We even split ours into two separate casserole dishes. We also added more cheese than the recipe calls for -- it is Mac & Cheese after all!