| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 1 hr 17 min |
| Prep: | 30 min |
| Inactive: | 10 min |
| Cook: | 37 min |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 large head cauliflower (about 2 pounds)
- 4 1/2 ounces Cheddar, grated and divided
- 1/2 cup homemade coarse bread crumbs
- 1 whole egg
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Grease an 11 by 7-inch flameproof baking dish with the butter and set aside.
- Position 1 oven rack in the middle position and 1 in the top position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place the cauliflower in a small glass bowl, stalk end up. Use a paring knife to remove the lower leaves. Trim the curds off of the stem, keeping them as intact as possible. Try to keep the size uniformly large and make as few cuts as possible. Discard the leaves and stem. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 4 minutes. Rest, still covered in plastic, for another 4 minutes. Uncover and rest for 4 to 5 more minutes while preparing the rest of the dish.
- Combine 4 ounces of the cheese, the bread crumbs, egg, salt, mustard, paprika, black pepper, and cayenne in a large mixing bowl. When 1 minute remains on the cauliflower rest period, microwave the cream on high for 30 seconds. Add the cream to the bowl with the cheese mixture and stir to combine.
- Using your hands and a tea towel if the cauliflower is still hot, rub the large florets between your hands to break up the curds. Add the curds to the cream mixture and stir until the cheese is thoroughly melted and combined.
- Spread the cauliflower mixture in the prepared baking dish, place on the middle rack, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the baking dish and turn the broiler to high. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 ounce cheese atop the cauliflower. Place on the top rack and broil until the top is bubbly and appropriately brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Rest 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 258 |
| Total Fat | 18 g |
| Saturated Fat | 10 g |
| Carbohydrates | 15 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Protein | 11 g |
| Cholesterol | 81 mg |
| Sodium | 492 mg |
Reviews
Perfect low-carb family-friendly alternative to Mac and cheese. I make this regularly! Thanks Alton Brown!
Another great Alton recipe. Made in twice in 10 days. So versatile . I added shredded chicken and a half teaspoon curry powder to my second batch and had to force myself away from the table. Also, I didn’t use bread crumbs and did not add the extra cheese at the end and it still came out fantastic .
I also pan roast mushrooms with onions and butter and this mixture to the cauliflower mixture.
This is a keeper! Not a lot of recipes make it to my Pinterest board but this one did! The recipe was easy to follow and was absolutely delicious! Thank you Alton…you never disappoint!
In Austria, with no real cheddar available, so I substituted Raclette. Also used Hungarian paprika instead of smoked paprika cause I like it a bit hotter. Holy smokes, this is good eats. Thanks, Alton.
I saw it on the show on netflix and just HAD to make it, it was so yummy. I left out the mustard powder though because I found I didn’t have any at the last minute. I used 1 tsp paprika and 1/4 tsp cayenne.
Delicious. Saw the Good Eats and was wowed at the creative ideas for cauliflower. I just used two pounds of florets, already off a head, and that ended up being harder, because the individual florets didn’t break down so easily into bits – I’m guessing they lose their heat faster out of the microwave. Also didn’t check the cream before pouring it in, and it should have nuked longer. And then 6 minutes in the broiler was too long in my oven – I burnt the top a little in 3. Regardless, it turned out delicious, so I can’t wait to try again.
As a novice cook, this was pretty each to make, and was all the cheesy cauliflower goodness I hoped for. Had a bit more kick to it than I was expecting, but went great with milk! I may drop down the cayenne just a tad next time. Also it’s worth noting that in the TV episode, Alton Brown specifically recommends very sharp cheddar.
A definite keeper…simple and yummy. Thanks again AB!
Good Tasty Side Dish