Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

Cauliflower:

• 2 1/2-3 lb head of cauliflower
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• salt to taste

Cheese sauce:

• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp all purpose flour can use all purpose GF flour
• 1 1/4 cup whole milk or 2% milk
• 4 oz sharp white cheddar cheese block
• 8 oz Monterrey Jack cheese block
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• salt to taste

Topping:

• 1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375° and lightly grease an 8×8 baking dish. (You can also use a different sized baking dish that’s about 2 quarts in size.)
• Wash the head of cauliflower and cut off the florets. Chop florets into bite-size pieces and try to make them close to the same size.
• Saute cauliflower pieces with some olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder over medium heat. Cook until it’s partially softened but still have a little crunch in the middle. (This could take 10-15 minutes, depending on how large you cut the pieces.)
• Take cauliflower out of the pan and set it aside.
• Melt butter in the same pan and whisk in flour. Keep whisking and slowly start pouring in milk. Keep gently whisking until all incorporated.
• When the milk mixture is warmed, start adding cheese one handful at a time. Continue to whisk and add the cheese in handfuls until all is smooth and melted. Season with salt, garlic powder, and pepper.
• When the cheese sauce is smooth, mix it with cauliflower and transfer into a greased baking dish.
• Spread cauliflower evenly in the baking dish and top it off with shredded Mozzarella cheese.
• Bake it for about 15 minutes. You can turn on the broiler until the top is golden but keep an eye on it.