Pureed Cauliflower Is The Secret To Beautifully Light Cheese Sauce

Cheese sauce is a great way to elevate any number of entrees and sides. It's perfect for dipping raw veggies or pouring over cooked ones. It's delectable in pasta dishes, with chips or bread, as a base for soups, in casseroles, and much more. But have you ever craved cheese sauce while at the same time wishing it was a little lighter on the palate or in the belly?

If so, you're in luck. There's actually a great way to tone down the sauce's heaviness while keeping its genuine flavor, and all you need is a little cauliflower. Puréed cauliflower's smooth, creamy texture blends beautifully with cheese. And its mild taste won't overpower the sauce. So, instead of something that risks being excessively rich, you'll get a delightfully light cheese sauce that can be used in all of the same recipes as the original, thicker version. What could be better than that?

It doesn't get much easier than using puréed cauliflower to lighten up a cheese sauce. All you've got to do is boil the florets and puree them with a bit of the cooking liquid. Or, if you'd rather go the microwave route, you can steam the cauliflower before puréeing. When adding shredded cheese to the creamy purée (which you'll heat on the stove until the cheese has melted), it's important to keep stirring until the ingredients blend seamlessly, otherwise it may turn out lumpy. Of course, there are plenty of cheesy options to choose from, whether you want to use Gruyère or try your hand at cauliflower puree with parmesan and thyme.

You can even improve the cauliflower's depth of flavor by boiling or steaming it in broth instead of water. Vegetable, chicken, and beef broth will all work for this purpose. And while they will amp up the taste, they won't add any heaviness or density, keeping with the lighter profile you want from this specific cheese sauce. A bit of mustard, onion powder, and paprika are also useful for adding a little flavor without increasing the richness of the sauce. Or toss in some red pepper flakes for a spicy cauliflower cheese sauce. As an alternative, roasted cauliflower can also be used for delicious queso – just blend it with a bit of broth or stock before melting the cheese in for a light, mouthwatering sauce.

If you're still not sure about using the cruciferous veggie to lighten up your cheese sauce, consider that even celebrity chefs like to include the veggie in their cheesy dishes. For example, Jamie Oliver, Daniel Clifford, and Marco Pierre all make their own version of British cauliflower cheese. And it turns out that cauliflower is Gordon Ramsey's secret ingredient for upgraded mac and cheese — which just goes to show how well cauliflower and cheese sauce can work together.

In addition to being the key to a delectable mac and cheese, cauliflower is also an excellent addition to beer cheese soup. Puréed, it will act to offset the stronger flavors of the beer and the cheese, creating a lighter version of the soup. Or use it to make a beer cheese sauce perfect for dipping soft pretzels and other breads. And of course, cauliflower cheese sauce is perfect for using anywhere you would use regular cheese sauce, such as on roast beef sandwiches, with chips and veggies, on pasta, in casseroles, potatoes au gratin, and even as fondue. Ultimately, no matter what you use puréed cauliflower cheese sauce for, you won't regret it.