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–+ servings
Ebonie Garnica

Cauliflower Mac And Cheese For Full GAPS

Full GAPS cauliflower mac and cheese with tender florets, homemade cultured sour cream, drained yogurt cheese and natural cheddar. Reserve one-quarter of the cheddar for the golden top. This recipe serves six as a side. The 45-minute estimate starts with the homemade dairy ingredients already prepared.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6 side servings
Course: Full GAPS, Side Dish
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pounds cauliflower Fresh, cut into bite-sized florets; or the same weight frozen, thawed and drained.
  • 1 cup filtered water for steaming For fresh cauliflower, then drain away. Omit this steaming water when using thawed frozen cauliflower.
  • 1 cup homemade yogurt-culture sour cream Fully fermented for at least 24 hours and chilled before measuring.
  • 2 ounces homemade yogurt cheese Thick curd from completed homemade 24-hour yogurt, weighed after draining; not liquid whey.
  • 8 ounces natural organic cheddar Traditionally made without added starches or additives, already introduced. Grate and reserve one-quarter for the top.
  • 1/4 cup filtered water for the sauce Use up to this amount only as needed to thin. Separate from the steaming water.
  • homemade unsalted sweet-cream butter For greasing the baking dish; already introduced.

Equipment

  • 8-by-10-inch glass, ceramic or enameled baking dish At 1×. Use additional appropriately sized dishes when scaling.
  • Covered saucepan or small stockpot and colander Steam fresh cauliflower, then drain the water away. Frozen cauliflower is thawed and drained instead.
  • Medium stainless-steel or enameled saucepan, whisk and large spoon Warm the cultured dairy gently; melt the cheddar gradually.
  • Mixing bowl, kitchen scale, liquid measure, grater, knife and chopping board Weigh the yogurt cheese after draining and divide the measured cheddar.

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Grease an 8-by-10-inch oven-safe baking dish with homemade butter for the original six-serving batch. Use additional appropriately sized dishes when scaling. Cut the fresh cauliflower into bite-sized florets.
  2. Put the fresh cauliflower and the measured steaming water into a large saucepan or small stockpot. Cover and bring the water to a boil. Steam for about 5 minutes, until the cauliflower is soft, then drain well. For frozen cauliflower, thaw and drain instead; omit the steaming step and its water.
  3. Warm the cultured sour cream gently in a medium saucepan. Add the drained yogurt cheese and whisk until it loosens into the cream. Keep the heat gentle rather than bringing the cultured dairy to a hard boil.
  4. Set aside one-quarter of the grated cheddar for the top. Add the remaining cheese to the warm cream mixture in small additions, stirring each one through until melted before adding more. Use only as much of the measured sauce-thinning water as needed.
  5. Put the drained cauliflower into a large mixing bowl. Pour the sauce over it and fold gently with a large spoon. Transfer to the greased baking dish, spread evenly and scatter the reserved cheddar over the top.
  6. Bake uncovered at 375°F for about 25 minutes, until hot throughout and starting to turn golden around the edges. Spoon into side-dish portions.

Notes

This recipe makes six side servings in an 8-by-10-inch dish. The original also allows an 8-by-8-inch dish. Choose a suitable dish size and check the center as well as the golden edges.
Use completed homemade yogurt-culture sour cream and drained homemade yogurt cheese. The cheese is the thick curd left in the cloth, weighed after draining. Use homemade unsalted butter to grease the dish. This Full GAPS recipe is for after those dairy foods and natural cheddar have been introduced.
The fresh-cauliflower steaming water is drained away. The optional sauce-thinning water is separate; add only what the sauce needs. Frozen cauliflower uses the same vegetable weight, thawed and drained, without the fresh steaming step or its water.
At 1×, reserve 2 ounces of the 8 ounces cheddar for the top and melt 6 ounces into the sauce. At 2×, reserve 4 ounces of the 16 ounces for the top and melt 12 ounces into the sauce. These are portions of the listed cheddar, not additional cheese.
The 20-minute preparation and 25-minute bake give a 45-minute estimate once the homemade dairy is finished. Fermenting, draining and chilling are separate preparations. Allow additional thawing time first if using frozen cauliflower. Warm the cultured sauce gently and fold the soft cauliflower carefully.
Cool cooked portions promptly in shallow covered containers, refrigerate and use within three days. Reheat until hot throughout, reaching 165°F in the center.

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