- Calories
- 410
- Protein
- 19g
- Fiber
- 4g
- Sat. fat
- 18g
- Sodium
- 540mg
- Added sugar
- 1g
What this recipe does for you.
Roasted cauliflower in a real cheddar sauce, baked with a crisp top. 7g net carbs, 19g protein, the comfort-food slot handled without pasta.
Why this works
Every recipe on this site ships with an explanation of the technique decisions, why sear then braise, why the acid goes in at the end, why the fat renders before the aromatics. The method below is those decisions, in order.
Tillamook sharp cheddar, block not pre-shredded
Pre-shredded cheese is coated in anti-caking starch (cellulose) that makes a grainy, broken sauce and adds stray carbs. A block of real sharp cheddar grated by hand melts into something silky. This is the single change that decides whether keto mac is good or sad.
Ingredients
Serves 4- 1 large headcauliflower · small florets
- 2 tbspolive oil
- 200 mlheavy cream
- 60 gcream cheese
- 190 gsharp cheddar · block, grated; 150g sauce plus 40g top
- 1/4 tspmustard powder
- nutmeg · a grating
- black pepper · to taste
- kosher salt · to taste
Method
Roast the cauliflower, do not boil it
One large head broken into small florets, tossed in olive oil and salt, roasted at 425F for 20 minutes. Boiling makes it watery and dilutes the sauce. Roasting drives off moisture and adds a nutty edge.
Build the sauce on cream, not flour
Warm 200ml heavy cream with 60g cream cheese until smooth, off the heat stir in 150g grated sharp cheddar a handful at a time. No roux needed, the cream and cheese thicken it. A pinch of mustard powder and a grate of nutmeg lift it.
Fold, top, and broil
Fold the roasted cauliflower through the sauce, tip into a baking dish, top with another 40g cheese, and broil 4 to 5 minutes until the top blisters. Watch it, broilers go from golden to burnt in under a minute.
Rest five minutes before serving
Like any cheese bake, it needs five minutes out of the oven to set. Served straight away it is loose; rested it holds a spoon. Crack black pepper over the top.
Variations
Substitutions and adaptations land with the photography shoot. The method holds across most reasonable swaps.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 to 4 days, sealed. Freezer: up to 3 months. Reheat covered to retain moisture.
Frequently asked
- How is this only 7g net carbs?
- Cauliflower is about 3g net carbs per cup cooked, and the cream and cheese are near-zero. The whole dish lands around 7g net carbs per serving, against roughly 40g for a pasta mac. The cheese is doing the calories, not the carbs.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Assemble through step two, refrigerate, then broil from cold (add a few minutes). The sauce is best fresh; if you reheat a baked portion, do it covered in a low oven so the cheese does not split.
- What protein goes with it?
- It is a side at 19g protein. Roast chicken thighs, a seared steak, or fold in 150g shredded rotisserie chicken to make it a 30g-protein main.
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