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Veggie Alfredo Sauce with Cauliflower for Picky Eaters

August 10, 2020 By Morgan Last Updated: September 9, 2020

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Veggie Alfredo Sauce is the perfect mix of decadent and light. Using cauliflower and milk in place of cream, this hidden vegetable packed white sauce is perfect for picky eaters. It tastes just like the creamy Alfredo sauce your family loves, but with the benefit of being packed with veggies.

a bowl of fettuccine and peas covered in veggie alfredo and topped with parmesan cheese in a blue bowl with white polka dots on a grey background with parmesan cheese on the base.
Using cauliflower in your veggie Alfredo sauce adds creaminess, bulk, and a hidden veggie to a family favorite meal!

When we were kids, my brother and I had our favorite foods. I was a huge fan of Chinese and pizza but my brother was all about pasta dishes.

Because of that, my mom made them all pretty regularly, and but we all loved the creamy, decadent pasta dish best. 

Table of Contents

  • A family favorite gone healthy: Hidden Veggie Alfredo Sauce
  • Tips for making perfect veggie Alfredo sauce
    • How do you make cauliflower Alfredo sauce?
    • You May Need…
  • Veggie Alfredo Sauce – creamy cauliflower sauce for picky eaters
  • Veggie Alfredo Sauce
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Recipe Notes
    • Need more hidden veggie recipes? Try these!

A family favorite gone healthy: Hidden Veggie Alfredo Sauce

Thankfully, there are ways to combat that, like adding vegetables to bulk it up. And, bonus – it will add extra nutrition that your kids won’t even notice. 

If you’ve been following along, you’ve seen me share my veggie spaghetti sauce and a veggie pesto pasta sauce.

To round out my series of hidden veggie sauces, today we’re talking about this veggie Alfredo sauce. The creamy, cheesy, garlicy sauce your family expects, but with the secret benefit of a bag of frozen cauliflower!

RELATED: Find all of the best Hidden Veggie Recipes here!

a bowl of fettuccine and peas covered in healthy alfredo and topped with parmesan cheese in a blue bowl on a grey background.
Cooking the cauliflower in milk before pureeing it will make the veggie Alfredo sauce even creamier and packed with more flavor. Feel free to cook it in broth or water if you’d like to reduce the calories more.

Tips for making perfect veggie Alfredo sauce

  • If you’d like to prep ahead, you can save the cauliflower and milk puree for later use.
  • Even better, meal prep the whole meal. Make the sauce earlier in the week and grill up some chicken. Combine sauce and chicken with hot pasta when you’re ready for dinner for a simple weeknight meal.
  • This makes a pretty large amount of sauce. Use half for your dinner and save the other half to make this chicken penne pasta bake later in the week.
What can I substitute for heavy cream in Alfredo sauce?

Whole milk, skim milk, and milk substitutes like unflavored, unsweetened almond or cashew milk all work well. I like to use a mix of cauliflower puree and whole milk.

Related reads: Learn how to make vegetable purees here!

a pile of fettuccini with veggie alfredo sauce and peas
Skip the heavy cream in this veggie Alfredo sauce and use a milk of your choice and quality Parmesan

How do you make cauliflower Alfredo sauce?

The key to making this vegetable Alfredo sauce is all is how the cauliflower is cooked. Some recipes recommend steaming it, others boiling, and others choose roasting. I like to cook it in milk.

Once your puree is completed, we’ll move on to finishing the sauce. But, don’t worry – you can easily make the puree ahead of time or even make the entire sauce a day or two ahead.

How to make veggie alfredo sauce:

  1. Make your cauliflower puree.

    Make a cauliflower puree is by cooking it in milk until it’s super soft and then blending it up until nice and smooth

  2. Make your sauce.

    Stir the puree into a creamy white sauce made with milk, flour, and butter before melting in some cheese.

  3. Add the cheese.

    Remove from the heat before stirring in your cheese – this prevents a gritty sauce. When choosing your cheese, make sure you grab a good quality Parmesan and grate it yourself.

