Spicy Cauliflower Mac

If you've made either of my other cauliflower mac recipes, push them aside! This is the cauliflower mac to end all macs.

This recipe, slapped together during quarantine, relied on available, limited ingredients and wanting to be conscious of our waste. I wanted to make use of the things in the pantry that needed using the soonest. So, that largely informed my ingredients, which is to say that this can be altered however you like -- so, enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 whole head white cauliflower

3 cups Pepperjack cheese, grated

4 tbsp. cream cheese

2 cloves of garlic confit, pressed, OR 2 cloves of garlic, finely grated

1/2 cup chorizo sausage, diced

2 dried red chilies, thinly sliced, OR1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

3 tbsp. garlic confit oil, bacon fat, or olive oil -- to coat pan

1/2 cup chicken broth

FIRST: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pour 3 tbsp. of oil into a ceramic lasagna pan or baking dish. Using a knife and cutting board, cut the cauliflower into smaller pieces, size is up to you. I usually like to make the pieces smaller, almost like macaroni-sized!

THEN In a large mixing bowl, dump all chopped up cauliflower. Then add all the other ingredients, except the cream cheese and chicken broth. Mix until combined.

MEANWHILE: Using a fork or masher, mix the cream cheese and chicken broth in a separate mixing bowl. NOTE: if you let the cream cheese soften, it’s much easier. Dump both mixtures into lasagna pan or baking dish (first the cauli and then the cream cheese).

FINALLY: Cook for 25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Optional: Sprinkle with bread crumbs and cook 3-5 more minutes.

NOTE: In our case, confit oil was readily available. In fact, this oil was about 75% bacon fat-based. For that recipe, see the garlic confit recipe, but change out the olive oil to bacon. Also, this ain't a pretty dish (see right), but it IS delicious.