Remember this from a couple of weeks ago?…well, this dish is just built upon that. (Haha…I’m talking in this & thats.)

But, boy does this take it to a whole new level.

An amazing level.

Mouthwatering good.

Mmmm!

There’s nothin’ like squeezin’ some vegetables into your mac ‘n cheese!!! Then amp’n it up with some bbq. 🙂 *Spoken in a Southern accent…Paula Deen style*

No, but ya’ll, watch out when you buy your bbq sauce…a lot of them have all sorts of crazy ingredients (chemicals, words I can’t pronounce and high fructose corn syrup). I found this one by Kraft (Bull’s Eye Brown Sugar and Hickory) that tastes really good and it was in the organic section of the grocery store. Awesome sauce.

BBQ Cauliflower Mac ‘n Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower
• 1/2 pound elbow macaroni (multi-grain or whole wheat kind is even better!)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 cups skim milk, plus 1/2 cup for pureeing cauliflower
• 1 cup grated part-skim sharp cheddar cheese, plus 1 cup for sprinkling on top
• 1 teaspoon salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1 cup barbaque sauce (I used brown sugar & hickory)
• 1/2 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes for the topping

How-To

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Spray a 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray, set aside.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
4. Trim cauliflower and break into small florets.
5. Boil the cauliflower until tender (about 10-15 minutes).
6. Take out the cauliflower and place in a food processor with 1/2 cup milk and puree until thick and smooth. Set aside.
7. In the same pot, add a little bit of water and cook the noodles according to directions until al dente.
8. For the sauce, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
9. Add the flour and whisk briskly.
10. Gradually add 2 cups milk, whisking continuously, until it reaches a boil.
11. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes, or until thick and bubbly.
12. Add the pureed cauliflower, 1 cup cheddar cheese, salt and black pepper.
13. Whisk until smooth and remove from heat.
14. Add cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and toss until well coated.
15. Pour half of the pasta into the prepared baking dish.
16. Spread the layer of barbaque sauce evenly on the pasta.
17. Pour the remaining pasta into the dish.
18. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the pasta.
19. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup cheddar evenly over the top.
20. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown on top and the cheese sauce is bubbling around the edges.