Published: Jan 12, 2016 · Last Updated: May 9, 2022 by Dr. Sonali Ruder · This post may contain affiliate links · As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases · 35 Comments

Mac and Cheese with Roasted Cauliflower

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Skip the boxed macaroni and cheese and make this dish for your family instead! My mac and cheese is easy to make and a lot healthier.

#naturalbabyfood #macandcheese #cookbook

As some of you know, my cookbook, Natural Pregnancy Cookbook, was recently released. The follow up book, which is due to be released next month, is called Natural Baby Food. I’m really excited about this project because it features over 125 nutritious recipes for babies and toddlers. And the last section in the book includes easy dishes that the whole family can enjoy together. While I was writing the book, I got to test many of the recipes on my own daughter Sienna!

When Katrina from Mama’s Organized Chaos approached me about teaming up to review some of the recipes from the book, I was all for it! After all, I would love to get feedback from real moms who are interested in making nutritious, homemade food for their little ones. So, each month for the next four months, this group of mamas will try out one of my recipes from the book and then rate them in categories such as taste and ease of preparation. The recipes they will be testing are:

- Sweet Potato Pancakes

- Turkey Florentine Meatballs

- Zucchini Tots

- Tropical Rice Pudding

If you are interested in joining the group and getting a sneak peak at some of the recipes from the book, head over to the Facebook group HERE. We would love to get more people to participate!

First up for the taste testers was my Mac and Cheese with Roasted Cauliflower. When I was
brainstorming ideas for this book, I just knew I had to include a macaroni and cheese recipe. I mean, what kid doesn’t like mac and cheese? It definitely was my favorite dish growing up. But I wanted to add something to up the nutrition of the dish. One simple substitution I made was to use whole grain pasta instead of traditional pasta. You should aim to make half of all the grains you (and your little ones) eat be whole grains. The second change I made was to include cauliflower in the dish. Cauliflower is packed with powerful antioxidants as well as fiber, protein and an impressive array of
vitamins and minerals. Broccoli was the first vegetable that popped into my head but a lot of kids will revolt at the site of those green trees. Cauliflower has similar health benefits as broccoli and it has a mild flavor. And when you roast it in the oven, it gets nicely caramelized and crispy on the edges.

Overall, this recipe was approved by all of the mamas in the group- yay! Some of the feedback was
that the cheese may have been a little strong for their little ones. If that’s the case, you may want to start with a mild cheddar or even Monterey Jack (or a mixture). Either choice would be a healthier option than using processed cheese.

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