Cauliflower Ham Mac N Cheese

I saw a recipe somewhere for a Mac N Cheese that included cauliflower and thought "Great way to get my kids to eat vegetables!" I roughly scribbled the recipe on the back of an envelop (I think). I promptly lost the envelope and recipe!

Never letting the lack of a recipe deter me, I decided to make the recipe from memory, while changing it slightly. Well, it got great results from my family. I have to admit that my kids do not mind cauliflower in mashed potatoes, so there was precedence. I also had some leftover ham from the weekend, so I chopped it up and added it to the mix.

Here's what I came up with:

Cauliflower Ham Mac N Cheese

1 bag frozen cauliflower
1/4 cup milk (more or less)
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
1 lb pasta (I used a mixture of baby shells and elbow)
1 cup coarsely chopped ham
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup bread crumbs

In a sauce pan, boil cauliflower in water until tender. Take out the cauliflower and put into a blender or food processor. Add pasta to the cauliflower water. Cook until tender and drain.

Meanwhile, blend the cauliflower until smooth. Add some milk, all the cheese except about 3/4 cup, Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper to taste.

Combine the cauliflower mixture with the pasta and ham. Pour into a casserole dish. Top with cheese and then bread crumbs. Bake at 400 degrees until golden and bubbly. About 20-30 minutes.

I hope you enjoy this. It's a great way to use leftover ham and get your family to eat some vegetables.