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Keto Mac and Cheese Recipe {Video}

April 2, 2018 Rebecca Baron 39 Comments

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Keto Mac and Cheese Recipe

This is the best ever Keto mac and cheese recipe. Mac and cheese is comfort food for a lot of people and now you can have it even on a Keto diet. I love how creamy and rich this is. It sure doesn't taste like healthy food!

This is my new favorite side dish. Well, maybe except spicy butternut squash soup. I had that for dinner the other day and I LOVED it. So easy and turns out great every time. Guess I'll have to post that recipe soon . . .

One of the things that's great about this recipe is that it gets me to eat more veggies. I mean, I love veggies and I'm eating way more now than I used to, but I really get tired of the same vegetables over and over. When I eat this stuff, I find myself eating tons of cauliflower, which is really good. Plus, this helps me not to miss pasta so much.

Keto Mac and Cheese Recipe

Main Ingredients

  • A whole head of cauliflower - this is the main body of your dish. It's surprising how much of it you can eat when it's soft, creamy and smothered in a delicious cream sauce.
  • Butter or bacon fat - really any sort of "fat" will do but one with the most flavor is the best, especially since you don't use that much.
  • Heavy cream - I really do recommend using heavy cream and not using half and half or milk, etc. It's not only better carb-wise but it's so nice and rice and creamy. But the real advantage as far as cooking with it is it doesn't curdle. It's so much easier to work with.
  • Cheddar cheese - I like to use a good quality medium. It seems to have a balance of enough flavor but being still easy to work with. Sharp has more flavor but it's really hard to work with. It doesn't melt properly, falls apart, costs more, is harder to find, etc.

Tips and tricks

  • If you like your cauliflower to be more firm, start the cream sauce first and let it get warmed up and going for a few minutes before you add the cauliflower.
Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
  • If you want this thicker without having to cook it down for so long and make the cauliflower super soft, you can cook the sauce and the cauliflower separate. Start the cauliflower when the sauce is almost done. I like to cook my cauliflower in the Instant Pot * for 3-10 minutes on steam, depending on how soft I want it. Then - this is important - drain the cauliflower really, really well before you add it to the cheese sauce. Otherwise, it will water down the sauce and make the cauliflower and the sauce taste watery.
  • If your pan isn't ovenproof, you can just put a lid on it and let the cheese melt on the stovetop with the heat turned off.
  • You could totally add bacon to this, which would make it even more Keto and would add a lot of flavors. After all, bacon is a cornerstone meat on the Keto diet!
  • For extra flavor, use sharp cheddar and add some cayenne pepper. Or try jalapeños, sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning or Parmesan cheese.
  • You could also add a few tablespoons of cream cheese to make it a bit richer and thicker.
  • Instead of cauliflower, you could use spaghetti squash or zoodles *.

I hope you like this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear if you try this and like it. Please comment below and let me know how it turned it.

Keto Macaroni and Cheese
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Recipe

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Keto Mac and Cheese

Keto Mac and Cheese Recipe

★★★★★ 5 from 20 reviews
  • Author: Rebecca Baron
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

I love how creamy and rich this Mac and Cheese is. It sure doesn't taste like healthy food!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 Head Cauliflower (I used a fairly large head, about the equivalent of 4-5 cups)
  • 1 tablespoon Grass-fed butter or bacon fat
  • 1 cup Water
  • 1 cup Heavy Cream
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Yellow Mustard
  • 12 ounces Cheddar Cheese (grated)
  • Black Pepper (to taste)

Instructions

  1. Break the head of cauliflower into very small florets, discarding the thick stems. You should have 4-5 cups of cauliflower florets, in the end.
  2. Place the cauliflower florets in a large, deep sided saute pan. Add the butter, water, cream ,salt, garlic powder and mustard.
  3. Bring to a simmer over medium/high heat. Cover and let cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender.
  4. If the liquid is still thin, let it cook, uncovered, until it has reduced to the consistency of heavy cream.
  5. Add ⅔ of the shredded cheese to the cauliflower and toss into the sauce until it melts and sauce becomes creamy. Taste sauce and add more salt, if needed.
  6. Remove from heat and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and a grating of fresh black pepper. Assuming your pan is oven proof, set it under the broiler for 2-3 minutes to melt the cheese.
  7. Serve immediately. Sauce will thicken slightly upon standing.

Keywords: creamy, rich, healthy, Keto

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Keto

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Paige

    March 16, 2020 at 12:23 pm

    It was delicious

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  2. Iola Meadows

    December 03, 2019 at 12:57 pm

    I used two heads of cauliflower and I baked it in the oven.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  3. Sarah E Scott

    November 02, 2019 at 11:49 am

    It turned out great, we loved it!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  4. Katrina Lahr

    October 15, 2019 at 1:12 pm

    Very tasty! I added more salt and pepper because it's just how I like it, but it's very good regardless!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  5. Nina Berman

    October 02, 2019 at 12:03 pm

    Insanely delicious. I love this dish, although I only add about 1 TBSP of water as opposed to 1 cup or else I end up with cauliflower soup! Also use powdered mustard in place of the yellow mustard. Don’t miss the macaroni noodles at ALL! 😋

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  6. Michala Shaw

    September 30, 2019 at 10:47 am

    This recipe is amazing, must make immediately!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  7. Rebecca Taylor

    August 02, 2019 at 3:24 pm

    Is it possible for you to add the nutritional information for those of us that are just now starting Keto?

    Reply
    • Rebecca Baron

      August 02, 2019 at 3:34 pm

      It's on there. Just scroll to the bottom of the recipe.

