If you haven’t noticed, cauliflower is a regular guest in my recipes as an awesome low-carb swap for rice and potatoes. But what if I told you that it also makes an awesome swap for mac and cheese? Well, that’s exactly what I’m touting.
Comfort Food at it’s Prime
Though cauliflower florets aren’t an exact dupe for noodles, they make for a super satisfying low-carb alternative that is just asking to be smothered in cheese sauce. And Sausage. And Kale. I know, I had to sneak some green in there! Trust me friends, this Cauliflower Mac & Cheese with Kale and Sausage is comfort food at it’s prime.
Do you love cheese as much as I do? I hope so because this recipe has a ton of it. I’m talking about a cheese sauce made from multiple kinds of cheese and if that wasn’t enough, more cheese on top. If you’d prefer to focus on the veggies, this dish is packed with both cauliflower and kale. Do you feel less guilty now?
Ok, probably not.
To top it off, this dish is also chock full of sausage. This is a totally optional addition. If you’d rather keep this Cauliflower Mac & Cheese vegetarian, it is awesome sans meat. But, I figure if you’re going to do it, you might as well do it properly.
A note for special diets
This Cauliflower Mac & Cheese is grain-free, gluten-free and fits Keto diets. In order to make this dish SIBO friendly, it’s important that you choose lactose-free dairy products. Traditional cream cheese is not super SIBO friendly, so I swap it for Lactose-Free Cream Cheese from Green Valley Organics. If you’re not worried about a little lactose, regular cream cheese works identically so go ahead and use it. For the shredded cheese, I make this with cheddar to keep the lactose in trace amounts (less than 0.5g lactose). My favorite option is Tillamook Triple Cheddar because I figure when you’re making Cauliflower Mac & Cheese, the more types of cheddar the merrier. If lactose isn’t an issue for you, mozzarella cheese is also great in this.
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Cauliflower Mac & Cheese with Kale & Sausage
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 large portions 1x
- Category: Mains
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
- 2 cups Lacinato kale, chopped
- 3 bratwurst sausages – or – 1 1/2lbs ground sausage
- 8 oz cream cheese (we use Green Valley Organics Lactose-Free)
- 3/4 cup whole milk (we use lactose-free)
- 1/2 cup sour cream (we use Green Valley Organics Lactose-Free)
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 cup green onions, chopped
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 3 cups shredded cheese, divided (I like to use a mix of medium and sharp cheddar, but you can also mix in mozzarella if the lactose doesn’t bother you)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C).
- Lightly oil or butter a 4 1/2 qt baking dish and add cauliflower florets and kale. Set to the side.
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add 2 tsp butter or ghee to melt. Add sausages links to brown turning on each side every ~2 minutes. The sausage does not need to be fully cooked through, you just want to get a nice brown on the outside. Remove from heat, slice into 1/2 inch coins, and reserve to the side. (Alternatively, if you are using ground sausage, brown the sausage, drain excess fat, and reserve sausage to the side).
- In the same saucepan, lower heat to medium-low and add cream cheese, milk, sour cream, Dijon, green onions, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Stir until melted and combined.
- Slowly add 2 cups of the shredded cheese, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring each until fully combined.
- Once sauce is fully combined and smooth, pour over the top of the cauliflower and kale mixture and add sausage. Fold ingredients until well-coated.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1 cups of cheese on top and place in oven to bake for 40 minutes. I like to cover the dish for the first 20 minutes and then remove the cover for the final 20 to allow the cheese to brown a bit.
- I highly recommend letting the dish sit for atleast 10 minutes after removing from the oven. The cauliflower is not only blisteringly hot straight from the oven, but I like to give the sauce some time to thicken as it cools slightly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion
- Calories: 617
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 1062 mg
- Fat: 52 g
- Saturated Fat: 29 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 159 mg
This looks and sounds amazing. I love finding healthy substitutes and also enjoying good food. Thanks for sharing this!
Oh I love cheese. Must try!
Oh my gosh, this looks like such a yummy recipe! 🙂
Looks absolutely delicious, adding kale to mac and cheese it’s such a great way to make them sound healthier XD
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This looks and sounds amazing! I can’t wait to try this recipe. I need more low carb yumminess in my life!
What a great way to enjoy cauliflower. You can never go wrong with a mac’n cheese dish any night of the week. The added kale and sausage add to the depth of flavour for sure.
