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This super easy One Pot Creamy Cauliflower Mac and Cheese is the perfect recipe for sneaking in the vegetables. Short cut pasta and nutrient-packed cauliflower are boiled together until al dente. Then a splash of milk, a handful of sharp cheddar cheese, and just a touch butter are all stirred together for a creamy mac and cheese, that’s cozy yet healthy(ish) too. Added bonus, this simple mac and cheese is made all in one pot, in just about thirty minutes.
Sharing the absolute easiest, coziest, comfort food recipe today. And you guys…it’s the perfect Monday recipe for cold, snowy winter days (which is what is going on here!). Growing up, mac and cheese was never something my dad would make. If my brothers and I were eating mac and cheese it was either the boxed Kraft mac and cheese or Stouffer’s frozen mac and cheese.
Oh my gosh, do you guys remember those days? Pure childhood comfort. I wouldn’t mind going back for just a day or so. Twas the best to come home from school, shower (I always, always showered the minute I got home from school…I was so weird), cozy up by the fire, and enjoy a cheesy bowl of pasta while watching Gilmore Girls.
Simply the best.
Lately, I’ve been drawing some inspiration from my favorite childhood comfort foods. Which made me realize that I don’t have a good stove-top mac and cheese recipe. How that is I have not a clue. But the good news is that I quickly worked to change that and created the perfect (healthy…ish) creamy, one pot mac and cheese.
Enter this stove-top, extra creamy cauliflower mac and cheese.
This. Is. So. Good. Healthy…ish. And easy too.
Here are all the details.
As I said, I’ve been looking to my childhood for some inspiration recently. And, of course, mac and cheese was a beloved staple for my brothers and me while growing up.
I knew I wanted to create the perfect stove-top mac and cheese that was similar to the boxed stuff, but much, much better…and so much healthier. With the addition of cauliflower, I was able to use way less cream, butter, and even cheese. But yet still have a super creamy and cheesy stove-top mac and cheese.
As you can guess, this is so quick and easy. Start by boiling a big pot of water on the stove. Use a pot that will be large enough to hold both the pasta and the cauliflower.
While the water is coming to a boil, start chopping the cauliflower. You’ll want to roughly chop the cauliflower into similar size pieces as your pasta. The idea is that the cauliflower really blends in with the pasta so that you may not even realize it’s there.
Once the water has come to a boil, add the pasta and the cauliflower. Boil together until al dente, then simply stir in all the remaining ingredients, and that’s kind of it. The key is using a touch of cream cheese and creamy dijon mustard for creaminess. This creates the perfect amount of creamy sauce, but still keeps things on the lighter side.
For the cheeses, I love using a mix of sharp white cheddar (for flavor) and creamy fontina and or provolone, for creaminess. Together they create that ideal cheese pull we all love so much.
Then a touch of garlic, a sprinkle of cayenne (to your taste), and fresh herbs for additional flavor and to finish out the recipe.
SIMPLE but GOOD.
Some ideas to switch up the recipe a bit…
If you prefer a baked make and cheese, that works well here too and will be delicious. Just leave out the final cup of cheese and instead transfer the mac and cheese to a baking dish, then top with that reserved cheese. Bake for twenty or so minutes and wallah…you’ll have cheesy baked mac and cheese!
Want to add more vegetables? Spinach and artichokes, roasted broccoli, or crispy mushrooms would all be great as additional stir-ins. Really you can easily adapt this recipe however you’d like. It’s pretty hard to mess up!
So while this isn’t identical to the Kraft box cheese (thank goodness), I’d take this recipe any day. I might be biased, but I think it’s so much better. The real cheese flavor shines through and the creaminess from the combination of cauliflower, cream cheese, and cheese is beyond perfect.
I couldn’t think of a better Monday night dinner. It’s cozy, but healthy..ish, easy and so delicious. Bonus? I am ninety-nine percent sure you can get your kids, husband, and all the picky eaters in your life to eat (and love) this.
Looking for other Mac and Cheese recipes…click here!
Lastly, if you make this one pot creamy cauliflower mac and cheese, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watch the How To Video:
One Pot Creamy Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 511 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 1 pound short-cut pasta, such as macaroni
- 1 small to medium head cauliflower, roughly chopped
- 3/4 cup canned coconut milk, heavy cream, or whole milk
- 3 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded fontina or provolone cheese
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper to taste
- fresh chopped parsley and or chives, for topping
Instructions
- 1. In a large pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add 2 teaspoons salt,
the pasta, and cauliflower, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes. Do not drain the water. Stir in the milk, cream cheese, mustard, and garlic powder, and cook until the cream cheese has melted and the pasta is al dente, about 4-5 minutes more. 2. Add the cheeses and butter, and stir until melted and creamy. Remove from the heat. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne. If the sauce feels too thick, add ¼ cup of milk or water to thin.3. Divide the mac and cheese between bowls. Top with fresh parsley, chives, and pepper. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on February 17, 2020
The conversion does not change the amount of water? If I did half the recipe would I cut the water in half? If so it seems too little of water.
