This keto cauliflower Florentine mac and cheese is decadently rich, creamy, and delicious. The addition of bacon takes this dish to the next level!
When you need true comfort food, this keto cauliflower Florentine mac and cheese will not disappoint! We combine roasted cauliflower with an incredible cheese sauce, bacon, and spinach to create a rich and delicious dish. Each serving comes in at just 5 net grams of carbs so you can enjoy this awesome dish often!
Let’s talk about cauliflower and spinach!
Cauliflower is a great vegetable option. It is a low calorie, low carb, nutrient rich food. Cauliflower provides you with antioxidants, choline, folate, magnesium, manganese, niacin, phosphorus, and vitamins B, C, and K. It’s also a high fiber food. And coming in at about 2 net grams of carbs per cup, it’s one of the lowest carb vegetable options! I used white cauliflower for this dish. If you can find it, orange cauliflower makes for an especially beautiful cauliflower mac and cheese!
Spinach is also a super keto vegetable choice. It is also a low calorie, low carb, nutrient rich food. One cup of raw spinach contains about 1 gram of net carbs. Spinach provides a source of antioxidants, calcium, folate, iron, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins A, C, and K. It’s also a good source of fiber.
What other ingredients go into this keto cauliflower Florentine Mac and Cheese?
The cheese sauce for this dish is amazing! We use a combination of heavy whipping cream and cream cheese to create an incredibly creamy texture. For seasoning, we combine dry mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. The paprika also gives our sauce such pretty color. I used a sharp cheddar cheese for my sauce, but you could use a mild or medium cheddar if you’d prefer. Last, but certainly not least, we add bacon to take this dish over the top! I used 6 slices of regular bacon, but you can use a thick cut bacon if desired. If you’d like, after serving, you can top individual servings with some chopped chives or green onions. If you haven’t seen them, I’d encourage you to check out my herb scissors. They make cutting herbs an absolute breeze and will save you lots of time in the kitchen!
Is this keto cauliflower Florentine mac and cheese difficult to make?
This dish is not difficult, but I do have some tips for you! First, I recommend lining your baking sheet with parchment paper when roasting your cauliflower. Next, when adding your spinach, you’ll have to do so in intervals since it won’t all fit at once. Just add a couple handfuls and stir until the spinach cooks down. Repeat until all spinach is added and cooked down. Last, after whisking in your cheese, you’ll want to remove your sauce as soon as the cheese is melted so your cheese doesn’t start to clump.
Here are some more keto side dishes I think you’ll enjoy!
Low Carb Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Helpful Hints:
*To achieve the best texture, roast your cauliflower just until it’s fork tender.
*You can chop your spinach or use your hands to tear it up.
Main Kitchen Equipment and Utensils:
- Large baking sheet
- Medium saucepan
- 13×9 inch baking dish
Splash of Encouragement:
***Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Luke 12:27***
Keto Cauliflower Florentine Mac and Cheese
This keto cauliflower Florentine mac and cheese is decadently rich, creamy, and delicious. The addition of bacon takes this dish to the next level!
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower, chopped
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 3 ounces cream cheese, softened and cubed
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 12 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
- 2½ cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- Avocado oil spray
- 6 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
- Optional toppings: chopped chives or green onions
Instructions
1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place cauliflower onto parchment lined baking sheet. Toss cauliflower with melted butter, salt, and pepper.
3. Roast cauliflower for 15-20 minutes, or until fork tender.
4. While cauliflower is roasting, make cheese sauce. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, add heavy whipping cream, cream cheese, dry mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Stir or whisk until cream cheese is melted and mixture is smooth.
5. Add spinach in intervals, stirring after each addition until all spinach is added and cooked down. Add 2 cups shredded cheese and stir or whisk until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth.
5. Once cauliflower is roasted, remove from oven and decrease heat to 350 degrees.
6. Spray an 13x9 inch baking dish with avocado oil spray. Spread roasted cauliflower evenly into baking dish. Pour cheese sauce over cauliflower and stir to combine. Add bacon and stir to combine. Top with remaining ½ cup shredded cheese.
7. Bake for 25 minutes or until heated through.
8. Top with chopped chives or green onions if desired.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 486Total Fat: 45gSaturated Fat: 26gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 133mgSodium: 642mgCarbohydrates: 8.3gNet Carbohydrates: 5gFiber: 3.3gSugar: 5gProtein: 15g
Thanks for stopping by! Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is calculated with the assistance of a third party service. Values are approximate, can’t be guaranteed, and should be considered as estimates only. Values differ according to types and brands of foods used. When used in a recipe, erythritol has been removed from the carb count as it is a sugar alcohol. Please note net carbs are total carbs minus fiber.
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