Randy Chandler
Cauliflower cheese is a tasty and nutritious meal for babies and can be served as a side dish or a main. It's a great way to introduce your baby to cauliflower and can be made in a variety of ways, including as a purée or a mac and cheese. The basic recipe involves boiling or steaming cauliflower until soft, making a cheese sauce, and then combining the two. You can also add other ingredients such as milk, butter, salt, and garlic powder. The dish can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge or freezer, and leftovers can be reheated.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Recipe | Cauliflower Cheese |
| Type of dish | Comfort food, side dish |
| Suitable for | Babies, toddlers, kids, adults |
| Preparation time | Medium |
| Ingredients | Cauliflower, cheese, milk, butter, salt, garlic powder, breadcrumbs |
| Variations | Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, pasta, onion powder, black pepper |
| Storage | Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3 days or freeze for 1 month |
| Reheating | Microwave or hob until piping hot |
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What You'll Learn
Preparing the cauliflower
To prepare the cauliflower, start by cutting it into florets. You can use a whole head of cauliflower or buy pre-cut florets. If you are making this dish for babies who are being weaned, you might prefer to cut the florets into even smaller pieces. Once cut, place the cauliflower in a large pot of boiling water on the hob. Boil for around 8-15 minutes, testing with a knife to ensure it is soft but still holding its shape. Drain the water and transfer the cooked cauliflower to an oven-safe dish.
If you are making cauliflower cheese purée for younger babies, you can place the cooked florets directly into a food processor or blender. Add a splash of milk and some cheese, then blend until smooth. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times to ensure a smooth consistency. For older babies, you can mash the cooked cauliflower with a fork, leaving some soft pieces in the purée.
For a more grown-up version, suitable for older children and adults, you can simply cover the cooked cauliflower with cheese sauce and place it in the oven to bake. This dish can also be made ahead of time and frozen for a quick and easy meal later on.
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Making the cheese sauce
Next, you'll add the milk, cheese, butter, and salt to the blender. You can also add garlic powder or onion powder for extra flavour, but this is optional and can be omitted if you're worried your baby won't like it. Blend all the ingredients until smooth. You may need to scrape down the sides of the blender a few times to ensure a smooth consistency.
If you're making this dish for older babies or toddlers who can handle chunkier textures, you can skip the blender altogether and simply mash the cooked cauliflower with a fork, mixing in the cheese, milk, and other ingredients. Leave some soft pieces of cauliflower for them to chew on.
The cheese sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you're ready to serve, simply warm the sauce in the microwave for 15-30 seconds and stir it into cooked pasta or use it as a topping for baked cauliflower.
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Cooking the pasta
To cook pasta for cauliflower cheese for babies, start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. You can use any kind of pasta you prefer, but smaller shapes such as elbow macaroni, ditalini, pastina, or small shells are ideal for this recipe. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook it according to the package instructions. If you are making this dish for babies, it is advisable to cook the pasta until it is soft.
Once the pasta is cooked to your desired texture and tenderness, drain the water and return the pasta to the pot. If you are preparing this meal ahead of time, you can store the cooked pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days. When you are ready to serve, simply warm the pasta in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.
If you are making cauliflower mac and cheese, the next step would be to add the cheese sauce to the pasta. You can stir in the desired amount of sauce and adjust the cheesiness and sauciness according to your preference. If you are preparing the dish ahead of time, you can make the cheese sauce up to 3 days in advance and store it in an airtight container. When ready to use, warm the sauce in the microwave for 15-30 seconds before stirring it into the cooked pasta.
For older babies who are ready to progress beyond pureed foods, you can serve the pasta with some soft pieces of cauliflower mixed in. This provides a different texture for your baby to explore and helps introduce them to new food sensations. Remember always to test the temperature of the food before serving it to your baby to ensure it is not too hot.
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Combining the ingredients
To make cauliflower cheese for babies, you'll need to prepare the following ingredients: cauliflower, cheese, milk, butter, salt, and garlic powder. You can also add breadcrumbs for a crunchy texture.
Start by cutting the cauliflower into florets and boiling them in a large pot of water for about 8-15 minutes, or until they are soft. You can also steam the florets for 10-15 minutes as an alternative. Drain the water and transfer the cooked cauliflower to a blender or food processor.
Add a splash of milk, a knob of butter, a pinch of salt, and a sprinkle of garlic powder to the blender. For older babies, you may want to mash the ingredients with a fork, leaving some soft pieces of cauliflower intact, rather than blending until smooth. Blend or process the mixture until you achieve a smooth and creamy consistency. You may need to scrape down the sides of the blender or food processor a few times to ensure a uniform texture.
Finally, add the cheese. You can experiment with different types of cheese, such as cheddar, gouda, pepper jack, or gruyere, or even mozzarella, to find your baby's favourite. Adjust the amount of cheese used according to your preference and desired sodium levels. If you plan to bake the dish, reserve some cheese to sprinkle on top before baking.
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Storing and reheating
For storing cauliflower cheese, use an airtight container and keep it in the fridge. It will last for 3-5 days. If you want to make the cheese sauce in advance, you can store it separately in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
To reheat cauliflower cheese, place it in the oven at 180°C/355°F for about 30 minutes. The dish is ready when the top is brown and bubbling, and the centre is piping hot. You can also reheat smaller portions in the microwave for 15-30 seconds. Stir well and always check the temperature before serving to ensure it's not too hot for your baby.
If you want to freeze cauliflower cheese, it's best to do so before baking. It freezes well and can be stored in the freezer for up to one month. Defrost it overnight in the fridge, and then reheat it on the hob or in the microwave until piping hot. Freezing cauliflower cheese is a great way to have convenient, nutritious meals ready for your baby.
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Frequently asked questions
Boil or steam a head of cauliflower (cut into florets) until soft. Drain the water and add the cooked cauliflower to a blender with milk, cheese, butter, salt, and garlic powder. Blend until smooth. You can also add pasta to make it a more filling meal.
If you are making cauliflower cheese for babies, reduce the amount of cheese you add to lower the sodium levels. You can also experiment with different cheeses to see what your baby likes best.
Cauliflower cheese can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It can also be frozen for up to 1 month. To reheat, defrost overnight in the fridge and then warm on the hob or in the microwave until piping hot.
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