Low-Carb "Mac" and Cheese

Mr. Pihl worked late at the pharmacy yesterday which meant that I leapt on the opportunity to experiment with dinner.   Oh my, was it a success!  

After discovering this recipe for "mac" and cheese made with cauliflower, I found this recipe by Carnaldish which added an oh-so-decadent fancy twist to traditional macaroni and cheese.  After brainstorming my approach, I decided to make a low-carb love child of the two recipes.

It was ooey.

It was gooey.

It was savory and superb.

It was everything an adult-ish version of macaroni and cheese should be.

I topped it with crushed pork rinds, bacon, and green onions, and oh my was it scrumptious.  After all, bacon makes everything better.

Amen.

Fun fact?  I had never ingested a pork rind until last night.  

Apparently they're commonly used in low-carb circles as breading.  I'd been avoiding them because I couldn't get past the idea of what they are made out of.  For the sake of the "mac" and cheese, I said a Hail Mary and got over it.  

I'm so glad that I did.  They perfectly mimicked traditional macaroni and cheese with a  bread crumb topping.  Can you say low-carb comfort food?

It may not look very pretty, but I had two helpings.

Okay, three.

Whether or not you eat low-carb, I highly encourage you to try this dish out.  It's the ultimate in yumminess and is mainly comprised of vegetables, cheese and bacon.  I mean, come ON!  How can you get any better that that?!

Anyhow, here's the secret!

You'll need:

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 4-6 strips of bacon, fried to crispy perfection
• 2 handfuls of pork rinds (roughly 2 cups)
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 2 cups freshly grated cheddar + 1/4 cup for topping
• 2-3 green onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/4 heaping teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 scant teaspoon salt (the pork rinds are pretty salty, so not a lot of salt is needed for my palate)
• dash of cayenne pepper (or two, depending on your love for a kick) 
• cooking spray

 Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cut the cauliflower florets into bite size pieces and chuck them into a pot of boiling water for 5 minutes, and then drain completely.  Set aside.

In a saucepan over medium-low heat add the cream cheese and milk and stir frequently.  Once the cream cheese begins to soften and melt, add in all spices (thyme, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, salt, and cayenne pepper), and stir in 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese.

Spray an 8x8 baking dish or pie plate (my mode for this experiment) with cooking spray.

Transfer the drained cauliflower into the sprayed dish and pour the melted cheese sauce over, being sure to cover the outer edges.  Spread remaining shredded cheddar cheese over the melted cheesy goodness.

Crush the pork rinds (I put them in a sandwich baggie and easily crushed them to the consistency of breadcrumbs with my fist.

Chop the crispy bacon into small bits.

Evenly sprinkle the crushed pork rinds, sliced green onions, and bacon over the grated cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.

Scarf it down as fast as you can so that you can have first dibs on seconds.

Trust me.