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My daughter loves cauliflower. I bet this would go over great at my house.
This sounds absolutely amazing – I still get my cheese and sausage, but also get to feel a bit healthier with the cauliflower and kale in there!
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I have always loved the combination of cauliflower and cheese, so I am completely ready to serve this for dinner. I also agree with you that the more types of cheddar, the merrier. I’ve never added kale to macaroni and cheese, but this combination is wonderful.
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looks like such a comforting dish – great for our stormy weather!
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I would keep it vegetarian, but I am loving this cauliflower mac and cheese with kale and lots of cheese, well, 3 kinds of cheese and more cheese on top. Yes!!
I have pinned, I have printed, and I am ready to make this! I am usually not on board with the cauliflower train, but with this cheese sauce?! YESPLEASEFEEDMENOW <3 The husband and I are doing paleo, so this is perfect!
Mac and cheese is a favorite around here but we don’t make it very often because it’s so not healthy. This looks like a good alternative!
Oh this is sooooo up my alley. I’ve been dabbling in low carb and cauliflower. I’m stuck at what else to do with all that cauliflower and this couldn’t be more perfect! It’s already printed and ready for Sat night! Thanks!
wow this looks delicious! I love kale and you had me at mac and cheese!
You are right. Cauliflower is not the perfect replacement for the mac in mac & cheese, but I think it stands up on its own as its own recipes. I love this veggie and if you add melted cheese on it, how can it be bad? Oh, and sausage. mmmmmm sausage.
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Yum. Look at all that cheesy goodness! I love cauliflower and think it is perfect substituting it for the pasta! I can’t wait to try your delicious recipe.
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This is not something I would have ever thought about making myself. What a smart idea! This looks absolutely delicious and filling. Great idea!
This looks so good! I haven’t had cauliflower in years maybe I’d like it much more with mac and cheese 🙂
OMG!! Had to pin this! It looks heavenly. Any time I can sneak veggies into comfort food, I’m all in!
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I love how simple the ingredients are! Something readily available in my pantry 🙂
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I am totally going to try this!! Look so delicious 🙂
Wow this looks good. I have been really expanding what vegetables i eat lately and kale happens to be in my fridge right now.
That cauliflower substitution is really appealing. I don’t each much pasta these days, so the switch would work well for me. Thanks for the suggestion!
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Oh my gosh this looks freaking amazing. I LOVE cauliflower and cheese so basically this recipe is meant for me. I will be pinning it for future!
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Cauliflower and cheese … two of my favorite ingredients. I’m definitely trying this, thanks for the recipe.
Oh my goodness, I can’t wait to try this! Yum!
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This looks so yummy! I’m a big fan of max & cheese, so I definitely need to try!
What a perfect way to add the extra veggies to a dish! This looks so good and I think my family would enjoy it too! Will have to try this out.
This macaroni and cheese is amazing! Love all the fun flavors you added! I am totally saving this for when we have leftover brats this summer!
Such a great way to add more veggies to dinner! Definitely going to have to try out this recipe. My family would love it!
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I love using cauliflower in recipes! This looks really yummy! I also love the Tillamook cheese. Great combo!! Can’t wait to try it out! I would leave th sausage out being a vegetarian, but this sounds super good without it too1
I am totally trying this! I just started low carb/keto and this will be perfect!!
Xo,
Alexandra Christine Blog
http://www.alexandrachristineblog.com
This looks so good! I will definitely be making this!!
Ohhh our family is addicted to cheese so this is right up my alley! haha
Yummy! I love that this is a one-pan meal. I would also try making this without the sausage as a side and make some baked chicken.
I love being Cauliflower in Mac and cheese, but adding the kale is josh next level. Definitely trying that.
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I have to try it! I love cauliflower and this idea totally appeals to me.
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This is such a tasty dish, ultimate comfort food and perfect for any day of the week!
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LOVE mac n cheese and LOVE cauliflower so pretty sure i’d love this recipe! that cheese looks so darn good!
Oh wow!!! This CAULIFLOWER MAC & CHEESE WITH KALE AND SAUSAGE looks yummy!! I have it any night!!
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I have been on a keto diet for a month and honestly, I miss mac and cheese so much. So this recipe post basically speaks to my soul
Swapping cauliflower for pasta in this recipe is a great idea! Add the super healthy kale and sausage and this make s a perfect meal.
