Thursday, March 12, 2009

Recipe of the Week #3



Macaroni and Cheese With Cauliflower

from Real Simple



I found this recipe in last month's Real Simple, about Comfort Food made lighter, and was intrigued by the cauliflower. I'm not a fan, but baked in cheese, it was delicious! I ended up tweaking the recipe a bit, using readymade bread crumbs, and 2% milk. The taste testers loved it, and so did mom. It was creamy, plenty flavorful, and I didn't even notice the cauliflower. The verdict: It's a keeper!

The Recipe:

Ingredients
  • 12 ounces multigrain elbow macaroni
  • 1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
  • 4 slices multigrain bread, torn
  • 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups grated extra-sharp Cheddar (6 ounces)
  • 1 1/2 cups reduced-fat sour cream
  • 1/2 cup 1 percent milk
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Directions
  • Heat oven to 400° F. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, adding the cauliflower during the last 3 minutes of cooking time; drain.
  • Meanwhile, pulse the bread in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. Add the parsley, 2 tablespoons of the oil, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and pulse to combine; set aside.
  • Return the pasta pot to medium heat and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the onion, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, just until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Mix in the pasta, cauliflower, cheese, sour cream, milk, and mustard.
  • Transfer to a shallow 3-quart baking dish, sprinkle with the bread crumbs, and bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Geez, Brit... just scrolling through your blog is making me hungry... I'll be back to try a few of these...

Anonymous said...

yum! i would def eat that!
~Jessica