Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Bites are cheesy bites of deliciousness that are packed with flavor and veggies. Great for appetizers, snacks, or a main meal; these are sure to please everyone!
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by The a2 Milk Company. All thoughts and opinions are my own. These partnerships help make Living Well Kitchen a reality, and I appreciate your support of the brands I love!
Macaroni and cheese is one of the best comfort foods out there, and anything in mini version is better. Those two statements are non-negotiable.
That being said, macaroni and cheese bites should be amazing.
Problem is, anything with milk makes my stomach feel so sad. So very sad.
[insert joyful music] Until I found a2 Milk®. What's a2 Milk®? It's 100% real milk from real cows that is naturally easier to digest thanks to the fact that it only has the a2 milk protein.
I've talked about a2 Milk® before on Facebook Live and in my Mayan Hot Chocolate post. -- P.S. if you haven't made Mayan Hot Chocolate yet, A) you crazy B) get to it! -- It's changed my life when it comes to dairy. I can actually have milk without feeling like I might die.
To celebrate, I made another recipe with a2 Milk® that everyone will love: Cauliflower Macaroni & Cheese Bites.
While it's awesome that these are adorable mini macaroni & cheese bites I can actually eat, what I really love about this recipe is the amount of veggies packed in here! There are 4 cups of veggies in this recipe that serves 4 woohoo!
I used riced cauliflower that I found at Trader Joe's but you can easily "rice" your own cauliflower. I talked about it a few years ago when I made Mardi Gras Fried Rice. The cauliflower adds bulk to the bites without adding too much cauliflower flavor.
Using pecorino romano cheese helps reduce the risk that your mac and cheese bites will have a1 protein (the milk protein that potentially causes stomach discomfort) in it since it is a sheep's cheese. It's a flavorful hard cheese that you can find right next to your parmesan cheese. I love it because there's so much flavor that you don't need a lot to get a cheesy punch.
These can easily be made gluten free using gluten free pasta (I tested one version using chickpea pasta) and substituting cornstarch (use half) for the flour.
Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Bites are great for snacks, appetizers, and meals. No matter how you serve them, everyone will love these tasty, cheesy bites!
Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Bites
Ingredients
- 5 ounces whole grain pasta 2 cups dry
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 cup onions diced, about 1 small onion
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup a2 Milk®
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- â…› teaspoon garlic powder
- â…› teaspoon turmeric
- â…› teaspoon black pepper
- â…› teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 16 ounces riced cauliflower 3 cups
- 4 ounces pecorino romano cheese 1 cup, divided
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350*F.
- Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Heat oil in the same pot, and sauté onions for about 5 minutes.
- Add in flour and stir to completely coat the onion. Stir in spices and cook, stirring constantly, until spices are fragrant (about 1 minute).
- Pour in about ¼ cup a2 milk. Stir well, scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pot, until thick. Add a little more milk, stir into sauce, and repeat two more times until you have a thick sauce.
- Add in cauliflower and stir to completely combine. Add in all but 2 tablespoons of cheese and stir to combine. Remove from heat.
- Whisk the egg into a small bowl. Add a spoonful of the hot cauliflower-cheese mixture and stir. Add another spoonful of mixture and stir. Pour into the pot and stir to completely combine.
- Transfer to muffin tins or liners. Sprinkle with remaining two tablespoons of cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes in preheated oven. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
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Meme
Nutrition a la Natalie says
Looks delish!