Hey Erin, yes, if you cut the recipe in half, use half of the water. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
So easy & delicious!! Next time will definitely add some mushrooms or something! Would you recommend making the mushrooms on the side and mix in At the end?? So good!
Hi! Yes, Liz I think that will turn out amazing! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Made this for dinner last night. Used a large elbow macaroni and it worked great. As I started making it, I was skeptical about using the starchy water as the base for the cheese sauce… but it works! It was so good and enjoyed by my entire family. And it was so quick! Mac and cheese dishes are never this quick! Note – I found that the macaroni and cauliflower need to be stirred frequently and watched closely since there is not a ton of water in the pot – but worth the monitoring.
Hi Maryann! I am really glad this turned out so well for you and your family! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
This was super creamy and felt great in the mouth, loved the addition of cauliflower. The cheese seemed a little lacking – so I added some more cheddar and a little pepper jack and that amped it up a bit. Before doing this, it didn’t taste anything like boxed mac and cheese, but still was pretty good on its own.
ALSO, DON’T DRAIN THE WATER! It works perfectly!
SO good!
Thank you Michelle! xTieghan
Just made this for dinner, so great! I only had cheddar and cream cheese, so that’s what I used and I’m not complaining!!! I had a big cauliflower so I didn’t use all of it. I’m wondering how much water I would use to add another cup or so if cauliflower??
Hey!! I would recommend using the same amount of water. The water is only needed for the pasta, not the cauliflower. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Thank you for this yummy recipe! I made a few substitutions based on what I had available in my kitchen (2% milk, a 12 oz bag of Trader Joe’s frozen riced cauliflower, only one cup of shredded cheddar and one cup of shredded mozzarella) and it still worked out well. I also skipped the pepper, cayenne, and parsley, and chives for my picky eaters. They’re loving it, and they have NO idea they’re eating cauliflower right now!
Yes hidden veggies haha! Thank you so much for trying this Nicole! I am so glad it turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Does the dish taste grainy from the cauliflower? In other cauli mac n’ cheese recipes, I’ve read to use a blender to smooth it out. Just want to make sure before I make it for my picky toddler! Also, do leftovers freeze well? Thanks!
Hi Farah! It does not taste grainy, no! Also, yes it should freeze great! Thank you so much! xTieghan
.. hoping this will be a Mac and cheese idea my husband and I can both like! I know, substituting any ingredient throws off what you originally intended. But I can’t eat cheese, so I will find the vegan cheese I know taste like the real deal and go with that. The rest, veggies as a base for the sauce and only using one pot, sounds like there’s hope! Always hard to get my husband to not be cautious of my weird foods, while he also wants us to try to eat healthier to feel better (because when you both work full time, processed foods become too tempting). This one looks like a hit!
Hi Elizabeth! I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you and your husband! I am so glad you are trying to get healthier! Love it! Let me know how this goes! xTieghan
My husband and I LOVED this recipe, definitely a new staple comfort food added to our list of go to recipes! We used chickpea pasta noddles instead and was the perfect substitute, and next time will definitely be adding some more veggies for added healthiness! Thanks for creating awesome recipes, you have a real talent!
Amazing! I am so glad this turned out so well for you Chelsea! Thank you! xTieghan
I followed the recipe exactly, and this turned out perfect!! I love mac and cheese and I love cauliflower, so I was excited to try this—and it did not disappoint. So creamy and delicious. And so fast and easy. My family loved it!! The little bit of leftovers re-heated well the next day. A keeper!
YES! I am so happy to hear that Janet! Thank you for trying this one! xTieghan
Just made this today and it was delicious. My 2 year old ate all of his and he doesnt eat very much. My husband hates cauliflower but liked this. Only change I made was using whole wheat pasta and it was great.
Wow that is so great! Thank you so much for trying this recipe, Sarah! xTieghan
I would like to know if you can use frozen cauliflower instead of a head of it?
Hey Laurie! Frozen will be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe Tieghan. My 17 year old son (a picky eater) polished off the entire serving! We have a favorite dish now..
I have shared your website with many friends, and they love your recipes. Thank you for rescuing us:)
Aw I am so glad you have been loving my recipes! Thank you so much for trying this one! xTieghan
This was one of the fastest recipes I e made and loved the addition of cauliflower. It made it taste lighter and everyone loved it!
Thank you so much Crista! xTieghan