{"id":5030,"date":"2013-02-12T15:16:37","date_gmt":"2013-02-12T21:16:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hottie-biscotti.com\/blog\/?p=5030"},"modified":"2013-02-12T15:16:37","modified_gmt":"2013-02-12T21:16:37","slug":"cauliflower-mac-with-white-cheddar-parmesan-and-thyme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hottie-biscotti.com\/blog\/2013\/02\/12\/cauliflower-mac-with-white-cheddar-parmesan-and-thyme\/","title":{"rendered":"Cauliflower Mac with White Cheddar, Parmesan and Thyme"},"content":{"rendered":"

In my dreams I am someone who eats nothing but good-for-you foods, mainly fruits and vegetables, that are all beneficial to my health and do things like make my skin glow, provide me with all my daily vitamins, and will add years to my life. \u00a0I grow all my own vegetables and get my eggs from the chickens I’m raising in my backyard. \u00a0In that backyard I am hanging my clothes out to dry on the clothesline. \u00a0In reality I love a greasy hamburger with cheese and bacon served up with a plate of crispy fries and followed by a creamy vanilla milkshake. \u00a0I’ve never grown anything edible besides some tomatoes that didn’t make it through the season. \u00a0And I actually hate the way clothes feel and smell after drying outside. \u00a0I’m nothing like I am in my dreams. \u00a0I like healthy foods, but I also really like to indulge. \u00a0I’ve visited both extremes of unhealthy habits with food and over time I’ve become better able to understand that there is a healthy balance between the two. \u00a0I believe that there is a time to indulge in cheesy macaroni and a time to take it easy and fill your body with nutritious vegetables. \u00a0This dish allows you to have your mac and eat it too.<\/p>\n

\"cauliflowermacaroniandchees\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Upon first reading this recipe in Fine Cooking I dismissed it as being way too much work. \u00a0I came across it again a few weeks later and thought I should give it a try. \u00a0It turned out to be really delicious and not terribly time consuming. \u00a0This is nothing at all like the ooey gooey cheesy macaroni and cheese I usually make, so it isn’t truly fair to compare them. \u00a0However, the flavor of this macaroni was full and rich thanks to the sharp cheese and fresh thyme. \u00a0Since it’s a warm baked pasta dish it still serves as comfort food, but it doesn’t carry all the butter, whole milk and cheese (and guilt) of the full fat version. \u00a0One of the best parts about it is the\u00a0cauliflower\u00a0and onion puree. \u00a0There’s half a head of cauliflower in this! \u00a0And it adds a wonderful flavor and creaminess as well as a good amount of vitamin C. \u00a0Purees are a great way to get more vegetables into your diet, and I’m going to look for ways to do more with them. \u00a0There are only so many salads and sides of steamed broccoli a girl can take before she needs some real food. \u00a0And while you eat this you can feel good knowing you’re getting some of your daily veggies.<\/p>\n

There are a few things I did that are different from\u00a0the original recipe<\/a>. \u00a0I used macaroni instead of penne. \u00a0I used heaping measurements for the cheese because, well, I just love cheese. \u00a0And I used 2% milk instead of 1%. \u00a0I know there is a big difference between the two, and next time I will try 1% if I remember to pick some up. \u00a0Ben and Carson both drink 2%, and I have recently made the switch to almond milk, so that’s all the milk we have in our house most of the time.<\/p>\n

If you make this dish start to finish it probably wouldn’t take you all that long, but it dirties a lot of dishes. \u00a0One of those dirty items is a blender, and I kinda hate cleaning the blender, not sure why. \u00a0As a stay-at-home mom I rarely have the luxury of making dinner\u00a0leisurely and I also don’t want me or my husband to be stuck with a bunch of dishes when all we want to do is sit down after the kids are in bed. \u00a0So, here are some ways to make this easier and less stressful to prepare.<\/p>\n