Macaroni and Cheese with Cauliflower

Greg and I had been dating for only one month when Valentine’s Day was upon us in 2009. Not wanting to deal with crowded, expensive restaurants, we decided to cook dinner together… for the first time. I selected this recipe from a magazine at work. I have long since forgotten which magazine it came from, but I will never forget how nervous I was to demonstrate how little I knew about cooking to Greg. Despite my clumsiness and “Oh no! I was supposed to add the (fill in the blank) 5 minutes ago!” moments, the dish turned out great, and Greg didn’t dump me. Win-win.

Since that day four years ago, we/I’ve made this recipe many times. Each time I’ve served it in the last year, Greg has asked me, “Is this on the blog yet?” Greg will be glad to know that this delicious dish is now out there for all to see and enjoy.

P.S. We usually add a bit more Dijon mustard than the recipe calls for, but I’ve included the full recipe in its original form.

macaroni and cheese with cauliflower    serves 6

hands-on time: 15 minutes

total time: 45 minutes

12 ounces multigrain elbow macaroni

1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped

4 slices multigrain bread, torn

½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

kosher salt and black pepper

1 onion, finely chopped

1 ½ cups grated extra-sharp Cheddar (6 ounces)

1 ½ cups reduced-fat sour cream

½ cup 1 percent milk

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, adding the cauliflower during the last 3 minutes of cooking time; drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, pulse the bread in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. Add the parsley, 2 tablespoons of oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper and pulse to combine; set aside.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pot and turn it to medium heat. Add the onion, ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, just until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Mix in the pasta, cauliflower, cheese, sour cream, milk, and mustard.

Transfer to a shallow, 3-quart baking dish (or if you don’t have one, a 9×13 like I always do), sprinkle with the bread crumbs, and bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.