Cauliflower Mac n Cheese

More Cheesy Adventures

The cauliflower "mockeroni" and cheese recipe on Sandy's Kitchen is delicious.  Everyone I have served it to has agreed.  I love it.  Problem is, if you're on Medifast, it's not on plan.  Using nutrition values for Kraft 2% shredded cheddar and colby jack, Sandy's version weighs in at 421 calories and 29.5 grams of fat.  For optimal weight loss, Medifast recommends keeping daily calories around 850.  The maximum allowable amount of fat on the Medifast program is 30 grams, and the maximum allowable calorie count is 1000.  Considering that all Medifast meals are around 110 calories and contain some fat, if you ate this you would be very close to maximum calories, and over maximum fat grams.  I don't love that.

So the lesson I learned is that I need to analyze every recipe I make, using the plan guides and an online recipe analyzer.  This enables you to use the brands of foods you buy to figure out the nutrition information for the recipe the way you are going to make it, with any additions, substitutions, or tweaks.

So I set out to lighten up this recipe, while preserving its cheesy goodness.  It was surprisingly easy.  I just substituted 1% milkfat cottage cheese for half of the cheese in the original recipe.  Macaroni and cheese recipes with cottage cheese are very popular, and I can see why now.  I think the results are even better than the original!  I also added some parmesan for depth of flavor.  We'll see if it passes the toddler test tomorrow.

Ingredients

3 cups cauliflower (6 greens)
1 cup cottage cheese, 1% milkfat (2/3 lean)
1 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar (1 lean)
1/4 tsp garlic powder (1/2 condiment)
1/4 tsp onion powder (1/2 condiment)
1/4 tsp ground mustard (1/4 condiment)
2 tbsp grated parmesan (2 condiments)

Directions

Chop cauliflower using the slicing blade of food processor.  Microwave the cauliflower until it is tender.  It needs to be soft, without any crispness, to mimic the texture of pasta. 

Puree cottage cheese in blender or food processor.  In a large saucepan, combine cottage cheese, cheddar, parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder and ground mustard.  Heat until combined and cheddar is melted.  Add cooked cauliflower, breaking up the larger pieces with spoon. 

Pour cheese and cauliflower mixture into baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.


Makes 2 servings
Per serving, 1 lean, 3 greens, 1 5/8 condiments
292 calories, 14.8 grams fat, 1026 mg sodium, 9.2 grams carbohydrates, 2.6 grams fiber, 32.1 grams protein

Cauliflower Cheese Breadsticks

Cheesy Adventures

Here is my Medifast-friendly version of the Cauliflower Breadsticks recipe from Jamie van Eaton, inventer of the cauliflower pizza crust.  There is another version of this recipe on Sandy's Kitchen.  I had a head of cauliflower that I needed to use up, and this recipe is simple and tasty.  I add garlic powder to mine to make garlic cheese bread, so I guess I'm not going to have to worry about vampire attacks tonight.  The rest of your family will enjoy these as well.  Tonight I made a double batch, because the last time I made these my kids (ages 3 1/2 and 20 months) devoured them.  So they pass the picky preschooler and toddler test.

Next time, I will add a tbsp of grated parmesan for additional cheesy pizza goodness.

The original recipe suggests freezing these after the first baking, if you want to make them ahead of time.  Sounds like a good way to stock your freezer with quick and easy lean and green meals.

Ingredients

1 cup grated fresh cauliflower (2 greens)
1/4 cup egg substitute (1/8 lean)
1/2 cup reduced fat mozzarella (1/2 lean)
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (1 condiment)
1/2 tsp garlic powder (1 condiment)
1/4 cup reduced fat mozzarella, for topping (1/4 lean)

Directions

Line a 9 by 5 bread pan with parchment.  I doubled the recipe, so I used a 9 by 9 baking pan.  In a mixing bowl, combine cauliflower, egg substitute, 1/2 cup mozzarella, Italian seasoning and garlic powder.  Press into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, until set.  Extend baking time if you double the recipe.

Line cookie sheet with another piece of parchment and increase oven temperature to 450 degrees.  Flip the breadsticks out of the baking pan onto the cookie sheet.  Slice into breadsticks with a pizza cutter, cutting along the width not the length of the dough to make several short breadsticks.  Return to the oven and bake about 15 more minutes.  Top with reserved 1/4 cup of cheese and return to oven until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 10 more minutes. 

Serve with 1/4 cup of pizza sauce that does not contain added sugar (1 green).

Serves 1
Per serving (breadsticks only, not including pizza sauce), one lean, 2 greens, 2 condiments (3 condiments if you add parmesan)
280 calories, 14.3 grams fat, 781 mg sodium, 10.0 grams carbohydrates, 2.6 grams fiber, 33.8 grams protein

With 1 tbsp parmesan cheese
302 calories, 15.7 grams fat, 858 mg sodium, 10.1 grams carbohydrates, 2.6 grams fiber, 35.7 grams protein