Gluten Free ‘Mac’ and Cheese

Ingredients
- 4 rashers streaky bacon
- 1 cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 250 g cream cheese
- 1 cup Mozzarella, Gouda or Gruyere cheese, grated
- 2 Tbsp ground almonds
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Method
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1. Preheat the oven to 180°C or fan-forced 160°C.
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2. Spread out the rashers of bacon on a baking rack and grill for 8-10 minutes, until golden and crispy. Allow to cool slightly, then chop into small pieces.
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3. Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add a pinch of salt and cook the cauliflower florets for 5 minutes, until just tender. Drain and set aside.
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4. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and brown the onions and garlic for 3-4 minutes, until softened. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat, add the cream cheese and mix thoroughly until well combined.
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5. Add the drained cauliflower, nutmeg and grated cheese of your choice to the cream cheese mixture. Toss well, and transfer to a baking dish.
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6. In a bowl, combine the bacon, ground almonds and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the bacon over the cauliflower.
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7. Place the baking dish back under the grill and bake for 10 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown. Top with a sprinkling of fresh parsley.
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Tip: Make this dish when you have leftover pork roast, and chop up pork crackling instead of bacon for a super crunchy, gluten free topping. By using cauliflower instead of pasta in this tasty version of ‘Mac’ & Cheese, you’re not only instantly increasing your 5+ a day intake, you’re creating a gluten-free, lower-carb meal. This dish doesn’t scrimp on flavour and even the kids will love it.