Keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

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Keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese is the perfect no fuss and family favorite side dish that is a perfect choice for a holiday menu. Delicious, creamy, and totally the best recipe. It is so simple to bring a side dish to your next potluck that will leave you with nothing, but an empty container to take home.

We love cauliflower recipes of almost any kind. I mean who doesn’t love cauliflower! If you are looking for other recipes to consider, our buffalo cauliflower are a major hit as well.

Keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

The holidays are nearly upon us and we are all thinking about what to make for Thanksgiving and Christmas. While on a low carb diet like the Keto diet, you have to think ahead otherwise you’ll end up consuming all the carbs that come along with this holiday. The holiday is chock full of land mines of carbs – appetizers, desserts, and side dishes!

My mom usually starts dividing up the  in law and I were just talking this weekend about whose house we were going to have the holiday at and beginning to divide who would make what. Holidays are fun like that – you get little tastes of everyone’s cooking! 

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The one thing that does make holiday cooking hard is that we only have one oven. That is when you break out your slow cookers, air fryer, and pressure cookers to the side dish heavy lifting. I rely on my Instant Pot and Ninja Foodi to the do a lot of the work.  I pressure cook vegetables, and in this case, one of the best air fried side dishes EVER!

This Keto Mac and Cheese is so creamy and delicious that you will swear you are macaroni and cheese! The cauliflower has the perfect tenderness so that feel like macaroni. The cheese is high fat and reminds me why I love the Keto Diet. 

The best part is that with the Ninja Foodi, you only need one device to complete this recipe. First, you air fry the cauliflower to oil, salt, and pepper. Then, you make the cheese sauce on saute. I am giving you instructions for this mac and cheese recipe so that you can make it with or without the Ninja Foodi. 

  • 1 Head of Cauliflower 
  • 1/2 Tablespoon Avocado Oil 
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Salt 
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese 
  • 1 Tablespoon Butter 
  • 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream 

keto cauliflower mac and cheese

How to Make Keto Mac & Cheese in the Ninja Foodi – Air Fryer & Pressure Cooker? 

Start by cutting up the cauliflower head into bite sized pieces. 

In a bowl or zip lock bag, shake or mix to coat the cauliflower with avocado oil, salt, and pepper. 

Cook the cauliflower in the air fryer for 12 minutes at 400 degrees F. 

air fried cauliflower

Shake the cauliflower halfway through in the air fryer. 

When the cauliflower is done cooking in the air fryer, remove the fryer bucket and the cauliflower and set on a heat proof surface. 

Then, add the shredded cheese, heavy cream, and butter to the pressure cooker bowl. 

ninja foodi saute

Set the pressure cooker on Saute’ low. 

ninja foodi saute low

Stir to combine the shredded cheese, heavy cream, and butter. 

Once the cheese is melted and the ingredients are combined, add the roasted cauliflower to the large pot. 

cauliflower mac and cheese

 

cauliflower mac and cheese

cauliflower mac and cheese

Coat the cauliflower in the cheese mixture. 

How to Make without the Ninja Foodi? 

Start by cutting up the cauliflower head into bite sized pieces. 

In a bowl or zip lock bag, shake or mix to coat the cauliflower with avocado oil, salt, and pepper. 

Cook the cauliflower in the oven for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F. 

Shake the cauliflower at 10 minutes.

While the cauliflower is cooking in the oven, take out a large saute’ pan. 

Set the stove to low-medium.

Add the shredded cheese, heavy cream, and butter to the saute’ pan. 

Stir to combine the shredded cheese, heavy cream, and butter. 

Once the cheese is melted and the ingredients are combined, add the roasted cauliflower to the saute’ pan 

When the cauliflower is done cooking in the oven, remove the cauliflower and add it to the saute’ pan. 

 

cauliflower mac and cheese recipe Ingredients Notes 

You can use olive oil or coconut oil in this recipe if you do not have avocado oil on hand, but EVOO and coconut oil will have strong flavors that you can taste. 

When buying cheese, choose the blocks and shred the cheese yourself. You will end up with a better dish as the cheese will melt together better. Pre-packaged shredded cheese has an ingredient that prevents clumping in the bag. 

Try these other Keto Sides

You will love this keto mac and cheese so much. We also love severing these keto friendly recipes during the the holiday as well. These air fried brussel sprouts are so crispy and go great with this Keto Green Bean Casserole.  If you love cauliflower as much as we do, you can also make this cauliflower mashed potatoes in your pressure cooker. 

Ninja Foodi – Air Fryer & Pressure Cooker 

If you do not have a air fryer or pressure cooker for the upcoming cooking season, here are the ones I own already. I can attest to their awesomeness. 

  • Ninja Foodi – I have this Ninja Foodi in white that I got from QVC. It is both a pressure cooker and an air fryer. It says that it is 7-in-1 Pressure Cooker w/ TenderCrisp Technology.
    • So far, I have used Saute’, Pressure, and Air Crisp. You can also Slow Cook, Broil, Bake/Roast, and Steam. There is a deal on the Ninja Foodi on QVC right now and you can also get an extra $10 off your first order with TAKE10
  • Instant Pot  – I have this Instant Pot which allows me to cut down cook time to minutes rather than hours. It has 15 preset programs that takes the stress out of cooking. 

Print out the Keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese recipe to make it easy to make in your kitchen!

keto cauliflower mac and cheese
Print

Keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

This Keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese is a family favorite side dish that is a ideal choice for a holiday menu and Thanksgiving or Christmas potluck.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword air fried, air fryer, Cauliflower, instant pot, Mac & Cheese, Pressure Cooker
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Saute' Time 5 minutes
Servings 6 people
Calories 149.86kcal
Author Aprilgolightly

Ingredients

  • 3 Cups Cauliflower equivalent to 1 head of cauliflower florets
  • 1/2 Tablespoon Avocado Oil
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1 Cup Cheddar Cheese Shredded
  • 1 Tablespoon Butter
  • 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream

Instructions

  • Start by cutting up the cauliflower head into bite sized pieces.
  • In a bowl or zip lock bag, shake or mix to coat the cauliflower with avocado oil, salt, and pepper.
  • Cook the cauliflower in the air fryer for 12 minutes at 400 degrees F.
  • Shake the cauliflower halfway through in the air fryer.
  • When the cauliflower is done cooking in the air fryer, remove the fryer bucket and the cauliflower and set on a heat proof surface.
  • Then, add the shredded cheese, heavy cream, and butter to the pressure cooker bowl.
  • Set the pressure cooker on Saute' low.
  • Stir to combine the shredded cheese, heavy cream, and butter.
  • Once the cheese is melted and the ingredients are combined, add the roasted cauliflower to the large pot.
  • Coat the cauliflower in the cheese mixture.
Nutrition Facts
Keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Amount Per Serving
Calories 149.86 Calories from Fat 118
% Daily Value*
Fat 13.12g20%
Saturated Fat 7.62g38%
Cholesterol 38.38mg13%
Sodium 346.19mg14%
Potassium 175.4mg5%
Carbohydrates 3.06g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1.07g1%
Protein 5.88g12%
Calcium 153.23mg15%
Vitamin C 24.1mg29%
Vitamin A 392.8IU8%
Iron 0.34mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Low Carb Cauliflower Mac and cheese

 

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