It’s going to taste incredibly decadent, but it won’t pack on the pounds, and you’ll feel good about eating vegetables. Winning, guys.

Need more picky eater help? Try this: Over 100 Hidden Veggie Recipes Your Kids Will Love!

You May Need…

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Thanks so much for being a part of Morgan Manages Mommyhood!

A decent blender is going to make making the cauliflower puree much easier – I’ve made this with a cheap blender, but we love this Ninja Blender as well!

Want to get the kids involved?

Have them pick out a veggie to add to the meal or let them hit the button on the blender! Getting kids in the kitchen doesn’t have to be a ton of work – little ways of encouraging them really add up.

Veggie Alfredo Sauce – creamy cauliflower sauce for picky eaters

This sauce is a simple way to make an easy, weeknight meal healthier and sneak in an extra veggie into a picky eater’s diet. Serve with grilled chicken and peas or blanched broccoli to round out the meal. The whole family will love this creamy cauliflower sauce that can be served with zero guilt.

If you enjoy this recipe, remember to rate it 5 stars!

4.5 from 12 votes
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Veggie Alfredo Sauce

Veggie Alfredo Sauce is the perfect mix of decadent and wholesome. Using cauliflower and milk instead of cream, this sauce is perfect for picky eaters. 

Course Dinner
Cuisine American, Italian, Kid friendly
Keyword hidden veggies, veggie alfredo sauce
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 189 kcal
Author Morgan

Ingredients

  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 20 oz bag frozen cauliflower
  • 1.5 cups milk
  • 2 TBS butter
  • 2 TBS flour
  • 1-2 cloves garlic minced
  • .5 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. In a saucepan, simmer 2 cups of milk and the cauliflower over medium low for about 10 minutes, until the cauliflower is soft and cooked through.
  2. Add the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth.
  3. In the pan, melt the butter over medium heat and add the garlic, cooking about 30 seconds to 1 minute before adding the flour, stirring to cook the flour for about 2 minutes or until a light golden color. (this is a roux and will be what thickens your sauce!)
  4. Whisk the remaining milk in. Make sure to incorporate the roux well and then cook until it begins to thicken. Add the cauliflower puree and cook down until the desired thickness.
  5. Remove from the heat and stir in cheese and pepper. Taste and add more cheese, salt, or pepper as needed. Toss your desired amount with pasta and serve.

Recipe Notes

-Use a potato masher on the cauliflower about halfway through cooking – it will help it cook down even more and blend easier.

-If the puree is too thick, add a bit more milk, broth or water when blending.

-Use as much or as little garlic as makes sense for your family – we like garlic so I tend to use 2-4 cloves!

-Make sure you use good, freshly grated parmesan cheese! This is vital for this to be super flavorful.

Nutrition Facts
Veggie Alfredo Sauce
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 189 Calories from Fat 100
% Daily Value*
Fat 11.1g17%
Saturated Fat 6.4g40%
Trans Fat 0.22g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.577g
Monounsaturated Fat 2.77g
Cholesterol 32mg11%
Sodium 270mg12%
Potassium 489mg14%
Carbohydrates 14.65g5%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 9g10%
Protein 8.89g18%
Vitamin A 900IU18%
Vitamin C 50.3mg61%
Calcium 250mg25%
Iron 0.5mg3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Okay, so tell me – would your kids eat this hidden veggie cauliflower sauce? What was your favorite as a kid?

Need more hidden veggie recipes? Try these!

Hidden Veggie Breakfast Cookie Recipe

Secretly Veggie Sloppy Joes

The BEST Veggie Smoothies: how to put veggies in smoothies

Meatballs with Zucchini

Filed Under: 30 minute meals, Dinner

Comments

  1. KENNETH HOLLINGSWORTH says

    January 4, 2019 at 11:36 am

    5 stars
    This looks amazing !!

    Reply
  2. Michelle says

    February 24, 2020 at 12:42 pm

    Is this sauce able to into the freezer?

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      March 10, 2020 at 9:55 am

      Yup! just allow it to thaw before heating it up to avoid separation.

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Hi! I’m Morgan!

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578 shares