While this indulgent keto mac and cheese casserole may not be *exactly* like the traditional mac and cheese, it’s rich, hearty, and full of flavour - satisfying!
Note: This delicious recipe was first posted on my original blog, Celebration Generation, on September 30, 2020. It was transferred over to this blog - existing comments and all - on 9/27/2021, and updated on 5/5/2022.
This “Mac and Cheese” definitely needs the quotation marks - it’s not *exactly* like the real thing - regular mac n cheese- it’s a cheesey cauliflower dish.
However, when you’re low carbbing and actual pasta is off the table, it’s got a satisfying mix of tastes and textures, and scratches that particular itch!
Drown it in a rich, creamy cheese sauce and it instantly becomes the ultimate comfort food, able to quiet those pasta cravings!
This low carb cauliflower mac and cheese recipe can be made vegetarian if needed, and served either as a main meal or a side dish.
Sometimes I get distracted by the “Mac and Cheese” name, forget that we are, in fact, talking about a dish that is almost entirely cauliflower... and toss in some broccoli florets to feel “responsible”.
Brains are weird sometimes. Anyway...
The Specs
This delicious cauliflower mac and cheese is far lower in carbs than traditional recipes, making it suitable for those on a low carb diet - or even a keto diet.
As a main dish, this weighs in with a total of 9 grams of carbs and 2 grams of fiber, for a total of 7 grams of net carbs - fitting in easily with a low carb lifetyle.
There’s also 31 grams of protein per serving, so you can indulge in cheesy goodness AND feel like you’re being responsible!
The nice thing is that this low carb recipe is one that can be enjoyed by the whole family.
There’s nothing weird going on here, all you’re missing is the added carbs that actual pasta contributes.
Keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Ingredients
For ingredient amounts and step by step instructions, see the recipe card at the end of this post
This like many of my favorite recipes, this one is made up of simple ingredients that can be found at basically any grocery store.
That said, there are some things to know, some substitutions you can make, etc:
Fresh Cauliflower
The main ingredient, cauliflower florets - small pieces cut from the cauliflower head - are used in place of macaroni noodles.
I tend to use a fresh head of cauliflower when they’re in season and looking good, but a large bag of frozen cauliflower works as well.
Just be sure to thaw and drain it well, as frozen cauliflower can bring too much moisture if not prepared properly, making for a runnylow carb macaroni and cheese dish.
When I’m using a fresh head of cauliflower, I like to JUST use the florets, with as little of the stem parts as possible - I find the stems can taste a bit bitter.
Because of this, I like to taste a bit of the cauliflower after cooking, and before tossing in the sauce. If it’s super horseradishy, either grab a bag of frozen, or account for that when picking your cheese, if possible.
When using frozen cauliflower bites, I just follow the same directions for microwaving it.
In theory, you’d think it would need more time to cook, as it’s cooking from frozen... but freezing breaks it down a bit, so it ends up at the right texture in the same amount of time.
About the Chicken
While chicken doesn’t normally find itself in Mac and Cheese, I added it into this one to add some protein, and fill it out as a main dish.
Sometimes I’ll cook up some chicken breast just for this recipe, other times I’ll save the effort and either use leftover roast chicken, or chop up a rotisserie chicken.
You can make this vegetarian by either skipping the chicken entirely, or swapping it out for your favourite alternative protein source.
Sometimes we’ll do up some crispy smoked tofu - we do it the same way we do for my Low Carb Sesame Crusted Smoked Tofu, just skipping the sesame seeds - or using white ones - purely for aesthetic reasons.
If you’re looking to serve this as a side - rather than a complete meal - you can definitely just skip the chicken altogether!
Cheese
Cheese is used for both the cheesy sauce, and as part of the topping (Parmesan cheese).
I tend to see sharp cheddar cheese as my default for this recipe, but will use different cheeses based on what’s in the fridge, and what I feel like that day.
If you’ve read my posts on Fromage Fort or Smoked Cheese Balls - on Celebration Generation - you probably know that I’m a fan of mixing odds and ends of cheese that have built up in our cheese drawer.
On one hand, you’ll never have exactly the same Low Carb Mac and Cheese twice, when you use odds and ends. Variety is the spice of life, you’ll never get bored!
On the other hand, you’ll never have exactly the same Low Carb Mac and Cheese twice, so if you happen across the PERFECT mix of cheese bits... savour it while you can!
If I’m in the mood for a smoky “Mac and Cheese”, I’ll front load the cheese mixture with some smoked cheddar and/or smoked provolone. ACTUAL smoked cheese, please - not that “smoke flavour” grossness. (Sorry, I have OPINIONS on the matter, LOL!)
