Buffalo Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Buffalo Cauliflower Mac and Cheese. Is there a better way to celebrate Mac & Cheese Day? Seriously, is there?

Combining the mouth-watering flavours of Buffalo chicken with mac & cheese, this cheesy meatless dish is sure to have you reaching for seconds.

Buffalo sauce, long red chilies, shallots, garlic, and cauliflower, added to a three-cheese sauce and tossed with the macaroni. Sprinkled with a panko, thyme, and blue cheese topping, then baked until golden brown and bubbling.

Served with veggies, blue cheese dip and more Buffalo sauce. Grab a cold beverage and dig in!

Ingredients

• Cauliflower
• Kosher salt
• Elbow macaroni
• Olive oil
• Shallots
• Red chili
• Garlic
• Buffalo sauce
• Unsalted butter
• All-purpose flour
• Whole milk
• Dijon mustard
• Sour cream
• Cheddar
• Smoked Gouda
• Fontina
• Panko 
• Fresh thyme
• Blue cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F

Cook the Cauliflower

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the florets, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the cauliflower with a slotted spoon or spider skimmer (do not pour the water out, it will be used for the macaroni) and submerge the florets into a large bowl of ice water to cool completely. Drain the florets and set aside.

Cook the Macaroni

Bring the cauliflower water back up to a boil and add a generous sprinkle off salt. Then the macaroni and cook until just under al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain the pasta, toss with a little olive oil and set aside.

Prepare the Buffalo Cauliflower

Heat a skillet or saucepan, over medium heat. Add the olive oil, then the shallots and chilies. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cauliflower and the garlic into the pan. Next, add ½ cup of buffalo sauce and stir until the cauliflower is coated. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until the sauce begins to slightly thicken.

Make the Cheese Sauce

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk continuously for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture turns into a paste.

Add in the warm milk, a little at a time, while whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Continue cooking and whisking until the sauce has thickened and is smooth, about 5 minutes.

Whisk in the mustard. Then add the remaining ¼ cup of buffalo sauce and whisk to combine. Stir in the sour cream, then the cheddar, the gouda, and the fontina. Stir until melted, about 5 minutes.

Add in the cauliflower mixture and the macaroni, stir until well coated.

Assemble

Butter a 13” x 9” baking dish, then pour in the cauliflower-macaroni-cheese sauce mixture.

Sprinkle the remaining cheddar, gouda, and fontina cheeses evenly over the cauliflower-macaroni mixture.

In a glass bowl, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave. Then stir in the panko, thyme, and blue cheese and mixture to combine. Sprinkle this mixture on top of the mac & cheese.

Bake

Place the baking dish on the middle rack in your preheated oven. Bake until golden brown and the cheese is bubbling, about 40 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve

Serve with veggies, blue cheese dip and more buffalo sauce. Grab a cold beverage and dig in!

Watch how this buffalo cauliflower baked mac and cheese was made here.

Equipment

Created using Hestan Culinary Cookware: Provisions OvenBond Tri-ply 9”x13” Rectangular Baker. CopperBond Induction Copper 2- Qt Saucier. Thomas Keller Insignia Commercial Clad Stainless Steel 6-Qt Rondeau. Thomas Keller Insignia Commercial Clad Stainless Steel 12.5-inch Universal Lid. Provisions Stainless Steel 5-Qt Colander. Provisions Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl

Using the Hestan Cue Portable Induction Cooktop, the Hestan Home Dual Fuel Range, and the Hestan x Hedley & Bennett Grilling Apron.

Proud Hestan Culinary and Hestan Ambassador. Opinions in this post are my own.

Related

Looking for other Mac and Cheese recipes? Try these:

Buffalo Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Combining the mouth-watering flavours of buffalo chicken with mac & cheese, this cheesy meatless dish is sure to have you reaching for seconds.

Buffalo sauce, long red chilies, shallots, garlic, and cauliflower, added to a three-cheese sauce and tossed with the macaroni. Sprinkled with a panko, thyme, and blue cheese topping, then baked until golden brown and bubbling. Served with veggies, blue cheese dip and more Buffalo sauce.

Grab a cold beverage and dig in!

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 12 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 37 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 8 People

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 medium head cauliflower cut into bite size florets (4 to 5 cups)
• Kosher salt
• 1 pound elbow macaroni cooked just under al dente
• 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more to toss the pasta
• 2 shallots finely chopped
• 1 long red chili or jalapeño, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• ¾ cup buffalo sauce divided, plus more for serving
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter divided, plus some to grease the baking dish
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups whole milk warmed
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ⅔ cup sour cream
• 12 ounces sharp cheddar shredded (about 4 cups), reserve ½ cup for the topping
• 6 ounces smoked Gouda cheese shredded (about 2 cups), reserve ¼ cup for the topping
• 6 ounces fontina cheese shredded (about 2 cups), reserve ¼ cup for the topping
• 1 cup panko
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• ½ cup crumbled blue cheese

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F
• Cook the Cauliflower. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the florets, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the cauliflower with a slotted spoon or spider skimmer (do not pour the water out, it will be used for the macaroni) and submerge the florets into a large bowl of ice water to cool completely. Drain the florets and set aside.
• Cook the Macaroni. Bring the cauliflower water back up to a boil and add a generous sprinkle off salt. Then the macaroni and cook until just under al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain the pasta, toss with a little olive oil and set aside.
• Prepare the Buffalo Cauliflower. Heat a skillet or saucepan, over medium heat. Add the olive oil, then the shallots and chilies. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cauliflower and the garlic into the pan. Next, add ½ cup of buffalo sauce and stir until the cauliflower is coated. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until the sauce begins to slightly thicken.
• Make the Cheese Sauce. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk continuously for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture turns into a paste.
• Add in the warm milk, a little at a time, while whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Continue cooking and whisking until the sauce has thickened and is smooth, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk in the mustard. Then add the remaining ¼ cup of buffalo sauce and whisk to combine. Stir in the sour cream, then the cheddar, the gouda, and the fontina. Stir until melted, about 5 minutes.
• Add in the cauliflower mixture and the macaroni, stir until well coated.
• Assemble. Butter a 13” x 9” baking dish, then pour in the cauliflower-macaroni-cheese sauce mixture.
• Sprinkle the remaining cheddar, gouda, and fontina cheeses evenly over the cauliflower-macaroni mixture.
• In a glass bowl, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave. Then stir in the panko, thyme, and blue cheese and mixture to combine. Sprinkle this mixture on top of the mac & cheese.
• Bake. Place the baking dish on the middle rack in your preheated oven. Bake until golden brown and the cheese is bubbling, about 40 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
• Serve. Serve with veggies, blue cheese dip and more buffalo sauce. Grab a cold beverage and dig in!

Video

Keyword buffalo cauliflower mac n cheese, cauliflower buffalo mac and cheese, easy buffalo mac and cheese, spicy cauliflower mac and cheese

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