Jalapeno Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
INGREDIENTS
- Cooking Time: 20 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Preparation Time: 10 minutes
- 4 cups cauliflower florets (chopped)
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 6 strips bacon
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 oz Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)
- 1 jalapeno pepper
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp granulated (powdered) garlic
- pink Himalayan salt (to taste)
- black pepper (to taste)
DIRECTIONS
- Heat up a large frying pan over medium high heat and add in 6 strips of bacon. Cook the bacon while preparing some of your other ingredients.
- Break up 1 medium head of cauliflower and chop up just the florets (or buy pre-packaged). Do not mince these too finely, we don't want cauliflower rice. Instead, we want it to be kind of chunky, like the texture of macaroni shells.
- Cover the cauliflower with some water in a microwave safe dish with a lid on it and cook on high for about 10 minutes to tenderize (or steam based on package instructions if using pre-prepared).
- Shred 2 cups of cheddar cheese and de-seed the jalapeno.
- When the bacon is fully cooked to crispy, remove it from the large frying pan, but retain the drippings in the pan.
- Add the diced jalapeno to the frying pan and stir quickly to try to coat it evenly in the rendered bacon drippings. Saute and stir about 3 minutes until tender, then remove from the pan and set aside.
- In the same large frying pan, add in 1 cup heavy cream and 4 ounces of softened cream cheese. Stir together a couple minutes until well blended.
- Sprinkle in about 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and stir until melted.
- Season the sauce with mustard, turmeric, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Add in the strained and cooked cauliflower, half the cooked bacon (diced), and the jalapeno. Stir to incorporate the sauce evenly with the ingredients.
- Top with the remaining shredded cheddar cheese and cover with a lid to simmer for about 5 minutes (or until the cheese has melted). You can also put it under the broiler until bubbly and crispy.
- Remove from the heat and serve as an entree or as a side dish with another meal.