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I tried this recipe today and it just wasn't quite the Kraft-Dinner-replacement that I'd hoped it would be. It was really bland, just kind of meh, and it tasted like canned cheese soup (which, to be fair, was the main ingredient, but just not what I was looking for) I think I could get better results with making a sauce from the powdered cheese stuff you can get from Amazon (or the packets I've occasionally seen in the GF areas of certain markets) and dumping in microwaved frozen cauliflower. And then adding a can of cream of mushroom soup and a can of tuna like karenbynight taught me to treat boxed macaroni and cheese.
The good about this recipe:
Super fast, super easy. Because I bought pre chopped cauliflower from Costco, preparation was even easier than as-written. If I'd gone with pre-shredded cheese it would have gone even faster.
The not so good:
Prep time is slightly longer than what it says on the tin. If you're going to prep a head of cauliflower, that will take most people about 5 minutes by itself, and then getting all of the soup out of the can takes a good few minutes more to do well. And you will want to heat it up slowly so it doesn't burn. So plan on at least 15 minutes of prep time. (More if, like me, one cooks while hungry, which means gravity pulls down slightly harder in a three foot bubble around me.)
The sauce was too thick for my preferences. If I do this again, I'll probably use regular fresh milk and more of it , and maybe nacho cheese flavored soup instead of the boring cheddar, or just start with the cream of mushroom and add cheese to it.
It was pretty salty. I shouldn't have even added any salt to it, but I had already thrown it in when I realized that the condensed soup base was probably plenty salty enough. (Again, I should not cook while actively hungry.) Thank goodness I no longer trust the salt quantities in recipes anymore and only used half the amount of kosher type flakes. (This is where I shake my fist in the air and curse at Rachael Ray, whose recipes that I've tried as-written are super salty.)
The admonition to not use sharp cheddar should probably extend to using just cheddar cheese in the two cups it calls for. It should be cut with at least a third of some other soft and melty cheese like Monterey jack or brie or gouda, or even an Italian mix or Mexican mix if you're going with pre-shredded. I went with a block of mild cheddar from Costco and, while certainly not sharp, did seem like it was about to go grainy when I was serving it.
Since I was really looking for a substitute for macaroni and cheese, the three and a half hour cooking time really makes this not optimal for me. As I mentioned at the top, a stovetop version would be a better option for doing this again.
spicysouthernkitchen.com/crock-pot-cauliflower-cheese/
The good about this recipe:
Super fast, super easy. Because I bought pre chopped cauliflower from Costco, preparation was even easier than as-written. If I'd gone with pre-shredded cheese it would have gone even faster.
The not so good:
Prep time is slightly longer than what it says on the tin. If you're going to prep a head of cauliflower, that will take most people about 5 minutes by itself, and then getting all of the soup out of the can takes a good few minutes more to do well. And you will want to heat it up slowly so it doesn't burn. So plan on at least 15 minutes of prep time. (More if, like me, one cooks while hungry, which means gravity pulls down slightly harder in a three foot bubble around me.)
The sauce was too thick for my preferences. If I do this again, I'll probably use regular fresh milk and more of it , and maybe nacho cheese flavored soup instead of the boring cheddar, or just start with the cream of mushroom and add cheese to it.
It was pretty salty. I shouldn't have even added any salt to it, but I had already thrown it in when I realized that the condensed soup base was probably plenty salty enough. (Again, I should not cook while actively hungry.) Thank goodness I no longer trust the salt quantities in recipes anymore and only used half the amount of kosher type flakes. (This is where I shake my fist in the air and curse at Rachael Ray, whose recipes that I've tried as-written are super salty.)
The admonition to not use sharp cheddar should probably extend to using just cheddar cheese in the two cups it calls for. It should be cut with at least a third of some other soft and melty cheese like Monterey jack or brie or gouda, or even an Italian mix or Mexican mix if you're going with pre-shredded. I went with a block of mild cheddar from Costco and, while certainly not sharp, did seem like it was about to go grainy when I was serving it.
Since I was really looking for a substitute for macaroni and cheese, the three and a half hour cooking time really makes this not optimal for me. As I mentioned at the top, a stovetop version would be a better option for doing this again.
spicysouthernkitchen.com/crock-pot-cauliflower-cheese/
Crock Pot Cauliflower and Cheese
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Tender and cheesy cauliflower is a cinch to make in a crock pot.
Recipe type: Side Dish
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 can condensed cheddar soup
- 1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
- ½ teaspoon salt [skip this, really!]
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ cup finely diced onion
- 2 cups shredded cheddar
Instructions
- Grease the inside of a 3 to 4-quart crock pot.
- Place cauliflower florets in crock pot.
- In a medium saucepan, combine remaining ingredients. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until cheese is melted.
- Pour sauce over cauliflower.
- Cover crock pot and cook on low for 3 to 3½ hours, depending on how tender you want the cauliflower.
Notes
Note: Do not use extra-sharp cheddar cheese. It is too acidic and can turn grainy.