Creamy Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

ok, to some of you this sounds gross. THe cauliflower puree has the consistency of a thick alfredo sauce. The original recipe was by Mark Bittman at runners world. Here is the link to that recipe:http://www.runnersworld.com/article/1,7124,s6-242-303-504-13847-0,00.html?cm_mmc=Facebook-_-RunnersWorld-_-Content-Recipes-_-BittmansCauliflowerMac
I made some changes because I thought his proportions were off and there were just some things I wanted to change. This was really great and creamy and did NOT taste healthy at all. This would be a great recipe for those of you with kids. You really didnt notice the cauliflower (if you do it right), sneaky way to get your veggies in. Its a great way to satisfy a craving for mac and cheese if you are trying to be good ( :

Creamy Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

1 C chicken stock
2 bay leaves
16 oz bag of frozen cauliflower florets
8 oz whole wheat pasta (I used fusilli)
1 C low fat cheddar or colby jack, shredded
1 Tbsp olive oil
dash of fresh grated nutmeg
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 heaping Tbsp of low fat sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
hot pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 C low fat cheddar or colby jack, shredded

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cook pasta according to directions. While pasta is cooking, warm chicken stock and bay leaves until heated. Cook cauliflower in boiling water about 25 minutes, until very very soft. Once pasta is done, drain and return to pot (drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil to prevent sticking) Drain and blot with paper towels to get additional moisture out of cauliflower. Return cauliflower to pot (if using immersion blender) (or food processor). Discard bay leaves from stock. Add stock, oil, mustard, nutmeg, salt and pepper to cauliflower and either process or blend with immersion blender (the better choice). Mix in 1 C cheese until melted. Pour over pasta and stir. Pour into baking dish. Sprinkle additional 1/4 cheese over top, cover and bake 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly ( :

Macaroni and Cheese with Jalepenos!!!

Muy Caliente! I have been wanting mac and cheese so bad lately and hubby likes spicy things, so do I, and I thought Jalepenos would be great, and they were. This is a really great mac and cheese recipe without the Jalepenos too (if I do say so)...I am the mac and cheese queen so I usually just put it together, this time I measured everything so I could put it in the blog...

Mac and Cheese Muy Caliente!

2 C uncooked elbow macaroni (I used Ronzoni Smart Taste to be healthy)

2 T butter

2 T flour

2 C milk (I used 1%)

4 oz Velveeta, cubed (makes it so creamy)

8 oz pkg Colby Jack, shredded (I find this melts the nicest)

salt to taste

2-3 large Jalepenos, sliced thin (more or less or none---all to your taste), plus a few slices for decorating the top

While making the sauce, Boil pasta according to directions on box, drain and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter over med heat and once melted add flour to make a roux. Cook roux until a golden color (whisking continuously) and until no flour smell remains. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly. Simmer milk until mixture coats a spoon. Add velveeta and stir until melted. Take off heat and add colby jack --reserve 3/4 C for sprinkling on top--(important to turn off heat, because if you leave the heat on the cheese can curdle--too hot). Stir until melted and add salt to taste. Keep on low. Saute Jalepenos in a pan for a few min until slightly tender. Add to cheese sauce. Add drained macaroni and stir. Put mac and cheese in casserole dish and sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Layer a few more sliced Jalepenos on top to make it look pretty. Cover and place in preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes. Please comment if you make it and tell me how it comes out!

Creamy Tomato Mac and Cheese

This recipe is the one my Dad always made for me growing up and it is still my fave! It is VERY easy! It makes it's own sauce

Creamy Tomato Mac and Cheese

1 Can Campbell's Tomato Soup
1 Can (use soup can) milk (any kind but skim, I use 1 %--whole works best)
2 C dry elbow Macaroni
an 8 oz. block of Colby Jack, shredded **Do not use white cheddar, it clumps**

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil macaroni in salted water for about 8-10 minutes, drain. While pasta is cooking whisk together tomato soup and milk in a casserole dish and add most of cheese (just save enough for sprinkling on the top). Add macaroni and mix, sprinkle remainder cheese on top. I usually sprinkle some sea salt on top. Bake covered for 30 minutes and then take the cover off and broil until top is golden. You may need salt on the mac once it's done, it is not very salty at all.