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My family’s favorite side dish would have to be Southern Macaroni Pie – a casserole made with elbow noodles, cheddar cheese, and an egg/milk mixture all baked together happily in a big pan. I have tried and tried to make a healthy version using various vegetables in place of the noodles, but all of my efforts were soupy messes and resembled vomit when cut into. I’m pretty sure some of my siblings have been scarred for life by seeing the desecration of one of their favorite foods served in such a blasé fashion.
Finally, I hit the jackpot: use cauliflower to replace the noodles but roast it before putting it into the casserole. Works like a charm. Don’t let the extra step scare you. Basically you just cut the cauliflower up like you would anyway, put it on a big pan, and plop it in the oven for 15 minutes to help it soften up and evaporate some of the moisture off before covering it with cheese and stuff. This way your end result is not mushy.
I’m sure I could make a more authentic version of Southern Macaroni Pie by just using Dreamfield’s Pasta, but I don’t have any and am not looking to invest in any if I can use a perfectly good vegetable in its place. Is this totally macaroni pie without the pasta? Nope, but it’s as good a substitute as you’ll get and I’m satisfied. Call it cauli au gratin if you like – it’s just plain good no matter what it’s called. And hey, even my dad liked it, which says a lot.
This easy casserole (only a few ingredients!) with its crispy cheese crust is the perfect side dish for a large family. It would be a great dish to serve to company or take to a potluck!
Question for the day (comment below!): have you made healthy versions of any of your family’s favorite side dishes?
You can find this recipe in my cookbook, Necessary Food.
- One head of fresh cauliflower
- 2-3 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup plain unsweetened almond milk
- ½ cup cottage cheese
- 2 T oat fiber (use gluten free if gluten is an issue)
- Salt and pepper
- Chop the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces and spread out on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees F to prepare for baking the casserole.
- Place the roasted cauliflower in a 9x13" pan and top with the cheddar cheese (you can vary the amount according to your personal taste).
- Blend the eggs, almond milk, cottage cheese, and oat fiber together until completely smooth. Pour over the cauliflower and cheese evenly.
- Top with salt and pepper to taste and bake at 350 degrees F (well, your oven might still be cooking down) for 30 minutes or until the casserole is set all the way through. For best results, let the casserole set for 5 minutes before serving.
Suggested products:
- Ninja blender
- Oat Fiber
- A gluten free oat fiber can be purchased at the Trim Healthy Mama online store.
I LOVE this recipe! My family loves roasted cauliflower so this is a great way to make a meal with it. I have roasted the cauliflower part way on the BBQ with excellent results. The crispy corners are always the first to go. Today will add ukrainine sausage and broccoli to the mix.
Wondering about flaking some tuna into this somehow.
Any thought?
I’m not really a tuna casserole person so I’m probably the wrong one to ask. 😛 If you like that type of thing it would be worth a try, I suppose!
Lovely! This is the type macaroni I grew up on. Love macaroni pie! I will try it. I make fotato salad with cailiflowet cooked to soften in the microwave without water. Works great!
I have this in the oven now with hubby lovin’ chicken and green beans. Thanks!
Do you think that this would freeze ok? I am single and even if I halve the recipe it makes a lot for one person… BTW I love your blog!! Thanks for all the generosity of heart in sharing all your knowledge and recipes with us. I am new to THM and have bee looking at all your posts in relation to the plan. SO SO SO SO helpful!
I’m so glad the posts have been helpful, Jackie! I’ve never tried freezing this but I bet it would work.
This looks yummy. What could I use on place of the oat fiber? I have yet to invest in it. 🙂 thanks!
Oat fiber has very unique properties, so I don’t know of anything you could substitute except for ground psyllium husk, which is very similar. You could just try leaving it out (the recipe might be a little more watery), or finely ground almond flour might work.
Made this and it is great. I loved it but my husband not a cauliflower lover. I have lots leftover. Since I enjoy non-traditional breakfast food, do you think it would be ok to eat for an “S” breakfast? Do you think I would need to add some bacon for more protein or some 0% greek yogurt?
That would totally be fine! I’m glad I’m not the only one who enjoys non-traditional food for breakfast. 😉 I don’t think you’d need to add any more protein if you don’t want to – this has plenty of eggs and cheese for protein. If used it as a main dish for supper before, actually.
Wonderful! Hubby and I really enjoy your recipes. Thanks so much for sharing your talents and humor. 🙂
Looks great, and I love your blog! Any reason why you use almond milk instead of regular milk? Thanks!
Hi Cyndi! I follow a healthy eating plan called Trim Healthy Mama, and we use unsweetened almond milk instead of regular milk because regular milk has a tendency to spike blood sugar. You can find out more about the plan here: https://www.briana-thomas.com/starting-trim-healthy-mama/
This looks great for potluck- thank you! My only question is, do you think it would turn out the same if I used frozen cauliflower? Because of where we live, I have rare access to fresh cauliflower. But I would totally do whatever it took to get some if that’s what this dish needs! 🙂 Thanks again, Briana. Thankful for all your recipes and encouragement!
Hi Elise! I’m thinking that the frozen cauliflower might make this dish too watery, but you could try!
I’ll be trying the frozen cauliflower tonight and report back. I’m thinking that roasting it will draw the moisture out., but we shall see.
Turned out just fine with frozen cauliflower. I used 2 bags and roasted a little longer than the recommended tone. There was no moisture on my plan when I took it out. Needed a little salt, but my family was very happy with this,.
Yikes, I better proof read better next time.
Time not tone.
Pan not plan.
Awesome! So glad it turned out for you!
Thanks Briana. I’m really loving all your THM recipes. I love cauliflower, especially when it’s roasted, so I’ll try out this recipe. I’m struggling a bit with the craze for cauliflower pizza crust though. Can’t really work out why I don’t like it! Am working on creating a different pizza base alternative that would fit THM. Anyway, keep up the great work with your blog. Your talent really shines through and your photos are great too. I really have to try to improve in that area. Mine are always too dark.
Hi Julie! I just checked out your blog…I love the clean look! I’ve never tried the cauliflower pizza crust, but I’ve been wanting to. A good, easy, “normal” S pizza crust would definitely be a huge hit, I’m sure.
Thanks Briana. The Foodie theme is great isn’t it!
I feel the same about cauliflower pizza crust. I think it is the texture. Cauliflower works well in other recipes like the Mac and Cheese but pizza crust, not so much. Making this recipe tomorrow. Just found cauliflower for $0.99 each!! WooHoo!!
Yum…we love macaroni and cheese, and I would never have thought to use the cauliflower as a substitute. I saw a recipe the other day for using cauliflower to make pizza crust, I think it was. Looks like cauliflower is in demand as a healthy alternative. Thanks for sharing!! 🙂
It’s amazing what you can do with cauliflower; I even have a cauliflower chocolate cake recipe!