Cauliflower mac 'n' cheese | Jamie Oliver recipes (2024)

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Cauliflower mac 'n' cheese

With crispy garlic breadcrumbs

  • Vegetarianv

With crispy garlic breadcrumbs

“I’ve written this recipe to serve 6, but it’s easy to double up if you want to get into the batch-cooking vibe and get an extra meal or two in the freezer, or if you want to safely drop a dish on a neighbour’s doorstep (just don't forget to back away once you've rung the bell. Social distancing, people!). You can get this prepped in the morning, ready to bake up for lunch or dinner. Happy days. ”

Serves 6

Cooks In45 minutes

DifficultyNot too tricky

Keep cooking and carry onCauliflower

Nutrition per serving
  • Calories 477 24%

  • Fat 11.6g 17%

  • Saturates 6g 30%

  • Sugars 9.8g 11%

  • Salt 1.1g 18%

  • Protein 21.8g 44%

  • Carbs 75.6g 29%

  • Fibre 5.8g -

Of an adult's reference intake

Recipe From

Jamie: Keep Cooking and Carry On

By Jamie Oliver

Tap For Method

Ingredients

  • 15 g unsalted butter
  • 1 leek
  • 1 stick of celery
  • ½ a bulb of fennel , optional
  • 1 small head of cauliflower , (600g)
  • 450 g dried pasta
  • 1 tablespoon plain flour
  • 500 ml semi-skimmed milk
  • 1 teaspoon English mustard
  • 100 g mixed cheese , such as Cheddar, Parmesan, feta, halloumi
  • 100 g stale bread
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • a few sprigs of fresh herbs, such as thyme or oregano , optional
  • olive oil

Tap For Method

The cost per serving below is generated by Whisk.com and is based on costs in individual supermarkets. For more information about how we calculate costs per serving read our FAQS

Recipe From

Jamie: Keep Cooking and Carry On

By Jamie Oliver

Tap For Ingredients

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
  2. Put a large shallow ovenproof casserole pan on a medium heat with the butter.
  3. Trim, halve, wash and slice the leek and add to the pan. Stir regularly while you trim, slice and add the celery, then trim, chop and add the fennel, if using.
  4. Break the cauliflower into florets, then cut into 2cm-thick slices and finely slice the stalk and any nice leaves. Add the stalk and leaves to the pan and cook for 10 minutes, or until soft but not coloured, stirring regularly.
  5. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water for 8 minutes (5 if using macaroni). Reserving a mugful of starchy cooking water, drain the pasta and pour into a 25cm x 35cm baking dish (or divide between smaller ones), along with the cauliflower florets.
  6. Stir the flour into the veg pan for 30 seconds, then gradually pour in the milk, stirring all the time, followed by 500ml of water. Simmer for 5 minutes, then stir in the mustard and season with sea salt and black pepper.
  7. Let the sauce blip away until thickened while you coarsely grate the cheese.
  8. Stir the cheese into the sauce, then blitz until smooth with a hand blender, or in batches in a food processor.
  9. Pour over the pasta and cauliflower florets then, if you need to loosen it, add a little reserved pasta water – the sauce will thicken up as it bakes.
  10. Blitz your stale bread into crumbs in the processor (or smash up in a clean tea towel). Peel and grate the garlic. Pick the herb leaves, if using, and mix it all together with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
  11. Scatter the crumbs over the pasta, grating over more cheese, if you’ve got it, then bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.

Tips

Two of my girls are gluten-free and it’s easy to swap gluten-free pasta and flour into this recipe. Either switch out the bread for a gluten-free alternative or leave out altogether. You could always sprinkle over some seeds instead.

EASY SWAPS:
– Use whatever pasta you’ve got, penne, fusilli, or even a mixture.
– Hero broccoli or squash instead of cauliflower, if that’s what you’ve got.
– You can swap out leeks for onions.
– When it comes to cheese, use whatever you’ve got, this is a great recipe for using up odds and ends.
– On the herb front, thyme, oregano, marjoram or chopped rosemary would all be delicious, or even a pinch of dried herbs.
– No English mustard? No problem, use Dijon mustard instead.

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Recipe From

Jamie: Keep Cooking and Carry On

By Jamie Oliver

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© 2024 Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited

© 2024 Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited

Cauliflower mac 'n' cheese | Jamie Oliver recipes (2024)

FAQs

Why does my cauliflower cheese sauce go watery? ›

She said: "Cauliflower cheese can go watery if the cauliflower is overcooked. Overcooked cauliflower releases water, which will seep into the rest of the dish. So even if your sauce was thick when it went in the oven, if it's in there too long, the water from the cauliflower will cause it to go watery."

