Super Bowl Dinner Idea: Buffalo Cauliflower Mac & Cheese

Love all things buffalo?

Do you also associate buffalo-flavored foods with football and the Super Bowl?

Then, meet this delicious and super flavorful mac and cheese that will spice up dinner for Sunday’s big game!

I’ve made this Ambitious Kitchen recipe a few times before and loved switching up two ingredients this time – I decided to use Whole Foods’ chickpea pasta for extra protein/fiber, as well as Primal Kitchen’s buffalo sauce (dairy free and ridiculous!). Both of which did not disappoint and I will definitely be subbing them in going forward!

Enjoy this and the game, as we all count down until the epic Super Bowl Halftime Show!

Buffalo Cauliflower Mac and Cheese (Adapted from Ambitious Kitchen)

Ingredients:

• For the cauliflower:
• 4-6 cups cauliflower florets
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
• Freshly ground salt and pepper

• For the mac and cheese:
• 8 ounces dry pasta shells or cavatappi (or any pasta you’d like, gluten free if desired) – this time, I used chickpea pasta, which was so good!
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup all purpose flour (or sub whole wheat or GF all purpose flour)
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 3/4 cups unsweetened cashew milk, almond milk or regular milk
• 6 oz sharp cheddar cheese (about 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese)
• ½ cup medium to hot buffalo sauce – Primal Kitchen creamy buffalo sauce is amazing in this!

• For topping (I personally skipped this this go round out of sheer laziness):
• 2 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded and reserved for the topping (or about ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese)
• ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon melted butter

• Optional garnish:
• Green onion, (green part only)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Add cauliflower, drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat the cauliflower in the oil. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until tender and slightly golden, flipping cauliflower halfway through cooking. Keep heat in the oven.
2. While the cauliflower is cooking you can boil your noodles and make the sauce: boil the noodles in a large pot until al dente, according to the directions on the package. Once done cooking, drain and return noodles to the large pot.
3. While the noodles are boiling, make your mac and cheese sauce: in a large skillet, add butter and place over medium heat. Once butter is melted, whisk in a little bit of the flour and then slowly add in milk, a little bit at a time, alternating with the flour and vigorously whisking away any lumps. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes stirring every so often, until the sauce thickens up a bit. Stir in garlic powder, onion powder, salt and LOTS of freshly ground black pepper.
4. Next add in 6 ounces (or about 1 ½ cups) of shredded sharp cheddar cheese to the sauce and stir until completely melted. Pour the cheese sauce over the noodles, then add in buffalo sauce. Stir to completely coat the noodles, then add in your roasted cauliflower and stir again.
5. Spray a 2-quart baking dish or 9×9 inch or 11×7 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray, or grease with olive oil or butter. Pour in the cauliflower mac and cheese and spread out. Top with remaining ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese if you like extra cheesiness!
6. In a small bowl, mix breadcrumbs with melted butter. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture on top of casserole and bake for 25 minutes or until breadcrumbs are golden brown. Serves 6.