Macaroni Cheese With Cauliflower

Asked by squawking tart. Answered on 10th June 2014

Full question

Hi Nigella Team! Can I use the Macaroni Cheese sauce (in Express) to make cauliflower cheese, and in the same way?

Our answer

Nigella's Macaroni Cheese (from Express and on the Nigella website) uses a quick sauce made from cheese, evaporated milk and eggs instead of the usual bechamel based sauce. As the mixture is rich and thick, it should be possible to use it for a cauliflower cheese version instead.

We would suggest cutting the cauliflower into large florets and partially cooking it. The cauliflower will continue to cook in the sauce so the cauliflower should be cooked until it is no longer raw, but is still firm (crisp-tender). We would suggest steaming it for about 5 minutes, or cooking the florets in boiling salted water for about 4 minutes then draining them and refreshing them in ice cold water. The cooking time will depend on the size of the florets so keep testing them with a table knife as you cook them, to make sure that you don't over-cook them. We would also suggest draining the florets thoroughly and patting them with paper towels to remove any excess moisture - otherwise this water could leak into the sauce and make it thinner. Arrange the florets in a dish, pour over the sauce and bake as directed in the recipe.