      Reply
  8. Lea

    May 01, 2019 at 3:14 pm

    Wondering about adding broccoli and rice to this. Broccoli rice casserole is yummy.
    Will try and let you know

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Rebecca

      May 10, 2019 at 3:19 pm

      It sounds delish. I'd love to know how it turns out.

      Reply
  9. Paige B

    February 02, 2019 at 11:47 am

    It was delicious

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  10. Alisa

    January 26, 2019 at 9:48 pm

    We made this tonight, it was delicious! Need a BIG head of cabbage for all the sauce. To get it to thicken up I made a slurry with arrowroot powder instead of corn starch, worked beautifully. Also replaced some of the sharp cheddar with spicy cheese I had, instead of adding cayenne. Crispy bacon was a nice addition too. No carb crash! I was working out an hour after eating this where pasta would have me like a zombie on the
    couch.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Rebecca

      February 07, 2019 at 6:51 pm

      I love your tips. Your version sounds wonderful!

      Reply
  11. Melissa Reed

    September 04, 2018 at 10:35 am

    This was sooooo good! I made my cauliflower and sauce separate then brought it together and broiled it for about three minutes Yum!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  12. Brenda K

    August 04, 2018 at 10:33 am

    I sautéed my cauliflower then added the sauce. Also used 2 TBS of cream cheese. Very yummy.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  13. Denise Beveridge

    July 04, 2018 at 10:23 am

    Turned out delicious!! I will definitely make this again!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  14. Donna

    June 17, 2018 at 4:04 pm

    Has anyone tried making this, but using roasted and seasoned cauliflower? I think it would add more texture and an awesome flavor addition!

    Reply
  15. Kim

    June 04, 2018 at 10:17 am

    Super delicious!!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  16. Stephanie Lumpkin

    May 04, 2018 at 10:15 am

    I loved it!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  17. Keena

    April 15, 2018 at 12:19 pm

    That looks amazing! Do you think that the Trader Joe's Riced Cauliflower would work?

    Reply
    • Rebecca

      April 17, 2018 at 3:07 am

      Probably. I haven't tried it myself, cause I'm not lucky enough to live close to a Trader Joe's, but it would probably work and would definitely cut down on prep time. I would love to know if it works out for you, so my other readers will know if it works.

      Reply
  18. Kristin

    January 20, 2018 at 3:42 am

    Thank you so much for posting this recipe! It was A-maz-ing !! I really loved that this dish didn't taste like cauliflower like some other recipes I've tried. Will defintely be putting this mac and cheese in my meal rotation. Thanks! ?

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Rebecca

      January 22, 2018 at 9:23 pm

      Oh, good. I'm so glad you like it! Thanks for commenting.

      Reply
      • Dawn

        April 04, 2018 at 11:44 pm

        Can I freeze this?

        Reply
        • Rebecca

          April 09, 2018 at 5:49 pm

          I've never tried, but it sounds like a big, watery mess to me. Maybe someone else has tried it?

          Reply
  19. Amy

    January 16, 2018 at 4:14 am

    This was delicious, but it was very runny. You suggested cooking the cauliflower separately as an option. If so, then do I need so much water? I would make it again regardless. I just used a slotted spoon to serve it.

    ★★★★

    Reply
    • Rebecca

      January 17, 2018 at 6:34 pm

      Did you do step 4? If I cooked the cauliflower separately, then I would drain the water off the cauliflower after I cooked it or just take it out of the pan with a slotted spoon.

      Reply
    • Gabriella

      January 30, 2018 at 12:54 am

      I don't like to use fresh vegetables like zucchini and cauliflower becausse they make the dish too runny.I'm afraid to try this.

      Reply
      • Jordan

        May 26, 2018 at 5:32 pm

        You can use frozen cauliflower “rice” and they also have frozen zoodles.

        Reply
  20. Sharon

    December 29, 2017 at 6:09 am

    Just made this with bacon and cayenne pepper. It was so good! Thank you for sharing!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Rebecca

      December 29, 2017 at 4:04 pm

      The perfect Keto additions! Everything is better with bacon and cayenne, I think! Glad you liked it!

      Reply
  21. Elizabeth

    December 21, 2017 at 1:25 am

    There is 1/2 tsp of yellow mustard listed in the ingredients but it doesn’t appear in the directions. Can I get clarification on that.

    Reply
    • Rebecca

      December 21, 2017 at 6:05 pm

      Oops. I totally forgot that, didn't I? I just added it to the instructions now. Thanks for finding that so other people aren't confused. Sorry about that.

      Reply
      • Elizabeth

        December 21, 2017 at 9:08 pm

        It was still good even without the mustard. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

        ★★★★★

        Reply
  22. Becky

    December 03, 2017 at 10:54 pm

    I may be missing it somewhere, but what is the serving size that the label is based on? Can't wait to make this!

    Reply
    • Rebecca

      December 12, 2017 at 12:49 am

      It's just a fourth of the recipe, which a big serving, like a big bowl like is pictured, so if you only eat a small amount on the side, adjust the servings accordingly. There is a sliding scale on the servings so you can adjust based on how many servings it is for you and it will tell you the nutrition per serving for you.

      Reply
  23. Jade

    November 09, 2017 at 11:19 pm

    Wow! This dish is amazing! Thank you!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Rebecca

      November 10, 2017 at 10:10 pm

      I'm so glad you like it. Thanks for the comment!

      Reply
  24. Joyce

    September 28, 2017 at 4:15 pm

    Oh, what an excellent idea. I have got to try this real real soon. I so miss my mac n cheese!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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Keto Mac and Cheese Recipe

Hi! I’m Rebecca Baron! I have been cooking healthy, made-from-scratch meals for my family of six for 15 years and it has helped us feel so much better. Join us on our journey!

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