What is better than an authentic mac and cheese? Well, mac and cheese without all the carbs in it that can kick you out of ketosis. Contrary to what some believe, the keto diet isn’t one-dimensional. There are a lot of options besides meat and fish.
There are a lot of ways you can mimic your favorite foods without sacrificing flavor or nutritional quality. You can make pizza crust in more ways than one. And you can also enjoy a bowl of mac and cheese.
Two Major Ingredients
In making low-carb keto-friendly cauliflower mac and cheese, the trick is to focus predominantly on the sauce. Since it’s almost entirely dairy-based, it’s good to reflect on which dairy products are considered keto-friendly.
Keto Diet and Dairy
Unless you’re lactose intolerant, dairy is a must-have ingredient in your keto meals. As with any other animal products, you’re advised to always look for the best possible quality. That makes all the difference. Cheeses that contain a higher percentage of fat are considered to be more keto-friendly. It also matters if the cows are grass-fed and treated with hormones.
Foods like grass-fed butter are one of the staples of the keto diet. The same goes for heavy cream and high-fat sour cream. However, there are certain types of dairy products that you’re better off avoiding if you’re trying to stick to the keto diet. Milk is one of them. It contains a higher percentage of carbs, especially the skimmed version. Things like half-and-half and certain kinds of yogurt are also high in carbs and not keto-friendly.
Benefits of Cauliflower
Cauliflower has become one of the favorite foods to use in keto-friendly meal prep. There are a lot of ways you can turn cauliflower into the base of a much more elaborate meal. It’s one of the healthiest vegetables because it’s rich in vitamin C. When it comes to the immune system and your cardiovascular health, it’s important to mind your vitamin C intake. It’s also a great source of vitamin K, which promotes bone health.
Keto-Friendly Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Recipe
Ingredients:
1 large cauliflower head
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1¼ tsp paprika
8oz heavy cream
4oz cheddar cheese
4oz shredded fontina
1oz cream cheese
Instructions:
You have to preheat the oven to 375F and it’s probably best to use a square-shaped baking dish that you’ll coat with butter. After you cut the cauliflower into pieces, steam it for 4-5 minutes. In a separate dish, combine all the cheeses, creams, and seasoning. Place it on the stovetop at medium heat and stir. When everything is combined, add the cauliflower and mix. Pour the mixture in the coated baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Details
Each serving of this keto-friendly mac and cheese will have approximately 400 calories from 10g of carbs, 33g of fat, and 14g of protein. You should keep in mind that this is only one of the ways to approach this recipe. You can always go for different kinds of cheeses and add more or less heavy cream. If you’re keen on garlic flavor in your mac and cheese, you can add some garlic powder. One of the great things about this recipe is that you can make it your own.
