CAULIFLOWER MACARONI AND CHEESE CASSEROLE

Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese Casserole image

A delicious way to enjoy cauliflower with a creamy cheese sauce that really adds much moisture to this casserole.

Provided by Cheerios

Categories Main Dish Recipes Pasta Macaroni and Cheese Recipes Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipes

Time 1h10m

Yield 7

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

1 cup sausage links
1 ½ cups elbow macaroni
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
¼ cup butter, melted, or more as needed
¼ cup all-purpose flour, or more as needed
1 ½ cups milk
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese, divided
2 slices bread, toasted

Steps:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 2 1/2-quart casserole dish.
Heat a skillet over medium heat; cook sausage until heated through, 5 to 7 minutes. Cut sausage into small cubes.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, 8 minutes. Drain.
Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add cauliflower, cover, and steam until tender, 5 to 6 minutes.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; add flour and cook until a thick paste forms, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly mix milk into butter-flour mixture until sauce is smooth and thickened, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir 1 cup Cheddar cheese into sauce until melted and smooth.
Spread cauliflower into the prepared casserole dish; top with macaroni, covering the entire surface. Stir cheese sauce into cauliflower and macaroni until well coated. Sprinkle 1 cup Cheddar cheese over the top.
Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and bubbling, about 35 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 395.3 calories, Carbohydrate 31.2 g, Cholesterol 64.9 mg, Fat 22.5 g, Fiber 3.1 g, Protein 17.6 g, SaturatedFat 13 g, Sodium 489.4 mg, Sugar 5.5 g