Veggies have never tasted so good.
If I had a comfort food bracket, this cheesy cauliflower mac ‘n’ greens would make my final four every time. Tender cauliflower florets are tossed in creamy cheddar cheese sauce laced with collard greens, topped with crispy breadcrumbs, and baked until bubbling and golden for a decadent veggie-filled take on everyone’s favorite cheesy pasta.
This recipe is inspired by two existing dishes: the classic UK cauliflower cheese and chef Marcus Samuelsson’s mac ‘n’ greens. Basically I’ve taken the concept of the cauliflower cheese—steamed cauliflower baked in a cheesy sauce—and combined it with Samuelsson’s brilliant inclusion of stewed collard greens in his famous mac ‘n’ cheese. The result? A perfectly blend of nutty cauliflower and rich savory greens carried by a creamy cheese sauce that is, quite frankly, out of this world.
If you’ve never worked with collard greens before, you may believe they have to stew for hours on end to cook properly. But cutting out the thick fibrous centers stalks eliminates the need for many hours of stewing, while a quick sauté with a little salt helps to quickly tenderize those hearty green leaves. After just 10 minutes, you’ll be left with a pan of tender, rich greens, full of fantastic umami.
Though this recipe might seem steppy at first glance, it’s actually very simple to make. I’ve streamlined the stove-top portion to use only one pan and do one step at a time, but if you want, you can use a couple different pans to speed up the process. For example, you could steam the cauliflower while the collard greens are cooking, and then make the breadcrumbs while building the cheese sauce in another pan. If you choose to multitask, I recommend making sure every single ingredient is prepped and measured before you start: doing mise en place in advance of cooking is always smart, but in this case, you especially don’t want to be gathering ingredients while trying to manage two different pans on the stove.
If you like, you can prep this cheesy cauliflower mac up to 2 days in advance. Assemble it all in the casserole dish, except for the breadcrumbs (keep those separate!) and store, covered, in the refrigerator until the day you’d like to serve it. Then top it off with those breadcrumbs and bake until golden brown on top and bubbling in the center.
Enjoy!
Cheesy Cauliflower Mac 'n' Greens
(Serves 6)
1/3 c. panko breadcrumbs
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
1 1/2 tsp. plus 1/8 tsp. Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided
1 lb. cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
1 shallot, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
8 oz. collard greens, leaves only, cut into squares
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups whole milk
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
¾ tsp. Hungarian paprika
6 oz. extra-sharp white cheddar, shredded (about 1 ½ cups)
2 oz. parmesan cheese, shredded (about ½ cup)
Equipment:
Large heavy pan, 9"x13" casserole dish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° F, rack in the middle position.
In a large pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add panko and cook, stirring often, until golden-brown, 3-4 minutes. Season with 1/8 teaspoon salt and transfer to a medium bowl. Set aside.
Wipe out pan and add enough water to reach ¼” deep. Bring to a simmer over high heat and stir in ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Add cauliflower and return to a simmer, then cover and steam until just tender, 3-4 minutes. Drain cauliflower and transfer to a large bowl; set aside. Wipe out pan.
In clean pan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add shallot and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until translucent, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. Stir in collard greens and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until greens are soft and tender, 8-10 minutes more. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside (no need to clean pan).
Add remaining 5 tablespoons butter to pan and set over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and straw-colored, and is bubbling at the bottom of the pan, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk and cook until bubbling and thickened, 1-2 minutes more. Add mustard and paprika and stir until incorporated.
Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in both cheeses until melted. Fold in collard greens. Taste and season with additional ½ teaspoon salt as needed, then pour over cauliflower in bowl and fold gently to coat.
Transfer mixture to a medium casserole dish. Top with reserved breadcrumbs. Bake until bubbling and toasty on top, 20-25 minutes. Optionally, preheat broiler and broil until extra-crispy on top, 1-2 minutes. Serve hot.
Originally posted February 17, 2025.
Commenti