How does Gordon Ramsay make the best mac and cheese? ›

Preparation
  1. In a large pot over medium heat, combine the pasta and milk. ...
  2. Once the pasta is cooked, remove the pan from the heat and add the butter, cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper. ...
  3. Divide between serving bowls and top with the bread crumbs.
  4. Enjoy!
  5. All your favorite recipes, stored in one place.
May 4, 2023

Can you eat cauliflower cheese as a main meal? ›

Rustle up one of the greatest comfort foods: cauliflower cheese. It makes a perfect side dish or vegetarian main meal.

What is cauliflower cheese sauce made of? ›

Ingredients
  1. 1 head cauliflower, broken into florets.
  2. ¼ cup butter.
  3. ¼ cup all-purpose flour.
  4. 1 ¾ cups 1% milk.
  5. 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated.
  6. salt and ground black pepper to taste.
  7. 2 ounces mature Cheddar cheese, grated.

How do you get the liquid out of cauliflower? ›

The trick with cauliflower is: Don't cook it till is too soft. just 4 or 5 minutes but taste to be sure. then drain into a colander, (sieve with big holes) and leave to drain for a few minutes, asking every minute. tap dry with a little kitchen paper or a clean tea towel.

How do you keep cauliflower from getting mushy? ›

The key to nonmushy cauliflower lies in how you cut it: Break apart the large head into smaller florets. Now take your knife, and starting at the stem end of the floret, slice about halfway down and snap apart.

What are the 3 best cheeses for mac and cheese? ›

What Is the Best Cheese for Mac and Cheese? Sharp cheddar is the overwhelming popular choice, but for extra-creamy results, we think medium cheddar is even better. Other delicious options include Gruyère, smoked Gouda, and Monterey Jack.

What can I add to mac and cheese to make it tastier? ›

8 Ways to Elevate Your Macaroni and Cheese Dinners
  1. Add extra cheese to your dish.
  2. Mix in some hot sauce and chicken to make buffalo chicken mac n' cheese.
  3. Add in vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and spinach.
  4. Sprinkle some bacon bits or breadcrumbs on the top of your dish.
  5. Add spices and fresh herbs to your dish.
May 21, 2022

What part of cauliflower is not edible? ›

Every part of a cauliflower is edible, even the tough outer skin. However, we do recommend peeling this part before cooking as it's a bit tough to chew.

What to avoid when buying cauliflower? ›

Avoid cauliflower with small brown specks on the florets; they are a sign of aging. The size of the cauliflower head does not affect its quality. Keep raw cauliflower in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped, for three to five days.

What pairs well with cauliflower? ›

Anchovy, beef, blue cheese, buffalo mozzarella, butter, cheddar cheese, chickpeas, curry, farro, feta cheese, gruyère cheese, parmesan cheese, pork, quinoa, rice, saffron, tahini, tofu, turkey, turmeric, yoghurt.

Why do you soak cauliflower before cooking? ›

If you're planning to roast the cauliflower whole or slice it into steaks, slice off the thick stem at the base. Drop the whole cauliflower head upside-down into cool, salted water. Let it soak for 10 to 15 minutes to remove dirt, residue and bugs.

What country does cauliflower cheese come from? ›

Cauliflower Cheese is a British dish that is served as a side or even as a main (vegetarian!) It's a cauliflower bake, smothered in a creamy cheese sauce that's popped in the oven until bubbly and golden.

Why is my cauliflower cheese sauce lumpy? ›

Stopping stirring will cause lumps to form and no amount of stirring after this will get rid of them. You can also remove the pan from the heat as you need to if you feel its getting too hot or if you can't stir fast enough to stop lumps forming.

How do you fix watery cheese sauce? ›

Use Flour and Water

Combine 2 tablespoons flour with every 1/4 cup cold water and whisk until smooth. Add the mixture to your sauce over medium heat, and continue to stir and cook until you've reached your desired consistency. Test with a spoon.

Why is my cheese sauce liquid? ›

The basic building blocks of cheese are milk protein (casein), water, fat, and salt. When heated, the protein molecules break apart and become fluid.

Why does my sauce go watery? ›

Causes of Watery Spaghetti Sauce

Other causes include excess water from the noodles themselves or inadequately cooking down the sauce. Giving the sauce the proper amount of time to reduce is key: To do so, bring the sauce to a boil, then drop it to a simmer, and allow it to cook.

Why does my cheese sauce go runny in the oven? ›

Overcooking is the main reason cheese sauces split. The béchamel sauce only needs to be hot enough to melt the cheese, which you should add gradually, mixing gently until it is fully incorporated.

References

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