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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
If I didn’t have (and don’t want to go the store haha!) to get cauliflower, could I just swap an equivalent amount of pasta?
Hey Elizabeth! No need to add any additional pasta, just omit the cauliflower all together and follow the recipe as directed (minus the cauliflower). Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
This is another winner! Made this tonight and it was so creamy and delicious!
That is so amazing to hear! Thank you so much Laura! xTieghan
This recipe is AMAZING! I am never making traditional mac and cheese again – this tastes just as good (if not better), and is so much less mess with only one pot and no draining! It’s such a great way to get more veggies into a guilty pleasure meal that I love. I added spinach and a little extra cayenne pepper. I also used almond milk the second time I made it and it still tasted great! THANK YOU! A+++
I am so glad you are loving this recipe, Brittany! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
Literally the best mac & cheese I’ve ever made. Used Neufchâtel instead of cream cheese to reduce some of the fat. Threw some fresh jalapeño on top for an extra zing. Thanks so much for the fab recipe!
Thank you so much Andrea! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
So easy, and SO delicious! ?
Thank you Lee! xTieghan
Had this for dinner tonight and it was delish! I also added sautéed spinach and a panko/butter topping, so good. My kids and husband loved it. Love all your recipes and have both your cookbooks 🙂
Aw thank you so much Sarah! I am so glad you enjoyed this and hopefully are enjoying the books! xTieghan
Tieghan, this is another winner! Such a simple recipe but so comforting and delicious. Grated the cheese last night, (I used cheddar and gruyere), to make it this morning for the kids to eat after school. Took me 30 minutes to make while getting myself ready for the day at the same time! I would happily eat the whole pot myself. Thanks for another great recipe!
Hi Cynthia! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
Wow this was so good! Creamy, smooth, rich and cheesy even though I swapped goat cheese for the cream cheese and did less than two cups shredded goat Gouda for the shredded cheese. Definitely need to stir the pasta and cauliflower while cooking so it doesn’t stick but so easy and quick. Cheesy and delicious! Love it!!
Thank you Barbara! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
So good! I was skeptical. But it was the perfect creamy Mac and cheese. But now I can’t stop eating it. I added artichoke hearts and peppadew peppers at the end.
I am so glad you enjoyed this Selina! Thank you for trying this! xTieghan
I simply cannot get over how easy & delicious this was! And this is coming from someone who is NOT a huge cauli fan. Only changes I made were: used 1 tsp of dry mustard powder instead of the dijon & omitted the butter. Thanks sooooo much for creating & sharing this recipe 🙂
Thank you so much Nic! xTieghan
This is going to be a go to for me on busy weekday nights, or weekend nights where we are craving some delicious (and healthy-ish) comfort food. The cauliflower is a wonderful addition that always surprises me when I bite into it, and makes me think “ooo, yum! I forgot there was cauliflower in here”. A favourite for sure.
Thank you so much Kristie!! xTieghan
The recipe turned out great as far as the pasta and cauliflower goes (perfect texture of noodles and cauliflower). However, the Dijon mustard was very overpowering! It could have been the brand we used, but I had to triple check to see if I accidentally added more than the recipe called for— I did use the correct amount. We ended up adding some buffalo sauce to try and mask the Dijon flavor. Good recipe, but we’d personally modify it next time and cut down on the mustard.
Hi Taryn! I am sorry that it was so overpowering! If you have any questions, please let me know! I hope you love it more with less mustard! xTieghan
I made it for dinner last night. I used red lentil pasta and for cheese a mix of cheddar and gruyere. We liked it a lot, healthy comfort food 🙂
Thank you so much Lea! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This was really good! I wish I read the do not drain instructions more closely, because I boiled everything with too much water and it came out a little soupy. But I will likely make this again, so now I know for next time!
Thank you Cathy! xTieghan
Delicious! I was craving comfort food, and was curious about this recipe. How could it work in one pot??? But it did perfectly. I loved the mustard and creaminess of cheese and coconut milk. No you cannot taste coconut. Simply the best!
Haha so glad you tried this and loved it! Thank you so much Tracy! xTieghan