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This recipe sounds amazing! Not sure about the lactose free cream cheese, but definitely going to try making it
I love cauliflower and that dish looks incredible! Looks like the perfect meal on a cold day with all of that yummy melted cheese happening in the bowl. 🙂
OMG yum! Pasta was one of the hardest things for us to give up when we went grain free. However, this cauliflower substitution looks like it could cure all our mac’n’cheese cravings!!
What a treat! I love a good mac n cheese. Can’t wait to try your recipe!
I love eating keto because I get to have cheesy deliciousness like this. I have developed such an appreciation for vegetables like kale and cauliflower. Can’t wait to give this a try.
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What an amazing way to switch up the norm! No, I would not have thought to switch noodles to cauliflower! And I love that you added the Dijon mustard!!
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This looks like such a satisfying “mac and cheese” and I bet you don’t even miss the pasta, with the sausage, kale, and all of that cheesy goodness! What a great way to switch up a classic comfort meal!
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HOLLYY!! thanks for this. bookmarking now
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This meal looks SO yummy. I love the fact that it’s low in carbs too.
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What a great way to enjoy cauliflower. Love the sound of this delicious casserole. Perfect for the rainy weekend that is just around the corner.
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This is a perfectly balanced meal. I may even be able to trick my girls into eating cauliflower with this delicious mac and cheese!
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I’m totally craving this healthier version of mac -n- cheese! Looks so comforting, can’t wait to make it!
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This looks so good as a low-carb alternative to regular mac and cheese. I am drooling at the sight of this dish!
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Yes count me in! Kale and sausage sounds like the perfect addition to a mac and cheese. I’m also intrigued by the low-carb cauliflower mac, very good idea!
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this is like the ultimate comfort food. it sounds absolutely incredible Jenni – perfect for a East dinner!
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This looks so cheesy and delicious I love kale and sausage together too. Such a tasty and comforting combination.
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I love that this recipe uses cream cheese. It adds the perfect creamy texture for the ultimate mac and cheese. Thanks for sharing!
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What a fun twist on the usual mac and cheese. I lvoe that you’ve incorporated veggies into a traditional carb loaded recipe. This looks delicious!
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Baked cauliflower cheese has been a favourite side dish of mine since childhood. I’ve never added sausage to it, or kale. Sounds delicious and good enough to be a meal on its own!
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This looks so yummy! I have been making these casseroles with cauliflower but I love your combination with the kale and sausage!
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This dish looks like the healthiest version of mac&cheese, yummy!
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Great notes for special diets. And a fabulous recipe in general – really like the combination of all the ingredients here. Yum!
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I did notice and I am absolutely happy about it – cauliflower has been “my thing” lately so I can’t stop enjoying all the cauliflower recipes that I stumble upom. Yum!
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This Mac and Cheese with Kale and sausage looks delicious. It makes a whole some meal, perfect for quick dinner.
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Wow it looks so fav! Love the flavors added here. I am sure it would be a hit at my place. Will definitely give it a try. Thanks for sharing!!
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This is one impressive dish! Pretty spectacular I must say! And I love that it’s low carb!
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A hearty bowl of cheesy goodness!
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Wow, drooling. This looks fantastic! Love kale and sausage combo.
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All my favourite foods in one dish! This was totally delicious and I no pasta was missed 🙂
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This is the best combo – comfort food but healthy! You can eat this without feeling weighed down and gross afterward. it’s delicious!
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Oh my goodness, that cheese sauce with the Dijon looks amazing!! I can’t wait to make this. Thank you!
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Oh. my. goodness. The flavors in this have me drooling! So much comfort food there.
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I love this recipe. Full of deliciousness and healthy ingredients.
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Don’t mind if I eat the whole pan! Lol, it loos sooo delicious . . who needs noodles!?
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This looks so hearty, filling and delicious! Perfect comfort food!
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This is a good way to get me to eat more kale with this cheesy comfort dish! Brilliant 🙂
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I need to try this recipe ASAP. Perfect combination of flavors.
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I’m so amazed by this recipe. My mouth is drooling just thinking of it, and I really want to have this like every day!
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We made this the other day and totally loved it!!! Pure comfort food, and all of us fought for the leftovers!!!! Thanks!
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This recipe is a huge hit in our house. I keep this page on bookmark. It’s in the oven again tonight.
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