Easy (Healthy!) Baked Macaroni and Cheese

When it comes to love in the form of food, macaroni and cheese is right there with mom's chicken noodle soup and grandma's apple pie. On a list of favorite American comfort foods, mac & cheese would surely take one of the top three spots. Who doesn't like macaroni and cheese? Well, I'll tell you who, my husband.

Recipe Highlights:

1. Quick and easy macaroni and cheese recipe - no stovetop required!
2. Steamed cauliflower is the secret to the rich and creamy sauce.
3. Vegetarian, easily converts to gluten-free by swapping the noodles and breadcrumbs, 6 Weight Watchers Points Plus Per Serving

I know what you are thinking. You guess this is an issue of texture, many people avoid foods because they find the texture off putting. However, I can assure you, the man appreciates nearly all types of food from crunchy to slimy. Perhaps, you are thinking, he must has never tasted a really great homemade macaroni and cheese. I thought that too, but, then he did.

For reference, we are talking about a potluck that happened about 10 years ago. Even now I can immediately recall the perfection of this macaroni and cheese but, last week someone asked me my age and my mind was a complete blank.

Shortly after we began dating, a friend of mine, who happens to be a chef currently working for Tom Douglas (shameless name drop), showed up at a potluck with a dish of mac & cheese. This wasn't just any macaroni and cheese, this was the sort of comfort food I expect to find served in heaven. Perfectly cooked noodles snuggled in a sauce of multiple cheeses including gruyere - the ultimate cheese for making a sauce so comforting it should be woven into blankets. She even covered the top with crushed potato chips that turned even more golden and crisp as the casserole baked to perfection.

Everyone at the party raved about the mac & cheese but Mike deftly skipped right over it in favor of the other offerings. Finally, I thrust a spoon at him demanding he taste the macaroni. I was confident that one bite would rock his world. He acquiesced and accepted the spoon.

I leaned in awaiting his conversion.

He chewed quickly, swallowed, then shrugged as he handed back the now empty utensil. "It's not terrible, but I'd rather not have any more.”

To say I was shocked is an understatement.

Following the jaw dropping potluck incident, I was finally convinced of my future husbands odd aversion and I stopped making macaroni and cheese at home. I would occasionally order some in a restaurant, or enjoy a scoop as a dinner guest but truth be told, I didn't really miss it.

Eventually, as you know, we moved beyond the issue of macaroni and cheese to be married, start a family, lose 320 pounds, and now spend most days trying to stay one step ahead of our kids. Kids who have discovered they like macaroni and cheese - a lot.

A restaurant we visit, more often than I should admit, has a pretty amazing, from scratch, mac & cheese on their kids menu. It's appeal is heightened by the use of swirly-twirly tubular noodles, rather than the usual elbows. The sauce comes pretty close to my memory of the potluck casserole, though they skip the potato chip crust. Best of all the child's portion is enough for both kids to share with some leftover.

Recently, I asked my son what he would like in his school lunch bag. "Macaroni and cheese from Indigo.” I couldn't stifle my laughter at his response. What he had done, in a very clever way, was request a dinner out that would result in leftovers for lunch. I applauded his logic even as I turned down his request.

Instead, I did something unprecedented in our home. I made macaroni and cheese for dinner.

That night, Mike, usually mild mannered and easy-going, was in one heck of a stormy mood. He moved around the kitchen like a kid who had lost his dessert privileges. While setting the table he closing cupboard doors with more force than needed and finally slumped into his chair. (He will tell you he was fighting a cold and his grumpiness came from feeling unwell.) Shortly before sitting down to eat, I reminded him of all the past meals that our kids peered at with suspicion and distaste. Here was a golden opportunity to model open-mindedness at the dinner table. (I started to add, wasn't it clever of me to create such a situation, but in this rare instance I held my tongue.)

Comically, the kids did not notice their father frowning at his small "adventure bite” portion nor were they aware of him pushing the rest to one side before filling his plate with salad - twice. In a delightful turning of the tables, they were happily cleaning their plates, requesting more, and thanking me for making a yummy dinner. While I'm sorry I couldn't please all the people with this easy recipe, I couldn't help relishing the enthusiasm of 2 out of my 3 boys.

Before we were married Mike and I agreed, our family would share one meal at dinner time - no short order cooking. Unfortunately for Mike, this easy weeknight meal will be going on the menu again. However, when it does, I'll make sure to serve a hearty salad on the side.