We’ve been experimenting a lot over here with new recipes and the kitchen gadgets we normally don’t use day-to-day. A few months ago, we got a sous vide cooker and while we actually use it quite a bit, we’ve primarily only used it for steaks and not ventured beyond that. Last week, I read that lobster is delicious when cooked using the sous vide method, so we decided to make lobster mac and cheese – substituting cauliflower for the pasta – so a keto cauliflower mac and cheese with lobster. You can omit the lobster – either way – this keto cauliflower mac and cheese will become one of our household favorites!
The key to great keto cauliflower mac and cheese is to make sure you parboil the cauliflower and then make sure to remove ALL excess moisture. You don’t want a soggy, mushy dish at the end, so I drain the cauliflower after boiling, pat them with a kitchen towel and then usually toss them back in the hot pan to remove any remaining moisture. The “roasting” in the pan again to dry out the cauliflower also results in a nice, roasted flavor in your keto cauliflower mac and cheese when fully prepared!
I also love to mix up the cheese blend, however you can just go all in with one cheese like cheddar or monterey jack. I like to combine both for a balance of flavors that ends up being so comforting and satisfying. I also sometimes add some shredded gouda for some extra smokiness – experiment with your favorite cheeses!
I was super impressed with how tender and perfectly cooked the lobster tail came out – however if you don’t have a sous vide, simply boiling or steaming the lobster tails works well in this tasty and impressive dish that you can enjoy as a main dish or a side.
Keto Lobster "Mac" and Cheese
Equipment
- Sous Vide
Ingredients
- 2 lobster tails fully cooked, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 medium cauliflower heads broken up into florets
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 oz cream cheese cut into small cubes
- 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese or substitute shredded mozzarella
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp salt I prefer himalayan sea salt
- 2 tbsp crushed pork rinds for topping
- 2 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F
- Lightly butter a 9-inch glass baking dish
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil
- Cook cauliflower florets in the boiling water until just barely tender - about 5 minutes. Drain well and gently squeeze excess water with a paper towel. Transfer to baking dish and add lobster pieces. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a simmer over low heat. Add in the cream cheese and mustard, and whisk until smooth.
- Stir in the shredded cheeses, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cheddar. Stir until smooth.
- Remove from heat and stir in seasonings.
- Pour cheese mixture over the cauliflower and lobster in the baking dish and gently fold to coat.
- Top with reserved shredded cheddar and crushed pork rinds.
- Bake for 15 minutes and then broil for 2 minutes to brown the top.
