Description
This Paleo THREE cheese macaroni and cheese is sure to be a hit with anyone and everyone. I selected my favorite cheese combinations just for this very recipe, and swear by them.
Ingredients
- 2 raw cauliflower heads
- 1/4 pound bacon, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon salt (for water)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more to butter baking dish
- 2–3 tablespoons tapioca flour or corn starch
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons fresh cracked pepper
- 1 pound sharp white cheddar cheese
- 6 ounces Fontina
- 4 ounces Asiago
- Optional for topping:
- 3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped scallions
- 2 cups paleo bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F.
- Butter a 9×13 inch glass baking dish.
- Grate all your cheeses.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil (ensure you have a lid for it) and place a steamer basket in the pot.
- Break up the cauliflower into large hunks and place in a steamer basket.
- Cover and cook until FIRM.
- Cook in batches if your pot is too small.
- Drain, uncover and set aside.
- In a large heavy pot, sauté the bacon until crisp.
- Remove bacon and place on paper towel.
- Sauté the onion in the bacon drippings until soft.
- Add the 5 tablespoons butter to the onion mixture.
- Melt the butter stirring with a wooden spoon.
- Using a whisk, add the corn starch or tapioca flour a LITTLE AT A TIME, and stir constantly until well mixed with the fat until it becomes a roux. It will bubble.
- Whisk in the dry mustard.
- Very slowly add the milk and cream but you must whisk constantly.
- Let come to a simmer and stir frequently for 15 minutes.
- Strain the hot milk mixture into a metal bowl and discard the solids/onion.
- Place mix back in the large heavy pot right away
- Immediately mix in all the grated cheeses, bacon and pepper.
- Mix.
- Continue to stir until all the cheese is melted.
- Remove from heat.
- Add the FIRM cauliflower hunks (you can break as small as you wish now) to the cheese mixture to coat.
- Place the entire mixture into the prepared baking dish (see my optional step below).
- Place dish in the middle of oven.
- Bake for 10 minutes – I like mine HOT!
- Remove from oven when done and rest for 5 minutes.
- Garnish with parsley or chopped scallions now or last 5 minutes of baking.
- OPTIONAL STEP: Mix paleo bread crumbs together with some parsley and sprinkle on top of the dish.
- Bake for another 15 to 20 minutes.
- Enjoy!
