Lactose-Intolerant Friendly Mac & Cheese with Broccoli and Cauliflower recipe

This week’s Vindicate the Vegetable is Brocolli. Broccoli is another veggie that hubby and I love to have as a side. Normally, I just steam some fresh broccoli and serve it along the side of any main course. But that’s not very exciting to blog about. I thought I’d try out some of the new cheeses I recently found and make up some mac-n-cheese with cauliflower and broccoli like I saw Rachel Ray make recently.

I really liked this mac-n-cheese. I was so excited to be able to eat a cheesey meal!! The brocolli and cauliflower add some texture and flavor to the mix. I definitely think this recipe would not have been as good without the brocolli.

Mac-n-Cheese – from Rachel Ray
Coarse salt
1 pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi (corkscrew-shaped pasta) – I used Penne
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets – I used 1/2 head of cauliflower and 1/2 head of brocolli
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter – I used Earth Balance
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
3 cups whole milk – I used soy milk
1 cup chicken stock or broth
3 cups shredded smoked Gouda – I used Sheep milk Gouda and sheep milk cheese
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Freshly ground black pepper
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt to season the cooking water, then add the pasta. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the cauliflower and cook for 3 minutes more or until pasta is cooked al dente and the florets are just tender. Drain well and return to the pot.

While the pasta cooks, heat a medium sauce pot over medium-low heat. Add the extra-virgin olive oil and heat with the butter until it melts. Add the onions and cook for 3 to 5 minutes to sweat them out and turn the juices sweet. Raise the heat a bit, then whisk in the flour, cayenne, and paprika. Whisk together until the roux bubbles up, then cook for 1 minute more. Whisk in the milk and stock and raise the heat a bit higher to bring the sauce to a quick boil. Once it bubbles, drop the heat back to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the cheese to the thickened sauce and stir to melt it, a minute or so. Stir in the mustard and season the sauce with salt and pepper. Pour over the cauliflower and cooked pasta and toss to combine. Adjust the seasonings, transfer to a large platter, and serve.

    Pin It

17 Responses to “Friday Faves – The Small Boston Kitchen makes Cranberry Risotto Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms”

  1. #
    1
    Lauren — January 7, 2011 at 1:13 pm

    I’m not a huge mushroom fan, but the cranberry risotto sounds absolutely fantastic! Thanks for the idea, Katie :).

  2. #
    2
    Fun and Fearless in Beantown — January 7, 2011 at 2:51 pm

    What a great recipe Katie!

  3. #
    3
    Daisy — January 7, 2011 at 3:02 pm

    I am in awe of your description of mushrooms. that recipe is awesome and so is the idea to cook them in butter and red wine! if non mushroom lovers are not converted after this post, there is no help for them!!

  4. #
    4
    Erica — January 7, 2011 at 3:29 pm

    This comment has been removed by the author.

  5. #
    5
    Jennifer — January 7, 2011 at 3:29 pm

    I am a huge mushroom lover. This recipe sounds wonderful!

  6. #
    6
    In and Around Town — January 7, 2011 at 3:33 pm

    I am a HUGE fan of mushrooms, I put them in everything! This will probably be dinner tonight!

  7. #
    7
    Sarah from 20somethingcupcakes — January 7, 2011 at 3:55 pm

    I’m definitely with you in the first camp, though I will tell you – I’ve converted the boyfriend into a semi-mushroom lover, so maybe there is a person who lies a bit in between after all! This looks heavenly.

  8. #
    8
    Smitten Sugar — January 7, 2011 at 5:05 pm

    I am definitely not a mushroom lover but this recipe looks amazing!

  9. #
    9
    Megan — January 7, 2011 at 5:48 pm

    Katie can make these for me anytime! Great recipe and great guest post!

  10. #
    10
    Josie — January 7, 2011 at 7:00 pm

    OMG this combines so many of my favorite things into one dish! I’ve already added it to next week’s menu. Thanks so much for introducing me to a fun new blog!

  11. #
    11
    Melissa — January 7, 2011 at 8:28 pm

    I’m on the verge of being a mushroom lover – when raw the texture creeps me out but I’ve discovered I love the flavor and like them when cooked. I would love to eat this dish!

  12. #
    12
    kitchenmisfit — January 7, 2011 at 11:58 pm

    It is bad that I thought the sneak peak picture looked like mashed potatoes? That can only mean the risotto must be extra creamy!

  13. #
    13
    kitchenmisfit — January 7, 2011 at 11:59 pm

    It is bad that I thought the sneak peak picture looked like mashed potatoes? I think that just means this risotto must be extra creamy!

  14. #
    14
    The Small Boston Kitchen — January 8, 2011 at 4:28 pm

    Thanks Jen for including me in your Friday Faves and for saying such nice things about my writing! This dish was fun to make and was really good on a cold winter night. Thanks all for the comments! Even those from the mushroom haters 🙂

  15. #
    15
    Maris (In Good Taste) — January 8, 2011 at 7:34 pm

    Aren’t portobello mushrooms the best? So many different things you can do with them!

  16. #
    16
    John at BOS — January 9, 2011 at 2:14 am

    What more Can I say, a combination of my favorite ingredients… Mushroom and risotto! It’s nice to see a lot of mushroom recipe’s this past few days.

  17. #
    17
    Kerstin — January 10, 2011 at 5:03 am

    What a creative recipe, I love it! Definitely the perfect way to kick off your cool Friday Favs feature 🙂

Leave a Comment