Once I’ve figured out the general idea of where I’m going, I’ll let that guide me on what other cheeses I add, if any.
For instance, a little bit of Red Dragon cheese - it has brown ale and mustard seeds - works well with smoked cheese, but I’m not a fan of including horseradish havarti with it.
Generally speaking, I find that if you’re not veering too far outside of the norm with your cheese tastes (lavender cheese, guacamole cheese, etc), MOST cheeses work together.
Remaining Sauce Ingredients
In addition to the cheese, you will need the following to make the cheese sauce:
Cream cheese
Heavy cream / Heavy whipping cream
Garlic Powder
Mustard Powder / Ground mustard
Onion Powder
Smoked Paprika
Smoked Serrano Powder
Salt and Ground black pepper
Fresh chives
Crumb Topping
Nine times out of ten, I make this Low Carb Mac N Cheese as-is, with Parmesan as the sole topping.
Sometimes, though, I like to add a crunchy topping along with the grated cheese, before broiling. There are a few options, and which you choose will depend on your dietary needs, tastes, and availability of ingredients:
Pork Rinds
Pork Rinds are a popular snack option on the low carb diet. Crushed up, they can make a great substitute for bread crumbs.
Almond Flour or Finely Chopped Almonds
When I’m in the mood for almonds as a topping, I’ll usually grab some sliced almonds and chop them up a bit - I like the crunch it adds.
Almond flour is a much finer grind of almonds, but it still works well to add a bit of texture in with the cheese.
Plantain chips are NOT low carb, but sometimes I make this when I’m not actually low carbbing, more as a gluten-free substitute, or when I just have a bunch of cauliflower to use up.
When that’s the case, potato chips or plantain chips are a GREAT topping - my favourite of the lot. I’ll usually just toss some in a plastic baggie, squeeze most of the air out, and mash it up.
However you top this Low Carb Mac and Cheese, I hope you enjoy it!
Keto Mac and Cheese Variations
This recipe is SUPER customizable. I recommend doing it with the recipe on your first time making it, then going wild with it.
As I mentioned, the cheese is the best way to shake it up in terms of overall flavour.
Aside from that, other suggestions for customizing it are:
- Swap the chives out for thinly sliced green onions.
- Cook up a few slices of bacon (as crispy as you like!), and add them to the sauce when you add the cauliflower to the pot.
I like to reserve a bit of crumbled bacon to put on top, as well.
More Keto Potluck Foods
Looking for low carb options to serve at your next potluck - or bring to a party? I’ve got you covered with more low carb and keto recipes!
Keto Cabbage Rolls
Keto Funeral Potatoes
Loaded Pierogi Dip
Keto Stromboli Meatloaf
Low Carb Bacon Cheeseburger Soup
Keto Chewy Lemon Bars
Cheddar Biscuits [Keto Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits]
Keto Hummus
Crunchy Keto Crackers
Keto Raspberry Coconut Bars
Low Carb Broccoli Salad
Keto Turkey Meatballs with Cranberry Glaze
Low Carb Creamy Cucumber Salad
Chicken Bacon Ranch Armadillo Eggs
Keto Mushroom Turnovers
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Cauliflower “Mac and Cheese” with Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 head Cauliflower
- Salt and pepper
- 4 oz Cream cheese
- 1 cup Heavy cream
- 3 cups Shredded cheese s of choice
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Mustard Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Smoked Serrano Powder
- 2 teaspoon Finely chopped fresh chives
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups Cooked chicken chopped or shredded
- ½ cup Shredded Parmesan cheese
- Crumbled pork rinds optional
Instructions
- Grease an 8 x 8" baking dish, set aside.
- Break up cauliflower into small florets, transfer to a microwave safe dish. Season with a little salt and pepper, cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 8 minutes.
- As your cauliflower is cooking, make your cheese sauce:
- In a medium-large or large pot, melt cream cheese over medium heat or medium-high heat, stirring until smooth. Add heavy cream, gently whisk to combine.
- Once cream cheese mixture is hot, add shredded cheese - a little bit at a time - and seasonings.
- Stir until cheese is melted and everything smooth. Add chives, season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Drain your cooked cauliflower and add it to the pot of cheese sauce, along with the chicken.
- Pour into prepared casserole dish, top with Parmesan cheese and crumbled pork rinds, if using.
- Broil on high until top is golden, serve hot.
- Leftovers can be cooled to almost room temperature before being stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
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