Chop the head of cauliflower into small florets so that they’re about the size of macaroni noodles. I recommend chopping the cauliflower into smaller pieces so that it has a similar consistency to cooked pasta noodles.

Bring a large pot of water to a full boil. I recommend a large thick-bottomed pot such as a Dutch oven. Ideally, this will be the same pot you use for the whole recipe. Once the water is at a full boil, add the chopped cauliflower florets to the boiling water. Return the water to a rolling boil and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the florets are tender. Drain the cauliflower into a colander and set aside until ready to use.

Place the pot back on the stove top and heat to medium-high heat. Place the strips of bacon on the hot surface and cook, flipping every couple of minutes, until the bacon is crispy. Transfer the bacon to a plate (or a cutting board) and set aside to cool. Leave all of the bacon drippings in the pot, as you will use them to saute the onion.

Reduce to medium heat and transfer the chopped onion to the pot with the bacon fat. Sprinkle the onion liberally with sea salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened substantially and is beginning to caramelize, about 20 minutes total. The purpose of this step is to create deeper caramelized onion flavor and to also soften the onion to the extent that the texture isn’t noticeable. If you want to save time and the texture of al dente onion doesn’t bother you in creamy mac and cheese, you can saute it for just 5 minutes.

Once the onion is golden brown and very soft, add in the minced garlic and cook for 3 minutes longer, until the garlic is very fragrant.

Stir in the flour until it appears as though it has dissolved. Pour in the half and half and continue heating slowly until the sauce has thickened substantially. Avoid bringing the milk to a full boil and keep the heat on medium.

Stir in the grated cheese until it has melted and the sauce is nice and thick and creamy.

Transfer the cooked cauliflower to the pot with the creamy cheese sauce and stir well until the cauliflower is completely combined. Taste the homemade mac and cheese for flavor and add sea salt and pepper to your personal taste. You can either stop here and serve the mac and cheese with chopped bacon bits and chives on top, or you can transfer the mac and cheese to a casserole dish and broil it for a few minutes to create a golden brown topping.

If you’re going with this optional step, turn your oven onto the high broil setting and move one of the oven trays to the rack that is second or third from the top. Spray a large 13” x 9” casserole dish with cooking spray. Pour the cheesy cauliflower mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer. Sprinkle the cheesy cauliflower with extra cheese (I add about 1 to 2 cups more cheese on top).

Broil for 3 to 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted and has reached your desired level of golden brown color.

Remove the baked mac and cheese casserole from the oven and sprinkle it with chopped crispy bacon and chopped chives.

Serve baked cauliflower mac and cheese with your main dish and enjoy!