Mac and cheese may be a beloved staple from our childhoods, but this lower carb switch-up with a luxurious twist makes it the perfect dish for your next dinner party! This “mac” and cheese recipe featuring a crisped top, cheesy cauliflower and poached lobster comes to us from the ADA’s Diabetes Food Hub, and we can’t wait for you to make it!
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 1 cauliflower, trimmed into 8 cups florets
- 5 cups water
- 2 4-oz frozen lobster tails (or 1 cup chopped imitation lobster meat)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk (fat free)
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp hot sauce
- 3 oz colby jack cheese (reduced fat)
- 4 oz cream cheese (fat free)
- 1/2 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat in a 9×13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Place cauliflower florets in a large microwave-safe dish. Pour 1 cup of water over the cauliflower and cover. Microwave for 12 minutes or until cauliflower is tender. Drain and then keep warm.
- While cauliflower is microwaving: If using lobster tails, bring 4 cups of water to a boil and then reduce until water is just barely simmering. Add the lobster tails to the water and poach for 7 minutes. Remove the tails from the water to cool slightly. Cut the lobster tails, remove the meat from the tails and chop. Makes about a cup of lobster meat.
- Add olive oil to saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the milk while whisking. Add the nutmeg, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 3 minutes.
- Add the Colby-jack and cream cheeses and stir until melted.
- Add the cauliflower to the baking dish. Use a fork to break up the florets into 1-inch or smaller pieces.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower and stir to coat.
- Sprinkle the lobster over the cauliflower and stir to coat.
- Sprinkle the panko bread crumbs evenly over the top of the casserole and then spray the top of the panko with cooking spray.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
