Bacon Cauliflower Mac & Cheese is a great way to make that classic comfort food into a healthier well-rounded meal. Cauliflower adds extra nutrition, and its color blends right in to the creamy cheese sauce. The cauliflower and pasta cook together in one pot, so dinner is ready in just 35 minutes!
This heartier, healthier mac and cheese uses one full head of cauliflower. The sauce is made from the water that cooks the pasta and cauliflower together, a little heavy cream, and lots of fresh shredded cheese! And everything is just better with bacon, right?!
If you are a fan of cauliflower, try this Creamy Cauliflower White Bean Soup with Crispy Prosciutto!
And for a quick and easy lunch for the kids, skip the boxed version and make this Easy 8 Minute Mac and Cheese!
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Ingredients
- Bacon - We love crispy bacon as a delicious topper for each creamy bowl. But the fat from the bacon is also used to start cooking the cauliflower, spreading that bacon flavor through the whole dish.
- Cauliflower - I puree a whole head of cauliflower with 1½ cups water to get it fairly smooth. If you'd rather, you can also chop the cauliflower if you like to see the florets. If you are skeptical of all that cauliflower, you could make this recipe using less, try half of a head.
- Garlic - Gives good flavor, but you could also substitute 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Kosher Salt - Salt is so important in this recipe to bring out all the flavors. Give it a taste at the end and add a pinch more as needed.
- Flour - A bit of flour added early on helps to thicken the finished sauce.
- Water - The water use to boil the pasta, simultaneously cooks the cauliflower. Don't drain it! The starchy pasta water stays in the pot to form the sauce!
- Macaroni - You can substitute different short grain pastas here such as bowtie, medium shells, rotini, or cavatappi.
- Heavy Cream - Cream turns your pasta cooking water, along with the cauliflower puree, into the sauce. I would not try to skimp on the fat and use half and half or milk.
- Cheddar Cheese - I like to use a combination of regular and white cheddar cheese. You could also try combinations of other cheeses like provolone, Muenster, gouda, mozzarella, Havarti or Parmesan. Buy a block and shred it yourself!
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Step 1 - In a large pot, cook the bacon until crisp, then reserve it in a a bowl. Discard about 5 Tablespoons of the fat, keeping some in the pot to saute the cauliflower.
Be careful when draining the fat, it's hot! You can spoon it into a glass bowl or jar to cool.
Then toss it in the trash, not down the drain, or refrigerate and use it to fry your eggs!
Step 2 - While the bacon cooks, cut your cauliflower into quarters and slice out the core. Roughly chop the cauliflower.
Step 3 - Add the cauliflower plus 1.5 cups of water to a food processor.
Step 4 - Blend until it's as smooth as you can get it. Stop to scrape down the sides, or stir it around to get it moving.
Step 5 - When you've removed the bacon and drained some of the fat, add the cauliflower puree to cook in the bacon fat for about 4 minutes.
Step 6 - Add the garlic (you can mince it in the now empty food processor), salt and flour and stir another minute.
Step 7 - Add 4 cups of water and the pasta. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the temperature so it isn't sputtering out of control.
Boil until the pasta is al dente, about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir often as it boils.
The mixture will look a little grainy like polenta as the cauliflower and pasta are cooking together. DO NOT DRAIN!
Step 8 - Taste a noodle to decide when it's done, then reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream.
Continue stirring and slowly add in the shredded cheese to melt into the sauce.
Step 9 - Continue stirring a few more minutes over a low burner until the mac & cheese thickens. You can add the bacon back in, or save it to serve on top.
Storage Instructions
- Store leftover Bacon Cauliflower Mac & Cheese in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
- Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop. You may want to add a little milk or cream when reheating as it will thicken in the refrigerator.
- This dish does not freeze well.
What to Serve With Mac & Cheese
Bacon Cauliflower Mac & Cheese is a great side dish for Honey Mustard Dry Rub Ribs, bbq chicken, or Shaved Pork Roast Sandwiches.
Veggie mac & cheese is also a great main dish, balanced nicely with a big green salad! Try these favorites:
Top Tip
Shred your own cheese for this recipe! The pre-shredded bags are preserved so they don't clump in the bag, which makes them not melt as well.
A block of cheese shredded yourself adds so much more flavor to this dish!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! The cauliflower blends in with its color and texture, but yes it still tastes like cauliflower. One out of my two kids liked it! If you think your kids will be too picky, you can try using half a head of cauliflower.
Yes, the amount of bacon you use is really up to you! Sometimes I'll throw a half package of bacon in the freezer, perfect for using in this recipe.
Yes, you can definitely try this recipe with half or even a quarter head of fresh cauliflower if you just want to give the hidden veggie thing a try! Just use less water when you puree the cauliflower.
If you get everything put together and your mac and cheese seems too thin, you can continue to simmer it over a low burner on the stove, stirring frequently to allow the steam to escape and reduce it. You can also bake the entire thing, which will reduce the liquid and thicken it up.
More Favorite Pasta Recipes to Try!
If you made this recipe, I'd love to hear how you liked it! Be sure to leave a star rating by clicking the stars in the recipe card, or leave a comment below!
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One-Pot Bacon Cauliflower Mac & Cheese
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Print Pin RateIngredients
- 6 strips bacon chopped
- 1 cauliflower (pureed with 1½ cups water)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon flour
- 4 cups water
- 1 pound macaroni
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 cups cheddar and white cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add the chopped bacon and cook until crisp. Stir occasionally, about 7 minutes. Remove the bacon to a bowl and discard 5 to 6 Tablespoons of the fat. Leave the rest in the pot.
- Meanwhile, wash and cut the cauliflower in quarters. Cut out and discard the stem and roughly chop the cauliflower. Puree the cauliflower in a food processor with 1½ cups of water, until smooth. When the bacon is removed, add the cauliflower puree to the hot bacon fat. Do this right away before the bacon fat starts to burn. Cook about 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic (you can mince it in the now empty food processor), salt, and flour and stir for another minute.
- Add the pasta and 4 cups of water, COVER and increase to high heat. Cook until the pasta is al dente, about 10 to 12 minutes. ADJUST the heat back down if it sputters out of control! Stir frequently while it boils. Taste a noodle to know when it's done! DO NOT DRAIN.
- When the pasta is cooked, reduce heat to low and stir in the heavy cream. Stir in the cheese a little at a time to melt, about 5 minutes. Taste and add a pinch of salt if needed.
- Top with the bacon, extra shredded cheese, and chopped parsley!
Notes
- To discard the bacon fat, use a measuring spoon and pour it into a glass bowl. Once cooled, discard in the trash, not the drain, or save it to fry your eggs!
- Don't drain the pasta after boiling, it becomes the sauce.
Faye Matsuda says
Thank you! This is first time I tried your recipe and my family loved it! It was written in a way that was easy to understand and follow. And I love it because I can use any vegetables.
Meryl says
Thank you! So glad you liked it!